Warren Sapp spent 13 seasons carving out an NFL career that no doubt will culminate with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Thursday, it didn't take him long to summarize the quantum leap he made from elite defensive tackle to retirement. "I'm done," Sapp said he told Raiders owner Al Davis in a phone conversation.

Sapp, 35, leaves the game with his body intact, his mind sharp and his résumé chock full of impressive credentials.

"If you were going to pick a football team and play on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday or whenever, and it came time for you to pick your three-technique (tackle)," Sapp said, "you were taking me with you. That's all I ever wanted from this game."

In the end, Sapp received much more than widespread recognition as one of the NFL's premiere players.

He earned seven Pro Bowl selections with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the NFL defensive player of the year in 1999. He played a vital role in the Buccaneers' Super Bowl championship team in the 2002 season. Quarterbacks always knew where he lined up.

Former Raiders coach Norv Turner called Sapp a "unique guy and a great football player."

Turner, now coach of the San Diego Chargers, added: "Coaches coaching against him and players trying to block him, (his legacy is) going to be as a great football player. He's a disruptive force, and those (Tampa Bay) defenses were as good as any in the league during that stretch.

He was the leader of them."

Sapp played under defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin at Tampa Bay and got to know Kiffin's son, Lane. They grew even closer after Lane Kiffin was hired as the Raiders' coach last year.

"Warren and I hit it off pretty good right away," Lane Kiffin said Monday, "and he liked what he saw in the team meetings. He liked what we talked about, the practice tempo, a bunch of things he'd been disappointed in before. He really got behind us and what we were doing. It was a good experience."

Sapp finished with 96 1/2 career sacks. Former Minnesota Vikings player John Randle is the only tackle with more sacks.

"There are three dudes people are always talking about when it comes to three-techniques, under tackles, whatever you want to call it," Sapp said. "John Randle, Keith Millard and me. Those three guys right there, you can't go wrong with any of them."

Sapp first informed Davis of his intention to retire last Friday. Davis told Sapp to think about his decision and get back to him this week. Thursday, they had what Sapp termed a "simple conversation."

Davis and Sapp thanked each other for the relationship they enjoyed from the time Sapp joined the Raiders in 2004, exchanged thoughts on the Raiders' current plight and vowed to see each other in a week. At that time, Davis told Sapp, the Raiders will honor Sapp in a formal setting.

Davis always has been fond of Sapp. He admired Sapp's tenacity, production and enthusiasm for the game.

Davis pounced on the chance to land Sapp once he became a free agent after the 2003 season. Sapp learned of the Raiders' interest in him through an early morning call from agent Drew Rosenhaus.

"He said, 'Al Davis is on the line, and he's not getting off until you're a Raider,' " Sapp said. "I said, 'Well, do the deal.' I didn't take a visit here. I didn't see who the defensive coordinator was. I didn't see who the head coach was. Al Davis said, 'Warren Sapp, I want you to play for the Oakland Raiders.' I said, 'I'll take that.' "


When the Bucs won the Super Bowl, this guy was one of the main reasons...this guy was a stud on the field...and could always entertain with a good quote, or some antics that grab your attention. First time HOF for sure.