Warren Sapp has left Deion Sanders’ coaching staff days before spring training.
The Colorado Buffaloes had already been forced into a reshuffle after Robert Livingston left for the Denver Broncos.
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Sapp was on a reported $150k salary under SandersCredit: Getty
Chris Marve was promoted to defensive coordinator, while Brennan Marion has been brought in to install a high-octane “go-go” offense.
The Buffaloes have made history by employing a black man as head coach and in both top coordinator positions for the first time.
Sapp’s departure as defensive pass-rush coordinator raised a few eyebrows but it has been revealed that his exit was not a result of a falling out.
Rather, he needed more time to dedicate to his charity work.
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“This brother sacrificed a lot to come into coaching. Something he said he would never do. I gotta help my brother out,” sports media personality Uncle Neely told The Morning Run podcast.
“Sapp is an ambassador with the Hall of Fame,” he added. “Matter of fact, right now he’s down there with the Miami Dolphins. They’re about to have a fundraiser bike ride where they give all these bikes to kids down there.”
Sapp made the Pro Bowl seven times in a 13-year Hall of Fame career.
Drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 12th overall pick in 1995, the defensive tackle won the Super Bowl in a 48-21 triumph over the Oakland Raiders in 2003.
A year later, he joined the Raiders on a seven-year contract worth $36.6 million.
Legendary Pittsburgh Steelers guard Alan Faneca says his fellow Canton inductee was the toughest opponent he ever faced.
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Sapp entered the Hall of Fame in 2013Credit: Getty
“Warren was great,” Faneca said “He changed and really played that defensive-tackle position different than anybody else.
“People like to ask you who’s the toughest guy you ever went against? Or the hardest guy? My first response – and I always give him credit because we had so many big battles – is Warren.
“He played the defensive-tackle position. He got wide. He was fast. He was quick. You couldn’t just show up on Sunday and play against Warren.”
Sapp is estimated to have earned $58million by the time he hung up his cleats in 2007.
But in 2012, he filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in South Florida with $6.7million in debts, per ESPN.
The former Buccaneers star listed $6.45million in assets, including 240 pairs of Air Jordans, a $2,250 watch, a painting of a nude woman, and a lion skin rug.
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Sapp helped inspire the Bucs to a Super Bowl triumph in 2003
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Coach Prime helped out his old friend with a job
But his 2002 Super Bowl ring and 1991 National Championship ring from the University of Miami were both reported to have been lost.
Sapp worked on several media gigs post-retirement, was a runner-up on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars in 2008, and fought off a shark while lobstering in the Florida Keys in 2016.
He later found a role as a senior defensive quality control analyst with Sanders‘ Colorado Buffaloes.
Sapp was inspired by a visit to Coach Prime’s program in 2023.
“For someone that never wanted to do this, I am really addicted to it right now,” Sapp said.
“The babies are really giving me a purpose in life, and I’m enjoying it.”
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The man they called Quarterback Killa is working with Colorado’s defensive line, specifically on pass-rushing downs.
Sapp has also gone viral after his bizarre pre-game ritual was caught on camera.
Apparently, the former pro loves to kick down pylons, leaving fans and pundits to question why.
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