All Coach Prime Needed Was 1 Question to Convince Reluctant Warren Sapp to Join Colorado Buffaloes

During the initial days of April, a new face joined the CU team: Hall of Famer Warren Sapp. Sapp joined forces with Deion Sanders and Co as a graduate assistant coach. Albeit Sapp is a celebrated name in the pro league, his little to no coaching experience accounted for him joining the staff as a graduate assistant coach.

The talks were in the air since the previous season when Sapp hit it off with Buffs’ defensive linemen during his visit to CU. Sanders was almost sold then since he described Sapp as a “Teddy Bear” indicating his preference to add him as a staffer. He turned his wish into reality by making Sapp a member of the revamped staff at CU, a news that he revealed by introducing Sapp in a Well Off Media video a few weeks back.

Categorized internally as a senior quality control analyst, Sapp garnered some positive words of applause from Deion Sanders during his interview with CBS News Colorado’s Romi Bean. “Everything,” said Sanders, without skipping a beat, when inquired about what Sapp brings to the table. “A gold jacket type of understanding, wisdom, and a work ethic instantly respected by all. He’s on fire every day,” Prime said, further lauding his fresh hire on ‘1-on-1 with Coach Prime’.

What caught the fans off-guard in the whole praising session for Warren Sapp was the question Sanders had to use as bait to bring out the best in their graduate assistant coach. “You got so much inside of you. Who are you going to give it to?” Sanders asked Sapp, which propelled him down the slope of a bit of pondering, finally reaching the conclusion that Coach Prime wanted. “He said, ‘Man, you’re right’. That’s how it all started,” Sanders said with a proud smile on his face since they made a Pro Hall of Famer a part of their staff.

Warren Sapp’s role at CU

Sapp underwent all the necessary steps and background checks required for a Boulder employee, where the expectations and standards were carefully articulated by Athletic Director Rick George, per the statement released by CU. The clarification was needed since the move came mid-semester, raising brows among fans.

Having acknowledged and agreed to all of them, as a graduate assistant, Sapp would now be required to enroll in graduate-level coursework. Another clause in Sapp’s role forbids him from contacting or evaluating recruits off campus. The compensation might be relatively little since it’s an entry-level role. These types of roles, however, don’t last longer than three years under NCAA rules.