While “QB Killa” Warren Sapp is out in Boulder barking orders as Colorado’s new pass rush coordinator, his daughter Mercedes, aka Cede Sapp, is bossing it in a whole different game. She’s not crashing pockets, but she’s crashing old-school thinking around NIL, branding, and athletic empowerment at South Florida. And when she’s not helping athletes find their value, she’s out here reminding everyone who her squad is. 

Cede Sapp is getting some sun at St. Pete Beach, Florida. But she didn’t miss out on showing her loyalty to her team. Warren Sapp’s old team. The former defensive tackle’s daughter has been a big Tampa Bay fan for a while now. We saw it on draft day when the Buccaneers picked Emeka Egbuka at No. 19. Cede was really excited about him, totally fangirling. Then she posted about the other picks too, like Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison. Now, she’s at it again!

On her Instagram story on May 17, she took a picture of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pirate logo sitting on a license plate. Her 4-word caption summed up her pledge—“bucs or die baby.” In an era where even lifelong fans jump ship when a QB throws three picks, that kind of ride-or-die energy hits different. 

And this isn’t just some casual shoutout. Cede Sapp is all out spreading love everywhere. In her previous story, she gave props to her former school, North Florida, after the Ospreys softball team knocked off No. 25-ranked Virginia in a gritty 2-1 win, marking their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. That’s right. North Florida, the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Columbia Regional, handed the No. 2 seeded Cavaliers a fat L to punch their way into the NCAA conversation. It was also their first win over a Power Four and top-25 team all season. Big-time celebration. 

Meanwhile, back at her current school in South Florida, Cede Sapp’s got her fingerprints all over the Bulls’ women’s baseball program, which clinched the 2025 AAC championship. She didn’t need a press release. Just hit IG with a three-word show of excitement—“YES YES YES.” And let’s be real, Warren Sapp’s daughter is building blueprints for what student-athletes can be. NIL education? Check. DEI initiatives? Check. Financial literacy, personal branding, real-life prep? She’s cooking. She’s doing it all while keeping her dad’s edge. And as she’s grinding and winning behind the scenes, her dad’s been keeping it just as real, but with a bit more fire. 

Warren Sapp shrugs at a potential $25M income

When Warren Sapp sat down with Howard Eskin, he didn’t flinch when he was asked the highest number he made in the NFL. “6.6 I think,” he said. “Chump change nowadays,” that’s what the host called that paycheck, and even threw out what the Pro Hall of Famer might possibly be getting in 2025, which is an eight-figure number of $25 million. But the Buffs PRC didn’t bite. He knows it’s relative. 

“I had a bust in Ohio, I have a statue in Tampa, and my name sits in three NFL stadiums, and one of them is on a Saturday afternoon, so I’m good,” Warren Sapp said. And when people try to play the comparison game, bringing up Aaron Donald’s $30M paycheck, he had his rebuttal locked and loaded.

“I say, ‘Well, I wasn’t six times the player that Joe Greene was, and he only made a million dollars and I made six.’ So, it’s all relative, you know.” That’s the Sapp mindset. No bitterness. No envy. Just legacy over currency. And with Cede Sapp carrying that same fire into college athletics, don’t be surprised if the Sapp name keeps echoing through Florida.