Warren Sapp to work with Tommie Harris

Ruben Douglas · Post #1 » by **Ruben Douglas** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 3:42 am

Don't know if you guys caught the interview on the radio this morning. But Warren Sapp said that immediately after the super bowl he is going to work with Tommie Harris down in Florida, or at least some place warm.

I don't exactly know what to think of this other than does it really matter if Tommie is still hurt next season? I guess it can't hurt after the way he played this season.

NoSkyy · Post #2 » by **NoSkyy** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:25 am

Well, hurt or not, getting some quality coaching (Marianelli and now Sapp) should help him either way. If he plays to his potential(DPOY? please and thank you?), then I think we would have a very, VERY good defense.

Chewie · Post #3 » by **Chewie** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:31 am

From the interview (via the Sun-Times) :

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bears/2009/01/sapp_plans_to_join_marinelli_i.html#more

HOW DID ROD MARINELLI MAKE YOU A BETTER PLAYER?

Sapp: I tell you, it's boots on the ground. I went in there and we worked everyday. I was in there with Eric Curry and some of those old-school Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Santana Dotson, and Mark Wheeler, big grunt guys that held up the place, did a great job. It is what it is. We were going a different direction. We started doing those pass-rushing drills where we were hanging and on our toes and we came out like the third day in a row and we were all looking at each other, me, Regan [Upshaw] and all those young guys like, `Yeah, let's go!' They looked at us, and turned to Rod and said, `Are we going to do this every day?' That let's you know who wants it and who doesn't, trust me, my friend. We used to call it 30 minutes of hell. It will be an absolute grind the first 30 minutes of practice because you have to put the work in on the practice field to be able to go out on Sunday and have the type of fun that defense will allow you to have as a group.

TOMMIE HARRIS HAS THE KNEE ISSUE AND WE KNOW HIS PRACTICE WAS LIMITED DURING THE WEEK. HOW DOES HE GO THROUGH THE 30 MINUTES OF HELL THAT MAKES YOU THAT PLAYER ON SUNDAY AND YOU HAVE THE KNEE AND YOU CAN'T GET THAT THING RIGHT?

Sapp: I guarantee you he is going to be healthy this year and if he's not, it will be obvious. You have to put him together before he gets there. Rod will do a great job with that. He's always done a great job with me because I had a little trick knee sometimes and I didn't practice at times but you know when you need to grind and the grind happens. I talked to Tommie the other day and I told him, `Me and you are going to start this offseason as soon as I get out of Tampa [after Super Bowl XLIII] buddy because the under tackle position is something that not many people even want to be talked about because it's not a defensive tackle and it's not something else, it's an under tackle, a unique guy that goes both ways, that does special things. I only know two other ones other than myself and that's John Randle and Keith Millard that even consider themselves as under tackles. If you want to be in that class with me and those other two dudes, we're going to have to look each other in the eye and we're going to have to talk about this the right way and see what he's thinking. Because if he's not thinking about it the right way, with me and Rod, we're going to get some work out of Tommie, I guarantee you this because he's too good of a player to be sitting in that system looking like he's not a player.

SO YOU ARE GOING TO WORK WITH TOMMIE?

WS: I am going to work with him, yes.

Can't hurt, right ?

Post #4 » by **emperorjones** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 5:21 pm

Can we just sign Sapp? Player, coach, motivational speaker? He's got me ready to go through 30 minutes of hell right now in the hallway at work! It seems like we might be getting some energy and fire that has been lacking the last couple years on defense IMO.

Balance-a-Bull · Post #5 » by **Balance-a-Bull** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:22 pm

I hope Sapp teaches him how to dance around the o-lineman again.

Balance-a-Bull · Post #6 » by **Balance-a-Bull** » Thu Jan 15, 2009 9:28 pm

emperorjones wrote:Can we just sign Sapp? Player, coach, motivational speaker? He's got me ready to go through 30 minutes of hell right now in the hallway at work! It seems like we might be getting some energy and fire that has been lacking the last couple years on defense IMO.

Thanks for the info Chewie.

Chewie · Post #7 » by **Chewie** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:23 am

Bumpity of an old thread. So much for this plan. Good to see Harris show his dedication in the offseason. Misses minicamp and won't take Sapp's calls. Harrison, Adams, Dvoracek....be ready.

Chuck, Sioux Falls SD 02:44 PM ET
"I read some time back that you was going to work with Tommie Harris this off season, is that true and if so how is he doing?"

Warren Sapp, NFL Network
"He won't even return my calls! Picture that with a kodak! We don't even get down like that."

blumeany · Post #8 » by **blumeany** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:33 am

I remember him saying that on the Mully and Hanley show about a month ago. He mentioned that he was waiting for Tommie to call him and that he had to make the first move. So, it's not even like this chat was the first time Tommie heard him say this.

I find it kind of surprising, especially with Marinelli coming in and Sapp being such a fan of him.

I wouldn't read too much into it though. Sapp is a big talker, and I'm sure Harris is doing his own thing.

SportsWorld · Post #9 » by **SportsWorld** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:48 am

Tommy is too busy blaming the media for all his problems to call Sapp.

WEFFPIM · Post #10 » by **WEFFPIM** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:44 am

$5 says Warren teaches Tommie some of his rockin' dance moves.

Balance-a-Bull · Post #11 » by **Balance-a-Bull** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:22 pm

Chewie wrote:Bumpity of an old thread. So much for this plan. Good to see Harris show his dedication in the offseason. Misses minicamp and won't take Sapp's calls. Harrison, Adams, Dvoracek....be ready.

Chuck, Sioux Falls SD 02:44 PM ET
"I read some time back that you was going to work with Tommie Harris this off season, is that true and if so how is he doing?"

Warren Sapp, NFL Network
"He won't even return my calls! Picture that with a kodak! We don't even get down like that."

This is discouraging and very unfortunate.......maybe he is too busy working out with his own personal regimen----- hopefully.

I guess things did not go as planned.

Just as you said.... the other guys must be prepared to take over...just in case.

Cliff Levingston · Post #12 » by **Cliff Levingston** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:51 pm

Balance-a-Bull wrote:
Chewie wrote:Bumpity of an old thread. So much for this plan. Good to see Harris show his dedication in the offseason. Misses minicamp and won't take Sapp's calls. Harrison, Adams, Dvoracek....be ready.

Chuck, Sioux Falls SD 02:44 PM ET
"I read some time back that you was going to work with Tommie Harris this off season, is that true and if so how is he doing?"

Warren Sapp, NFL Network
"He won't even return my calls! Picture that with a kodak! We don't even get down like that."

This is discouraging and very unfortunate.......maybe he is too busy working out with his own personal regimen----- hopefully.

I guess things did not go as planned.

Just as you said.... the other guys must be prepared to take over...just in case.

Noentheless, it'd be polite of Tommie to at least return a call and say "thanks for the offer but i'm doing my own thing." This isn't good news at all.

Post #13 » by **emperorjones** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:58 pm

Maybe Sapp's annoying, or maybe he has the wrong number. Or maybe he stole Tommie's woman before. Or maybe he gets down like Eddy Curry and Tommie doesn't want none of that.

It would have been nice to read that they were working together though. I truly hope that we don't hear that TH is practicing every other day once camp starts.

Balance-a-Bull · Post #14 » by **Balance-a-Bull** » Fri Apr 10, 2009 5:58 pm

I agree Uncle Cliffy,

That would be the respectful thing to do.