Gerald McCoy Details His Feud with Fellow Franchise Legend Warren Sapp
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Gerald McCoy had a childhood dream realized when he was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the third pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. After all, McCoy grew up a fan of the Buccaneers, and a large part of that fandom was due to Warren Sapp. Like many at the time, he became enamored with a player who can be called one of the best in franchise history.
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However, McCoy and Sapp know find themselves at a crossroads after previously having a close relationship. During a recent appearance on the "Green Light with Chris Long" podcast, McCoy went into detail on the feud and more alongside his former teammate Beau Allen.
“It was Warren Sapp. I know we have our beef; we have a running beef right now,” McCoy said. “The first defensive lineman I really knew about was Leon Lett because he played for the Cowboys. I wore 78 in little league, I switched over to 99 once I discovered Warren Sapp. He alone made me a Bucs fan, and then I started playing with them on Madden. I started discovering Ronde [Barber] and Derrick Brooks, John Lynch and Mike Alstott. Then NFL Blitz came out, so that’s how I developed my love for the Bucs. Then it just happened they went on this run, went to the Super Bowl, and they won it.”
Following a standout college career at Oklahoma, it was like a dream come true when McCoy was drafted by Tampa Bay. Even better, shortly after he joined the team he got the opportunity to speak with the man he looked up to as a child, Warren Sapp. The Hall of Famer showed him a couple of tips and from there, the two began to build a friendship.
“Fast forward, I get drafted there, and my team growing up as a kid I got drafted to,'” McCoy said. “The first Buccaneer I spoke with was [former player] Warren Sapp. He came that week we first had OTAs – we went outside and did some one-on-ones, and he walked me through and taught me some stuff. He said, ‘We’re going to keep this going as your career goes, if you got any questions.’ It was fine.
“Me and Sapp became more than just; he became more than just a mentor and somebody I could ask questions to," McCoy continued. "Sapp’s been in my house – he’s met all my kids, wife, and dad. I’ve picked him up, and we’ve done – he was supposed to go train some kids – he called me, ‘Hey, I got to go train these kids. Can you give me a ride? Let’s go down here, work these kids.’ Bet, let’s go. We talked every week, I’m sending him film, we’re breaking down this… we became like actual friends.”
The relationship began to sour shortly after the Buccaneers released McCoy in 2019 following nine years with the team. He voiced his displeasure over the franchise issuing No. 99 to Ndamukong Suh just a few weeks after being cut. In his mind, Tampa Bay didn't treat him with enough respect on the way out.
“As soon as I left Tampa, I went on ‘Undisputed,'” McCoy said. “Shannon Sharpe and Skip [Bayless] asked me about them giving my number to [Ndamukong] Suh. My thing was – there are only two people in Buccaneers’ history who had more consecutive Pro Bowls, the All-Pros, all of that. You can say whatever you want about the Super Bowl era and Bucs’ defense that did – I still believe – top two or three defenses in history. Other than that, the accolades are there.”
That struck a nerve with Sapp, who fired shots at McCoy through the media. McCoy says he tried to reach out but to no avail until he received a response months later. Clearly, the situation has left a sour taste in his mouth after how close the two used to be.
“This is what happened with Sapp” McCoy said. “I said something about my number, and he goes on an interview and says, ‘He can’t say that, he’s not one of us. What has he done here in Tampa to warrant him feeling like he should get anything here?’ That was what he said. Here is who he is – an opportunist. I’ve seen him disrespect people in such a manner like in-person. I’m like, ‘Dawg, you really got problems.’ If a person shows you who they are – believe them.
“When that happened, I called him. Multiple times, he did not pick up the phone. I sent him a text, he did not respond," McCoy continued. "I said, ‘We can handle this however you want to handle this, but be a man and pick up the phone.’ He did not – you know when he responded to me? When he knew he was going to have to see me in London. He texts me a one-liner: ‘I told you how I felt about certain things.’ That’s what he said to me. I feel disrespected because he knows what took place between me and him. He could have called me and said that to me privately. To go in the media and say that – you’re an opportunist and you showed me who you were. The one thing I don’t tolerate is disrespect.”
This is a feud that has gone on for years and doesn't appear to be in a position to be resolved anytime soon. With that being said, it seems like McCoy is doing what he can to move on after being scorned by a person that he reverred growing up and spent a lot of time around in Tampa.
During his career with the Buccaneers, McCoy totaled 297 tackles, 86 tackles for loss, 54.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries in 123 starts. He was a dominant force on the field and deserves to be remembered as one of the top defenders in franchise history despite not appearing in the postseason during his playing career.
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