5/11/2023 0 Comments Grip Up! by Derick BrooksIt was a nightmare of a day, the worst ever,” Sapp said. Obviously, once things came together, they just took off and became first-ballot Hall of Famers.” A ‘nightmare’ of an unexpected freefallĪs great as Sapp’s NFL career would be, his draft day was not a good start at all. “But even then, it’s still a big jump when you come to the next level, more than lining up and playing football. “They had everything you look for: the traits, the athleticism,” said Jerry Angelo, then the team’s director of player personnel. The long path to that Super Bowl took a big early step that day in a trade down and a trade up for two homegrown, in-state prospects - Sapp from Apopka via the University of Miami and Brooks from Pensacola via Florida State, both coming together as sorely needed in Tampa. The Bucs were still in their original creamsicle orange uniforms in old Tampa Stadium, the Rays didn’t exist yet, the Lightning had yet to play a single playoff game and Tiger Woods was still a year away from joining the PGA Tour. Malcolm Glazer bought the team in January 1995, and Rich McKay, son of longtime Bucs coach John McKay, was elevated to general manager. The Bucs had endured 12 straight years with not only a losing record but double-digit losses, going 6-10 in 1994 under coach Sam Wyche.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |