Shilo Sanders drops heartfelt shoutout to Warren Sapp during first Bucs stadium tour
Former Colorado Buffaloes star Shilo Sanders is set to start his NFL career in September with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he is still posting video updates on his football career for his fans on YouTube. Sanders just posted a video documenting his first visit to Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Buccaneers.
He seemed quite impressed with the infrastructure at the Bucs arena. He couldn't help but compare it to the Colorado stadium, mentioning how Folsom Field didn't have a lot space between the sidelines and the boundary wall. The extra space at Raymond James seemed to please Sanders.
The 25-year-old also gave a shoutout to a Buccaneers legend, who helped him in his college football journey. About a minute and a half into his video, Sanders said:
"Shoutout Coach Warren [Sapp] right up there. Shoutout Coach Sapp."
Warren Sapp has been serving as a member of Deion Sanders' coaching staff on the Buffaloes team since the 2024 season. But before that, he had an impressive playing career in the NFL, mostly with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sapp spent nine seasons in Tampa Bay and had his best seasons with the team in the late 1990s and early 2000s. This was a time when the Buccaneers were one of the best teams in the NFL.
He was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXVIII against the Oakland Raiders (the team that he would join soon after).
Also, in this period, Sapp won the 1999 Defensive Player of the Year and was a four-time All Pro. Sapp was honored with an induction into the Ring of Honor. His No. 99 jersey was also retired by the team.
His legacy will forever be on the walls of Raymond James Stadium, serving as motivation for Shilo Sanders in his NFL career.
Shilo Sanders' journey to the NFL
Shilo Sanders' journey to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was not as easy as Warren Sapp's. Sapp was a first round draft pick after a good number of years with the Miami Hurricanes.
Shilo came into the 2024 season, his senior year, with a lot of expectations on his shoulder. He was expected to be a key member of the Buffaloes defense, setting the stage for a potential first round draft pick later on.
However, things turned out very differently.
Shilo was seriously injured in the second game of the season and missed most of the remainder of the year. This was a key factor in the massive fall in his draft stock.
The influence of Deion Sanders (his father) didn't help him either. Shilo was not even invited to the Combine. But this did not stop him.
With the help of Sapp and his father, Shilo was able to create his own opportunities to impress NFL teams. This did not lead to a draft pick, but provided enough evidence for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to pick him up as an undrafted free agent.