Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

He devastated quarterbacks, won a Super Bowl and became the favorite player of an entire generation of Buccaneers fans. Now Warren Sapp can add Hall of Famer to his long list of accomplishments. Sapp was one of seven former players named to the 2013 Class of NFL Hall of Famers.

Joining Sapp in getting inducted this August will be Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter, Chiefs legend Larry Allen, Ravens offensive lineman Jonathan Ogden, Dave Robinson, Curly Culp and head coach Bill Parcells.

Sapp was joined by former Buccaneers safety Johny Lynch in the semifinal stage of the voting process, but Lynch didn’t make it any further. But while Lynch remains a favorite to many Buccaneers fans and is to this day one of the best safeties to ever suit up for any team, Sapp was without a doubt the best player the Bucs had from the 90s until the mid-2000s.

When Sapp came to the Bucs in the early 90s, Tampa was struggling to find it’s face. The franchise had existed since 1976, but the Bucs had never truly arrived with any sort of a presence in the NFL. There were some stars on teams prior, like Ricky Bell and fellow Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon but it had been some time since the Bucs had a face to their franchise.

Enter: Warren Sapp.

For years Sapp was the goofy yet fierce defensive machine for the Buccaneers and started a heated rivalry with Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre. Every time the Packers and Bucs clashed, Sapp vs. Favre was the story.

Many believe that if the Buccaneers had a quarterback that was somewhat manageable in the late 90s, they would have had a dynasty thanks to the defense that was being lead by Sapp.

He’s always been a character and didn’t always make friends with everybody in the room, but Bucs fans loved him dearly and still do. And now, come August, those same fans that stood behind Sapp for over a decade, will watch him become the second member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise to get a bust in Canton.

Warren Sapp, No. 99, is a Hall of Famer.

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Hall of Fame voting committee released it’s list of 15 finalists for this year’s Hall of Fame class. Among those candidates is former Buccaneers defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

Sapp is in his first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, and many analysts believe that the former Bucs superstar will indeed be making it in on his first try. Former head coach Jon Gruden, who coached Sapp to a Super Bowl in 2002, may be biased but he says that if Sapp doesn’t get in, voters need to get their heads checked.

“If Warren Sapp doesn’t go into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, you’d better check the IQ of the voters,” said Gruden. “No disrepect to anyone, but he’s the favorite guy I’ve ever coached.”

One guy who Gruden coached that didn’t make the cut, was strong safety John Lynch. While he made the initial list of 27 semi-finalists, Lynch failed to secure enough votes to move on to the finalist round.

Lynch isn’t alone in being left off the list of finalists. Joining Lynch in being left off the list of finalists is former Falcons kicker Morten Andersen, former Broncos running back Terrell Davis and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, among others.

As for Sapp, he’s not officially in the Hall of Fame yet, but he took a gigantic leap forward on Friday and is now closer than any other Buccaneers player in history to Canton aside from the already enshrined Lee Roy Selmon.

“It’s an honor to be in the conversation, let alone making it to this round,” said Sapp, now an analyst for NFL Network. “So many great players have played in this league. It would be a dream come true.”

The list of 15 finalists will be whittled down to no more than five official inductees, a list that will be announced in the days leading up to the Super Bowl in February.

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