HOF Profile: Warren Sapp
The NFL is full of great personalities and the personalities are what make the NFL so special and such a successful league. The NFL is one of the most successful leagues in North America and the personalities are a big part of this. The fans love to follow these personalities whether they are good or bad. Fans love to hate players and also love to cheer for them depending on the type of personality. These different type of personalities also have an impact on the Hall of Fame voting as the media are generally the ones who make the personalities public. They also vote on the Hall of Fame and those personalities that agreed with the media can get a leg up on the competition. Those personalities that were constantly arguing with the media and would not give the media anything to go with will find it harder to get in. Personalities like that of Warren Sapp will find it much easier to make it the hall as the media likes these type of people. Of course they still have to be the best of the best but having a personality that the media enjoys does not hurt them. Warren Sapp was always one of these types of players as he was always in the news for something. It wasn’t always bad news though as most of the time it was something that he would say challenging other players but not taking low blows. His personality would truly come out on the field though as his smiling face could be seen after sacking a QB or almost sacking a QB. The always smiling and always joking Sapp was a favorite of fans and media and now that smiling face will be cast in bronze and place in Canton as a big personality enters the Hall of Fame.
Warren Sapp is a lot more than just a smiling face though as he was one of the most dominant defensive tackles ever. It may become rare to see another defensive tackle put up the numbers that Sapp put up through his career. With the new popularity of the 3-4 defence and a concentration on athletic outside linebackers and athletic defensive ends a player like Sapp is a rarity. Nowadays the defensive tackles are meant to plug holes as they are big men who can take out any running lanes in the middle of the line. The sacks and pressure is to come more from the outside of the line than the inside. When Sapp was at his peak he was the man providing the pressure from the interior of the line. With 96.5 sacks Sapp ranks 2nd all-time in that category making him one of the most prolific interior pass rushers ever. More than just his ability to pass rush though was his ability to make his linebackers better by opening up the lanes for them to come through. Derrick Brooks will eventually be in the hall and that will be in part thanks the big man up front. Warren Sapp was a nightmare for opposing lineman and anytime opposing QBs saw that smiling face line up they knew it would be a long day. Now he will go into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot.
Warren Sapp, DT (1995-2007)
6’2” 300 lbs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9 years)
297 tkl
96.5 sck
10 PDef
4 INT
8 FF
– Super Bowl XXXVII Champion
– 7 Pro Bowls (1997-2003)
– NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1999)
– Also played for Oakland Raiders
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