For 13 seasons, Warren Sapp terrorized NFL quarterbacks as an All-Pro defensive end for the Tampa Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. Since retiring from the league in January of 2008, Sapp has put himself in a position to win more impressively outside of pro football. Sapp’s celebrity grew during his appearance as a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars,” and he is currently a sports analyst on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.” Sapp recently sat down with rolling out and provided three rules for having a successful career after the final whistle blows.
-amir shaw
1) Education-Everything starts with an education. You have to go to school you because it will give you more options when your playing career is over. In the locker room, you can say whatever you want because we’re amongst family. As a sports analyst, I have to be funny, informed, and combative.
2) Maintain Relationships- I got lucky when I went to CBS after we [Tampa Bay Buccaneers] won the 2002 Super Bowl. Deon Sanders was on the set and he said it would be a perfect. The relationships you make are important. You can’t burn any bridges and you have to stay true to yourself.
3) Stay Out of the News- I learned from Tony Dungy to stay out of the USA Today unless it’s a good article. If you don’t want something written about you, don’t do it. If you put yourself in a position where it is a story, it will be written. We live in an age where everyone uses the internet and blogs are everywhere.
According to the USA Today, the average career-span for an NFL player is less than four years. It’s important for current NFL players to invest wisely and to create a financial plan that will allow them to have a smooth transition once they are no longer employed by the NFL.
