Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp found himself in an unexpected run-in with a fan on the day of the big Miami-Florida State game on Saturday. A video taken at a tailgate party for the Miami Hurricanes appears to show the former defensive tackle kicking a fan in the legs during a confrontation.
The video appears to be taken by someone watching the scene unfold and begins with Warren Sapp, 53, holding an umbrella above his head as a man in Florida State gear walks up and starts to walk under his umbrella, which is blocking his path. The former Miami Hurricanes star then becomes upset when the fan who was admiring Sapp touches or moves the umbrella.
“Let me tell you something about this right here… Don’t touch my umbrella, bro,” Sapp told the man.
Things then took a downward turn when Sapp began to become physical, and a kick was sent towards the Florida State fan.
Sapp’s unusual actions after the kick made things even more uncomfortable: in a somewhat surreal moment, he extended his hand to a girl, assumed to be the man’s daughter, for a handshake while still in a heated dispute with her father.
The man told Sapp he was a huge fan of the former player and had admired Sapp throughout his career. The disagreement continued after that but ultimately ended with the father and daughter walking away from the scene.
The viral video raises questions about incident
It is not clear from the video exactly what transpired before it was recorded, or how the two men became involved in the dispute. The video does not capture the entire incident, and much remains unknown about the physical contact and the events leading up to it, including whether the two men had any prior contact.
There were no reports of injury to either Warren Sapp or the fan, and no charges have been filed. As of this writing, Sapp has not publicly addressed the incident.
For now, the viral video has put the former Super Bowl champion back in the spotlight for reasons unrelated to his on-field accomplishments.
Warren Sapp has a history of troubling behavior
This is not the first time Warren Sapp has been in the news recently for disturbing behavior. In September, it was revealed that he is suing the City of Tampa, Florida, alleging violations of his civil rights. He also shared a video of a heated confrontation with the City Council Chairman and multiple police officers inside City Hall.
Prior to that, back in May, police charged Sapp with one count of interference with city employees in the performance of official duties after being “rude, hostile, and intimidating.” Additionally, he was instructed to stay at least 500 feet away from building staff and to avoid interaction with victims or witnesses after he allegedly interfered with and harassed city employees in Hollywood, Florida.
While working as an analyst for the NFL Network’s coverage of Super Bowl XLIV in Florida in 2010, Warren Sapp was detained in South Florida and accused of domestic abuse. The charges were later dropped.
Sapp was also arrested in 2015, the day after Super Bowl XLIX, on charges of assault and solicitation of a prostitute. The NFL Network terminated Sapp’s contract later that day. Again, the charges were later dismissed.