The night Warren Sapp slid out of the top 10 in the 1995 NFL draft changed Tampa Bay's future and is another lasting draft-day story that deserves to be revisited.
What looked like a warning sign to much of the league turned into one of the biggest evaluation failures of that era, with the Hurricanes star falling to No. 12 before building a Hall of Fame career.
Today is the 25-year anniversary of the 1995 NFL Draft:
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) April 22, 2020
CIN drafted RB Ki-Jana Carter 1st overall, the last RB drafted No. 1.
HOU drafted QB Steve McNair 3rd overall from Alcorn State
TB drafted HOFers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks
NE drafted HOFers Ty Law & Curtis Martin pic.twitter.com/25MpQJ7tOV
A dominant Miami star was viewed as a risk for teams
At Miami, Sapp was a consensus All-American in 1994, won the Lombardi Award and Nagurski Trophy, finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting and posted 84 tackles with 10.5 sacks for a Hurricanes defense that led the nation in total defense, scoring defense and pass defense. Sapp was viewed as a possible No. 1 pick before drug-test reporting clouded his stock.
Sapp tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine. At the time there were many different reports but the NFL also issued a statement saying the cocaine portion of separate media reports was inaccurate, while confirming that Sapp was among players who tested positive for marijuana.
The slide felt endless for Sapp, even if it only lasted to No. 12
11 players came off the board before Sapp, including Mike Mamula at No. 7 to Philadelphia, Kyle Brady at No. 9 to the Jets, J.J. Stokes at No. 10 to San Francisco and Derrick Alexander at No. 11 to Minnesota. Jets fans at Madison Square Garden were chanting for Sapp, only to watch New York pass on him amid concern over the drug reports.
The Buccaneers originally owned the No. 7 pick, traded down to No. 12 with the Eagles, watched Philadelphia take Mamula, then still landed Sapp at 12. It was one of the greatest one-day hauls in franchise history, especially because Tampa Bay later traded back into the first round and drafted Derrick Brooks at No. 28. One embarrassing wait for Sapp became the foundation of an all-time defensive core.
Sapp finished his career with 96.5 sacks, seven Pro Bowl selections, four first-team All-Pro honors, the 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and a Super Bowl title.
The 1995 first round remains the only time in NFL history a team drafted two Hall of Fame defenders in the same round, with Sapp and Brooks becoming the backbone of the defense that eventually delivered the franchise's first Super Bowl championship. Sapp was later inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, and Tampa retired his No. 99.
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