Ex- Tampa Bay Buc and former Super Bowl champion Warren Sapp wil be yapping with the commentators on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL.”

  He will join analysts Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth and host James Brown when the series launches this September, Showtime announced today.
 
    “Inside the NFL” will premiere on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 9 p.m.  The show, produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films, will air on Showtime each Wednesday during the NFL season through February 11, 2009.

  “This is a dream job,” said Sapp, in a statement from Showtime.  He has served as a guest analyst on CBS Sports’ NFL pre-game show, “The NFL Today.”

  “It’s the job I’ve always talked about wanting after my playing career,” Sapp continued.  His statement notes that “Inside the NFL”  has been “a staple of television for a long time.  The show digs deeper into the games and the issues surrounding the league more than any other football show out there. I think this new approach will be fresh. For my part, I just came off the field and I’ve got 13 years of experience in the trenches to bring to the table.”

Sapp was drafted 12th overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1995.  After only two years in the league he was named to his first of seven Pro Bowls in 1997.  He was named 1999 Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the NFL All-Decade team and recorded 77 sacks as a Buccaneer, the second highest in team history.  In 2002, Sapp led the Buccaneers to the best record in team history (12-4) and to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. 

In 2004, Sapp signed with the Oakland Raiders.  After a down year in ‘04 and an injury plagued season in ‘05, Sapp returned to his All-Pro form in 2006.  Sapp played one more season with the Raiders in ‘07 before announcing his retirement on Jan. 4, 2008.  Along with co-hosting INSIDE THE NFL in 2008, Sapp will serve as studio analyst and game commentator for The NFL Network. Sapp and his wife, JaMiko Vaughn, have been married since 1998. The couple has two children, Mercedes and Warren, II. 

Past hosts throughout 31 years of the award-winning INSIDE THE NFL have included Chuck Bednarik, Nick Buoniconti, Cris Carter, Collinsworth, Bob Costas, Len Dawson, Jerry Glanville, Merle Harmon, Jimmy Johnson, Peter King, Dan Marino and Al Meltzer.