Inside the NFL Taps Warren Sapp
Seven-time National Football League Pro-Bowler to be fourth member of Showtime series' studio team.
By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/19/2008 8:00:00 AM
Former all-pro defensive lineman Warren Sapp will join Inside the NFL as the fourth member of the studio team when the show debuts on Showtime Sept. 10.
Sapp is a seven-time Pro-Bowler, and he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl in 2002 before retiring in January of this year.
Showtime and CBS Sports are hoping that Sapp’s defensive perspective will complement former quarterback Phil Simms and wide receiver Cris Collinsworth, who are analysts on Inside the NFL along with host James Brown.
The decision to name a permanent fourth host on Inside the NFL was never a sure thing. CBS News & Sports president Sean McManus said last month that the fourth seat was still up in the air, suggesting that a rotating panel of analysts, or even current players on bye weeks, could fill in. The addition of Sapp will likely end that speculation.
Sapp has appeared as a guest analyst on The NFL Today, CBS’ National Football League pregame show, and he serves as a studio analyst and commentator for NFL Network.
“Inside the NFL has been a staple of television for a long time,” Sapp said in a statement. “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.”
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