Favre Helped Make Sapp Household Name
July 7th, 2013
While Bucs fans knew how special of a defensive tackle Warren Sapp was in 1997, casual fans likely had no idea what kind of a player Sapp was, or perhaps never heard of him but less saw him.
That all changed when the Bucs traveled to Green Bay to face the Packers in an NFC semifinal game. That day, Packers quarterback Brett Favre and Sapp had a memorable duel before a national audience.
Quickly, even casual fans knew all about Sapp while he sacked Favre three times and forced two fumbles.
Also late in the game, Sapp and Favre got into memorable jawing sessions where it was easy to see both players were having fun, as if they were playing backyard football. Two of the game’s greatest going mano y mano with a great deal at stake, including significant bragging rights.
Sapp reminisced to Joe and other media about the day every NFL fan finally knew his name.
“One of those nice cold days in Green Bay where two country boys went at it,” Sapp said earlier this spring. “We had a good time that afternoon. It was fun. No other game was on [TV] at the time. That’s where you get ingrained in America’s [mindset]. He and I were going back and forth on each other. It was high theater. At one point he goes to the sideline and I am dog-tired and it is third-and-18 and I turned and I’m getting ready to go off and I’m not even looking at the clock but he is, he’s the quarterback, naturally. So it was flipping from third quarter to fourth and he yells at me, ‘Hey, where are you going?’ And I said to myself, ‘It can’t be no one but him.’
“So I go over to chase him and he is going over plays with [Packers coach] Mike Holmgren and he tells Mike, ‘Hold on,’ and he comes back to me. So we have one of those silly moments where he goes, ‘What’s up?’ and I say, ‘Just one more quarter. You come on down here. I will be ready once you finish up with Mike.’ It was one of those silly kind of things. Funny, man. We got caught up in the moment, me and him.”
Of course, the Packers won, but it was Sapp who planted his flag in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field that day. It was a warning to all other opponents: If you were going to tangle with the Bucs defense in future seasons, you had to figure out a way to stop Sapp.
Not many teams did.
July 7th, 2013 at 6:02 pm
We so badly need another Warren Sapp.
Maybe Spence is it? ROFL!
Sorry…that was inappropriate.
July 7th, 2013 at 6:19 pm
I remember this game like it was yesterday…
July 7th, 2013 at 6:22 pm
McCoy is on his way
July 7th, 2013 at 6:31 pm
Just won my bid on a Sapp jersey. So glad to finally get a decent one after having a crappy wal-mart one for soooo many years. 32 more days until pre-season.
July 7th, 2013 at 7:41 pm
I saw Sapp take a whole game off one sloppy December day @ Lambeau…
July 7th, 2013 at 7:58 pm
I still remember that game clearly. What a show those two put on. They loved football, and loved that each other loved football.
July 7th, 2013 at 8:05 pm
’97 season was one of the best as a lifelong Bucs fan…..hope ’13 can be 1/2 as fun and exciting.
July 7th, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Hope we can get back to being a team FEARED by all others
July 7th, 2013 at 10:14 pm
I was 16 then and just sent to live with my dad( one of the most die hard Buc fans in the world). I at the time did not realize the importance of that game. As an adult now I can only think back to how fun that game was to watch.
July 8th, 2013 at 4:37 am
That was the year everyone stopped laughing when I said I was Tampa Bay Buccaneers Fan.
July 8th, 2013 at 10:45 am
@ron..it felt great didn’t it. I moved out to California in 89 for about a year. I used to wear my Vinny jersey all the time. Got picked on a lot. Even in 87 when I wore it to high school in Florida people laughed at me. This is why Sapp will always be my favorite Buc. He was not only a great DT, but was my mouthpiece for trash talking. He will never do no wrong in my eyes. I will always defend him.
July 8th, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Can’t remember the year but recall a game where Sapp flushed Favre to the sideline and spun him. As Favre was spinning away, Chidi Ahanotu came in full speed and blindsided him. Swore Favre was down for the count, but like he always seemed to do, he got right up and trotted back to the huddle. Hated the guy while he was playing, but have to give him props for being a tough SOB.