The current state of college football is almost unrecognizable to athletes who played a decade ago. Imagine how it must look to someone like Warren Sapp, the guy who reached the pinnacle of college athletics in the 1990s. The NIL has not only transformed the money that student-athletes take home but also the way that coaches treat them. Things were a lot different when he was cleaning up the national awards circuit.

During his May 16 appearance on Drink Champs, Sapp was asked about whether it’s hard to coach college kids these days. In his answer, Sapp covered more than what’s going on in college athletics. “When you’re paying somebody $600k, $800k, or a million dollars, it’s a $20,000 check, what the he-l are you going to tell this kid?” Sapp said.

It’s not that these student-athletes don’t deserve what they’re getting. In Sapp’s words, “If you can play, you can command eight up!” This has also changed how college players decide whether to declare for the pros.

For instance, Dante Moore, despite being considered the QB2 in the 2026 NFL Draft, returned to Oregon for another year. Carson Beck did the same last year and transferred to Miami. For that reason, Sapp was surprised that Cameron Boozer declared for the 2026 NBA Draft instead of staying for another year at Duke and playing with his brother, Cayden Boozer.

“If you are Cameron Boozer, Carlos Boozer’s son, your brother just threw away the trip to the Final Four. Would you leave your brother and go to the pros for bills the rest of your life or would you stay there?… Why is the big brother leaving the little brother? You ain’t won no championship. You don’t need your money,” Sapp asked.

Cameron’s decision doesn’t make sense for Sapp because if he had been paid $30,000 a year, he would never have left. He goes on to put the difference in what student athletes are making now in context compared to the 1990s.

“I was getting $32 a weekend. A 10, a 20, and two ones,” Sapp said.

That’s all. When Sapp played for Miami, student-athletes were completely barred from making money. The NCAA took the ‘amateur’ tag seriously. If you were caught accepting money from boosters, or an endorsement deal with a local brand, or for autographing, the governing body came down hard not just on the student-athlete but also on the program.

And it’s not that players weren’t making money through these channels. In some cases, they were caught. The NCAA forced Michigan Basketball to vacate an entire season after Chris Webber and some other members of the “Fab Five” were found to have taken cash loans from a local booster. Similar violations cost Texas Tech conference victories in the late 1990s.

Now, schools are permitted to share up to 22% of athletic revenue directly with their players, which is why elite talent like Cameron Boozer can legally make millions with the Blue Devils ($2.2 million via On3 NIL valuation). The numbers are even bigger for some college quarterbacks. And while Sapp didn’t get his payday in college, he made sure to make the most of his time in the pros.

Warren Sapp’s NFL earnings

After his successful junior season with the Hurricanes, Tampa Bay drafted Warren Sapp 12th overall in 1995. Following that, the former Miami DT signed his rookie deal. But his earnings increased significantly in 1998 when he signed a $36 million extension. From 1995 to 2003, he played for Tampa Bay before leaving as a free agent.

In 2004, he signed a lucrative 7-year, $36.6M contract with the Oakland Raiders. But there was a twist in the contract, as he got a $6 million signing bonus. Over his 13-year career, he brought in a total of nearly $59 million.

That seems low compared to what NFL players are making these days. However, at the time, Sapp was among the highest-paid non-QBs in the entire league.