Up until his draft night, Warren Sapp’s story was nothing short of legendary. He had dominated football throughout his college career.
This versatile athlete showed up big time in his combine performance. He clocked a blistering 4.69-second 40-yard dash, the fastest for a defensive tackle.
With such outstanding stats, you’d expect Warren Sapp to appear at the top of the drafting list. He stirred an electric buzz with many people expecting him to get drafted top 5 in the first round.
But in the NFL, fortunes can flip in seconds. And so, everything changed on the eve of the draft. An anonymous report surfaced, slowing down what initially looked like an early selection. Here’s how Warren Sapp’s dreams took a shocking detour:
Anonymous Report Hurt Warren Sapp’s Draft Stock
After such an electric buzz, Warren Sapp was over the moon. Expecting to make it to the top 5 picks. And at such a moment, you know it’s hardly possible for someone to keep track of trending news. So you can now imagine the shock on Sapp’s face on D-Day when he learned about the anonymous tip.
The night before the NFL draft, The New York Times had released a report citing an anonymous tip that Warren Sapp had failed multiple drug tests. Even more shocking were the references, a group of NFL team executives who chose to remain anonymous.
These executives had claimed that Warren Sapp had previously tested positive for ma**juana and c***ine during the NFL scouting combine. Amid these allegations, the NFL confirmed that indeed Warren Sapp had tested positive for ma**juana but Sapp refuted the c***ine claims.
“I had no problem with what I had done. I had a problem with the lie being told… How can I flunk six drug tests for ma**juana at the University of Miami, and nobody finds out about it until the eleventh hour before the draft?” said Warren Sapp in a Vlad TV interview. He was really upset with the tip and questioned the timing, indicating a hidden agenda behind the charge.
How the Allegations Affected Warren Sapp’s Draft
The unprecedented alarm caused unimaginable chaos for Warren Sapp during the NFL draft. The Hurricanes’ standout DL couldn’t hear his name in the top ten, let alone the initially projected top five.
All waiting in anticipation. He sat stranded at the back bench as the first ten athletes were called out. Probably hoping for a slot next to the already called-out names!
Unfortunately, things were not sitting so well with claims. Back in the day and up until now, the NFL has held a stringent policy against such cases.
It’s in the company’s best interest to maintain an appealing public image. So, the NFL will usually go hard on anybody whose drug tests raise questions.
And now that Warren Sapp’s drug tests were raising eyebrows, you can imagine the NFL’s stance. Even his legendary performance couldn’t save him from a strict scrutiny. When the 11th name being called wasn’t Sapp’s, the versatile athlete knew his long-awaited night had now turned into a horror story.
But just then, his name popped in the 12th position. After the tarnished reputation, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided to draft the Hurricanes’ superstar, and Sapp finally took a sigh of relief.
But things took a different turn later when the NFL released a statement refuting the rumors. Unfortunately, by then, Sapp had already lost his desired NFL draft position!
How It Cost Him Sapp Millions
With his rising star, it was much anticipated that Warren Sapp could be the Washington Redskins’ number 4 overall. The predictions were in line with the projection of a likely top-five draft pick.
But following the reports Washington Redskins were hesitant to take a chance on Sapp. Instead of going for the premier DL prospect, Washington drafted WR Michael Westbrook.
After the draft, Westbrook signed a 7-year contract worth $18 million. On the other hand, Warren Sapp’s 12th pick only got him a 4-year $4.4 million deal from the Bucs, or as Sapp called it, “peanuts.”
If you come to think of it, the unprecedented change of situations cost Warren Sapp millions. If he had gotten a top pick and signed a bigger deal, he’d have taken home an extra $13 million or more. It was certainly disappointing for Sapp as all his effort and a successful college career had resulted in this.
What do you think about those unfortunate events? Could someone have pulled strings to keep Warren Sapp from the top picks? Share your thoughts in the comments section.