From the Sunshine State to Colorado via Canton. Gold jacket HOFer Warren Sapp’s football career transpired almost entirely down in his native Florida. Born in Orlando, went to high school in Apopka, recruited by Miami and then drafted by Tampa Bay. If there’s anyone who understands the full extent of how massive the sport is in Florida, it’s Sapp. After all, he’s lived through and got his fingerprints all over the fierce Miami-FSU rivalry. 

To epitomize how much the two factions hate each other, even decades after graduating and going on to have a stellar NFL career, Warren Sapp hesitated when asked about his favorite Florida State Seminole of all time. But he did. The answer had to transcend football for a rivalry that does exactly that. The two schools, both members of the ACC currently, have met 70 times over the years. Miami holds historic bragging rights with a 36-33 lead, excluding one no result. But those raw numbers don’t even scratch the surface of what’s transpired in these matchups over the years. 

Those infamous field goals in the clutch that somehow always drifted wide right, which Warren Sapp was on the right side of, come to mind. Alongside the “Miami Muff later,” as well as the “Block at the Rock,” “The Rally in Tally,” and most recently, the “Van Dyke Spike.” There’s a reason so many of these meetings are attributed to nicknames. Miami-FSU just always spawns an instant classic. Having played a part in 4 of them, 2 of which have nicknames, Warren Sapp has seen the best of it. During an event by Smash Golf Club, Sapp was confronted about his Seminoles’ GOAT.

“#99 in your program, #1 in your heart. Cane at heart,” said Sapp to preface his verdict. He wasn’t about to strain that relationship with the Hurricanes faithful now, was he? “You’ll be shocked to know that Brooks Koepka, the Florida State Seminole, is my favorite. No doubt about it,” he remarked. Former world no.1 Koepka was a befitting reply in the backdrop of standing on a golf course. Warren Sapp also proceeded to name some honorable mentions. All former teammates of his with the Tampa Bay Bucs. “I had [linebacker] Derek Brooks as my roommate. [Defensive end] Greg Spires rushing with me. [Safety] Dexter Jackson is [our] Super Bowl MVP, [also] from Florida State. But Brooks Koepka is my favorite,”

34-year-old Koepka has won 5 majors in his career so far. Perhaps the best stretch of his career came between ‘17 and ‘19, where he won two US Opens and two PGA Championships while holding Rank 1 for 47 consecutive weeks. Brooks Koepka, just like Warren Sapp, is a Florida native through and through. That, in conjunction with Sapp not picking an FSU footballer, assures he won’t burn any bridges down in Miami. Alas, this fabled rivalry may be on the verge of being tarnished a little. Not because of a lack of animosity and hostility. But because of a lack of frequency, stemming from a decision around the corner for FSU.

Warren Sapp’s Miami Hurricanes may not face off against their nemesis as often as they do going forward

When USC President Carol Folt pushed for her football program to leave the PAC-12, she started a trend. Oregon, among others, followed suit to the Big 10. Then, this ordeal reverberated across from the Pacific coast to the south. Texas and Oklahoma, two programs synonymous with history, joined the SEC. The mass conference realignment ahead of the 2024 season changed college football on its head. The cost of admission was to leave tradition and loyalties at the door. 

Florida State, too, is trying to realign its program away from the ACC. They’ve made inroads in their efforts this week, with the two parties coming to a settlement on their lawsuit. If and when FSU exits the ACC, they’ll be leaving behind Miami and this storied rivalry that likely won’t be played year in and year out. Similar to how Texas and Texas A&M didn’t meet each other for decades. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. Well, Warren Sapp and the two fanbases will neither want absence nor fondness amongst these nemeses.

Now a graduate assistant on Deion Sanders’ staff in Colorado, Sapp’s moved on from Florida. But the blood coursing through his veins hasn’t. He’ll recognize how much of a travesty losing this matchup will be as an ugly byproduct of FSU’s proposed move. It remains to be seen how the chips fall. For now, Warren Sapp can enjoy some much-deserved relaxation down on the golf course. Work on his swing and inch closer to his self-proclaimed favorite, Brooks Koepka.