Deion Sanders boasts 127 years of NFL experience on Colorado staff, including Warren Sapp
Deion Sanders has one of college football’s most pro ready staffs. The Colorado Buffaloes coach told his players they have a century's worth of experience during practice on Tuesday. One of those coming aboard is Warren Sapp.
After teasing us last fall, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who played 13 years in the NFL, became a graduate assistant coach under Deion Sanders. Sapp has enrolled in graduate classes at CU.
QBK will join a growing list of talented former NFL players and coaches on Coach Prime’s staff. Both the offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Robert Livingston cut their teeth as assistant coaches in the league. Along with Phil Loadholt, who was an offensive lineman for the Minnesota Vikings for seven seasons. This will be his first stint as an on-field assistant.
Sapp reportedly hit it off with Colorado’s defensive line during trips to visit Sanders last year in Boulder. He told the players what he was there to help them do. “You’ll hear me before you see me most of the time," Sapp told
the team. "But what we’re gonna do is, big fellas – stance, alignment and assignment… We're gonna pour concrete because you know I like nice stuff. And we're building mansions here, so that's why I'm here – to help you build your mansion and foundation. Anything you need, come see me.”
The former first-round draft pick spent his first nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning six total All-Pro honors and seven Pro Bowl selections in that span. While also winning a Super Bowl in 2003 on a dominant Bucs defense under Monte Kiffin.
Many remember him as a beast in college while at the “U.” Believe it or not, Sapp became close with CU’s late Heisman winner Rashaan Salaam when both were finalists for the award in 1994. He finished sixth in Heisman voting that season, amazing considering he was a defensive lineman. However, he was named a unanimous All-American, Big East Defensive Player and was awarded the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s best defensive player in the same year.
JEFF HAUSER