Warren Sapp was one of the NFL’s most polarizing players during his tenure in the league.
Sapp had a knack for disrupting offenses with his size and speed on the defensive line but his style of play and choice of words were not always pleasant. Recently, in an interview on Fearless with Jason Whitlock, Sapp recalled the moment that Keyshawn Johnson desired to play for Tampa Bay after the Buccaneers fell short of a Super Bowl appearance in the 1999 NFL season.
While Sapp considered Johnson a “special” player, the Pro Football Hall of Famer said he would never want to be Johnson’s teammate again due to his inability to “lead” the Buccaneers’ offense.
“He [Johnson] didn’t lead us at all,” Sapp said. “That’s why we get in Joe Jurevicius and went and got Keenan McCardell.”
Johnson, who spent four seasons in Tampa Bay, responded to Sapp’s comments on Friday, calling the defensive tackle a liar and an “embarrassment to society.”
.@WarrenSapp please stop lying, I would never in a million yrs follow yo sorry ass ever. You are an embarrassment to society…sorry and I mean sorry… please keep my name out yo mouth fake ass MF..sad go get some help..tired of you using my name. Only dude I would follow is #55 https://t.co/algFz0PxvZ
— Keyshawn Johnson (@keyshawn) October 7, 2023
“Please stop lying, I would never in a million yrs follow yo sorry ass ever. You are an embarrassment to society…sorry and I mean sorry… please keep my name out yo mouth fake ass MF..sad go get some help..tired of you using my name. Only dude I would follow is #55”,” Johnson tweeted.
I had to, 1 last thing LMAO !!
Someone is crazy and it ain't me @WarrenSapp 😂
I promise I will not respond to his silliness for at least another 30 years 😂 https://t.co/FYRP8rBTWF pic.twitter.com/LFMOP3vEEL
— Keyshawn Johnson (@keyshawn) October 7, 2023
In 2002, three seasons following the ’99 campaign, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII under Jon Gruden, who took over the franchise after Tony Dungy. In four seasons with Tampa Bay, Johnson registered 298 receptions for 3,828 yards and 17 touchdowns.