Tampa Bay Buccaneers Get the Once-Over from QB Killa Warren Sapp

Fatso was back with the Buccaneers Wednesday.

That's Fatso, No. 99 on your scorecard, QB Killa, the Sackmaster, The Surly One, the rotund one, Warren Sapp.

In a true definition of the word "irony" the always-vocal Sapp, who really didn't care one iota for the media during his playing days, is now a media member, showing up at One Buccaneer Place to interview head coach Raheem Morris as part of his NFL Network gig.

Sapp visited with pal Martin Fennelly of the Tampa Tribune and marveled at One Buc Palace, recalled how he used to sit on the back open area of old One Buc Shanty and chomp down baloney sandwiches.

These young Bucs have their own spiffy cafeteria, their own nutritionist in residence.

What these young Bucs could use a heavy dose of is the old No. 99 motor. You look at Sapp during his playing days and you saw a guy with a horrible body but speed and agility like no one else, great feet, even stronger technique. He invented the 3-technique, the position now filled by Gerald McCoy.

Sapp loves McCoy, says the kid simply needs to be himself, not try to be Sapp or anyone else.

The Sapp-meister couldn't resist some time in the video room with the fellas, McCoy, Da'Quan Bowers, Adrian Clayborn, Roy Miller, Brian Price, Tim Crowder and the rest. He gave them the Derrick Brooks advice, the words "The Don" gave to rookie linebacker Mason Foster.

The three worst words a young player can say, "I GOT IT."

Sapp warned rookies that they don't. He's right, rookies rarely get it down right.

Sapp visited with his old coach, the new D-line coach, Keith Millard. Sapp was very vocal with Mark Dominik and Morris that Millard was the guy to get this defensive line on track.

That's probably a better pickup than any free-agency move the Bucs could have made.

Remember folks, veteran player rarely mentor rookies or anyone else who is going to take their place. That is what position coaches do. Coaches are mentors. They are the ones constantly watching these youngsters, teaching them, preparing them.

Visits from the likes of Brooks and Sapp are priceless, no doubt. But that's what they are, visits.

Day after day, it's the position coach who mentors and what better mentor than Millard, who had 18 sacks in one season for the Vikings, a standard for defensive tackles that still stands. Not even Fatso could sniff that mark, even if it was a baloney sandwich.

Sapp did see one familiar face among the wide-eyed youngsters, old man Ronde Barber.

"I believe this. You need some old, ornery men on your ballclub," Sapp told Fennelly. "Some old, ornery, stuck-in-their-way grumpy old men who just are, "This is what we do."

Well, for sure, Ronde is the old man of this NFL equivalent of Romper Room. Ronde can be quite grumpy, so there you are.

Sapp used to be that grumpy old man on and off the field.

But there was nothing grumpy about his final observations.

His observations to Fennelly on Josh Freeman:

"

"I mean, they have a franchise quarterback. I see the kid as an MVP candidate this year because he's fire retardant. This young man, there's something about him. This young man, there's something about him.

Watching the young men around him grow with him, he commands them. It's almost like that (Michael) Vick thing where people want to go play with him. This kid has that kind of quality about him, too."

"

High praise from a man who had an on-going thing with Brett Favre when it came to one of football best linemen chasing around one of football best quarterbacks.

Sapp raised his eyebrows over the youth of this team. "You're talking about 74 guys out of 90 in this place are 25 or under."

Romper Room.

He likes Raheem's moniker for his youth, Youngry.

"I kind of like it," Sapp declared to Fennelly. "Him (Raheem) going Jesse Jackson on me, inventing words around here."

Now its up to Millard and Morris and the rest of the defensive staff to invent something else: sacks, quarterback pressures, run stops.

That was a given when Grumpy Old Sapp patrolled the d-line.

Now, it's simply something Buccaneer fans are hoping for.

Sacks, pressure and a new generation of QB Killas.

Bring back the baloney sandwiches.