Warren Sapp relishes return to football as he serves as grad assistant at Colorado for Coach Prime

Updated Aug. 27, 2024 6:57 p.m. ET

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BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Warren Sapp visited the University of Colorado a year ago after new head coach Deion Sanders invited his fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer to check out the Buffaloes' football facilities and give a pep talk or two.

All the walking around Boulder's hilly campus got Sapp's achy hip acting up, so he settled into a hot tub at the Champions Center one day and before long found himself surrounded by the Buffs' defensive linemen.

“They were reaching and grabbing and asking questions,” Sapp recalled recently as the Buffaloes prepared to open their second season under Sanders on Thursday night against FCS powerhouse North Dakota State.

Soaking in the tub and soaking up the attention, Sapp had an epiphany.

“For someone that never wanted to do this, I am really addicted to it right now,” said Sapp, who joined Sanders' staff this season as a graduate assistant. “The babies are really giving me a purpose in life, and I’m enjoying it.”

Sanders called Sapp a terrific addition to his staff.

“Warren Sapp has done more than a phenomenal job,” Sanders said. "Just the connectivity and just understanding the different type players and the layers they have ... You've got to know all those different types of personalities and he's done a great job of understanding the different personalities.

"But this is the first time he's seeing it from the other side. So, it's a learning process not only for us as a staff but for him as a coach. But he's doing a phenomenal job with that defensive line, I promise you.”

Sapp is working alongside first-year Buffs defensive line coach Damione Lewis, who followed Sapp to the University of Miami before spending a decade in the NFL.

“He came behind me at Miami, so he’s one of those guys that was the next Baby Sapp. So, he’s been trying to be me his whole life, so now we're putting it together and see if we can turn them into something that’s better than both of us," Sapp said. "We have a great push-pull relationship. We see the game the same way and just love it.”

With Sapp on staff, Sanders tapped into additional NFL/Miami Hurricanes royalty this month when he had fellow Hall of Famers Ed Reed (on campus) and Ray Lewis (on Zoom) provide both football tips and life lessons to the Buffs.

“It's phenomenal to be able to tap into those resources,” Sanders said.

Like Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, Sapp said connecting with Gen Z players has allowed him to reignite his passion for the game.

“I’ve worked with pros that are getting my phone number and tell me they are coming to Miami, and my house is a mile-and-a- half from where they work out and they’ll never call,” Sapp said. "These kids call me at 5:30 in the morning, ‘Coach, you wanna come watch tape with me?’ It’s crazy. I’m like, ‘Yeah, give me a purpose to get off the couch!’

"So trust me, I was on my couch watching MSNBC, so I’m loving this. I am loving this.”

Senior defensive lineman Shane Cokes was thrilled last year when he got to pepper Sapp with questions on the two occassions Sapp visited campus, and now he’s tapping into that knowledge and experience on a daily basis.

“It’s crazy,” Cokes said, “because it’s like this is Warren Sapp, No. 99, Hall of Fame player. And you see him every day, so it’s like regular now, which is weird when you think about it, to be with somebody of that capacity, that level, every day. But it’s just so great to soak up the wisdom from him, go up and watch the tape with him, have him correct you on the field, off the field.

"There’s no better place to be.”

Sapp agrees.

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