Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 30 greatest players in franchise history

One of the biggest characters, and frankly, men to play in the NFL, Warren Sapp comes in at No. 3 on this ranking of the best players of all-time in Buccaneers history.

If this ranking were regarding personality, Sapp would come in at No. 1. His personality was larger than life, but that is besides the point. As a player, Sapp is one of the greatest defensive tackles ever, solidified by his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Sapp began his career with Tampa Bay after they drafted him 12th overall in 1995 out of the University of Miami. A standout defensive player, Sapp was a surefire pick, and it clearly worked out well for the Buccaneers.

From 1995 to 2003, Sapp demolished opposing offensive lines with his brutish force. I mean, look at him, he is 6-foot-2 and over 300 pounds. Would you like to try your shot at keeping him away from the quarterback? Thought so.

In his nine seasons with Tampa Bay, Sapp recorded 77 sacks. Appearing in 140 games, that is slightly more than a sack every other game, quite a clip. Keep in mind that he did this playing more of a space-eater role of defensive tackle and not the prototypical pass rusher coming off the edge.

From 1997 until 2003, Sapp made the Pro Bowl every season, including six various seasons earning All-Pro honors. That is domination in every sense of the word.

In 1999, Sapp was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year after notching 12.5 sacks. Sapp then went on to win the Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2002, and actually sacked Rich Gannon during that game. The Pro Football Hall of Famer’s No. 99 jersey is also retired by the team, further proving how incredible he was.