Sapp Sacker Of Old Again -- Buccaneers' Big Man Enjoying Leaner, Meaner NFL Season

The man some say is the most destructive in football stares at himself in the mirror and looks for imperfections like a nervous teenager.

He drinks cranberry juice by the gallon. His wife keeps a close watch on the refrigerator, and he adheres to a strict no-food-after-7 p.m. diet.

But Warren Sapp hadn't always been so conscious of his appearance.

Two years ago, he was the hottest thing in Tampa Bay. His tightly-braided cornrows and angry scowl depicted the new face of the woeful Buccaneers. When he smiled, they won. And he smiled a lot.

Tampa Bay went to the playoffs, and Sapp earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl and was heralded as the preeminent interior defensive lineman of the future.

Back then, he was phat; and last year, he was just F-A-T.

There's a difference, about 40 pounds.

But even with the additional weight, Sapp managed to return to the Pro Bowl and become the first Buccaneer defensive lineman to play in consecutive Pro Bowls since Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon did it 15 years ago. Despite fighting off constant double-team blocks, Sapp finished with seven sacks, and he led the Buccaneers with five tackles for loss.

None of that mattered. He helped Tampa Bay win four of its last five games, but the late success wasn't good enough to save the season. The Bucs finished 8-8. They missed the playoffs, and reports began swirling about how things had reverted to the bad ol' days.

Sapp didn't need weighty analysis to determine Tampa Bay's sudden plunge into mediocrity. When he looked in the mirror, he saw the reason staring at him.

"Whenever you get into a situation like we did a year ago when we were losing ballgames, it's always one or two plays each ballgame," Sapp said in a telephone interview. "Well, how do we change those one or two plays?

"Each one of us made a concerted effort when we went into the offseason. You know, check the man in the mirror. Especially for myself. . . . I lost weight and got in the best shape of my life."

He prefers not to be specific about his weight, but last year he was listed at 276 pounds and ballooned to well beyond 300. The additional weight didn't look good on his 6-foot-2 frame, and it took away from his endurance.

He became a part-time player, someone who played hard one series and took a break on the next.

"At the end of the '97 season, he put on weight as the weather got cooler and then he had some big playoffs games," Tampa Bay Coach Tony Dungy said. "He really played well in the two playoff games, and he was over 300 pounds and he had a three-sack day up in Green Bay.

"He felt that maybe the extra weight was going to help him, that he could handle it OK."

For the first time in his five-year career, Sapp participated in the team's 16-week offseason program every day. Twice a week he worked on his conditioning, and twice a week he lifted weights. He gave up late-night snacking and committed to a one-meal-a-day diet.

"My wife . . . monitors and makes sure the refrigerator isn't being open and getting nothing out of it," he said. "I drink a lot of cranberry juice. A lot of cranberry juice and V-8 juices will hold you over now and then."

The weight disappeared, and Sapp was rejuvenated. He began the season at 291 pounds and was quicker than ever.

"I find it a little easier," he said. "I can create a crack and maybe slip through one or two (offensive linemen). But when you're talking about 300-plus pounds, it's tough to do anything with that kind of weight on you."

The slimmer Sapp is quite possibly the most destructive man in the NFL, and he'll chase Seahawk quarterback Jon Kitna around the Kingdome on Sunday just as he chased Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.

"He lines up just off the guard's shoulder, and that makes him so tough to get ahold of," Seahawk offensive guard Pete Kendall said. "And he has a terrific motor. . . . He never stops."

Sapp is on pace to finish with 53 tackles and needs two to better his season high of 10.5. He's having another Pro Bowl-type season and could even challenge for a grander award.

Now that Reggie White has retired, the title of NFL's best defensive player is up for grabs.

The candidates include San Diego linebacker Junior Seau, Dallas cornerback Deion Sanders and Minnesota defensive tackle John Randle.

Sapp is combination of all three.

He is excitable like Seau, perpetual motion. He is quotable like Sanders, always flamboyant. And like Randle, he is a dynamic force in the middle of the defensive line.

"Warren is one of those players where you have . . . to know where he is and probably put two guys on him the whole game," Seahawk Coach Mike Holmgren said. "Otherwise, he disrupts. He is built perfectly for what he does - strong, good leverage, quick for a man his size. From everything I can see on film, he has kind of rededicated this season."

Some things have changed, but Sapp is smiling again.

And the Bucs (6-4) are winning. They began the season with a 3-4 record, but since have recovered and won their past three games.

"The game has always been fun for me," Sapp said. "Just enjoy it, because it's a privilege to play this game. It's a blessing."