A Super Bowl champion, a former Defensive Player of the Year, and a seven-time Pro Bowler. These are some of the accolades Warren Sapp has to his name during a 13-year NFL career. Despite his success, Sapp filed for bankruptcy in 2012, just five years after his last professional game. This incident highlighted the perils of athletic stardom and a growing trend of NFL players suffering from financial stability. Perhaps this is the reason why Sapp was not keen on his son following his footsteps from an early age.

Sapp is currently a graduate assistant for the Deion Sanders-led Colorado Buffaloes and has worked with the team to improve their defense. Meanwhile, his son Warren Sapp II has a background in lacrosse and got a scholarship to Florida Atlantic University, where he’s currently playing linebacker. However, his father was reluctant to let him get into football.

Talking on a podcast, Sapp said, “they were like, ‘your son play football?’ No.” Sapp didn’t mince words when explaining his reasoning. He laid it out flat: “He know his next meal ain’t dependent on him sacking a quarterback or running nobody down. I made sure he had a real good education and some other stuff backing him up to where you didn’t have to go do this. Providing a better lifestyle for your children that they don’t have to do what we did,” Sapp said.

The path to the NFL is challenging in itself but getting to the league means a whole new world one that can be treacherous to navigate. When Sapp filed for bankruptcy in 2012, a report showed that 78 percent of NFL players file for bankruptcy within two years of their retirement. Another example of this is former Titans quarterback and first-round draft pick Vince Young, who spent six seasons in the NFL earning around $26 million.

However, poor decisions led to his financial ruin. This problem hasn’t spared even some high-profile NFL players like Terrell Owens. During a 15-year professional career, had 1,078 receptions, 15,934 yards, and 153 touchdowns. He is listed by the NFL as the No. 6 greatest wide receiver of all time. But after having earned $80 million during his playing career, a string of poor financial choices left him with a worth of just $500k, having admitted to having been carried away by his flashy lifestyle.

“Now if you choose, your kid got better chance of being brain surgeon than doing what we did for a living,” Sapp added. Sapp’s perspective is eye-opening. For all the glory and fame, his journey came with plenty of hardships, and he’s hell-bent on ensuring Deuce doesn’t face the same pitfalls. Apart from this, there could be another reason why Sapp didn’t want his son to get into the game early.

In 2017, he revealed that he suffers from memory loss due to his stint in the league and when he passes away he will donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation. He mentioned that he had to use reminders on his phone to help him with remembering simple day to day tasks.

Later that year, he also talked about keeping his children away from football until they were teenagers. “Not until 14. We do the Bar Mitzvah, baptize them in the 7th grade,” Sapp said. “Anything under that, they are not ready. Make them understand the game, without the physicality of the game. I didn’t allow my son to play the game and Warren Sapp II is 6’1″ 220 pounds. I didn’t put him in a football uniform until he turned 14 and said he wanted to play.”

The thought of being in the NFL isn’t as appealing when you know the risks and failures. “I’m giving every opportunity to develop my child, until he’s 13…14 years old, as a critically thinking individual, as a young man or young lady, and then let them pick their path.” 

Sapp understands first hand the risks that come with a high profile career, having gone from being a millionaire to filing for bankruptcy, mere years after his retirement.

Warren Sapp’s football tragedy: from NFL glory to bankruptcy

Now, let’s rewind a bit. Before Warren, Sapp became an assistant coach at Colorado. He was a force in the NFL, especially during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This guy was an All-American defensive lineman at the University of Miami, and he wasn’t just good—he was diabolical. With 176 tackles and 19.5 sacks in his college career. He finished sixth in the Heisman voting before getting drafted in the first round by Tampa Bay in 1995. When everything was said and done, he racked up 573 tackles, 96.5 sacks, 4 picks, and 1 big fumble on his massive wealth.

Despite making 58.9 million during his time in the league, Sapp filed for bankruptcy in 2012 because of massive debt, including unpaid child support, alimony, and bad business ventures. That bankruptcy had Hall of Famer on his knees. The man owed over $6.7 million while having only $6.45 million in assets. Now, he’s back on his feet as a coach, finding purpose again.“For someone that never wanted to do this [Coaching], I am really addicted to it right now,” he admitted. “The babies are really giving me a purpose in life, and I’m enjoying it.”

Sapp may have hit rock bottom, but now he’s found something that truly fulfills him. His son, on the other hand, might just dodge the same financial disaster his father faced. Sapp wants him to think critically, not just throw his body and mind into football.