Benny Sapp
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Lee Sapp, II is an American football
cornerback
who is currently a member of the Minnesota Vikings
. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
at Northern Iowa
.
Sapp has also played for the Miami Dolphins
.
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was a student and a letterman in football
, wrestling
, volleyball
, and track&field. In football, as a senior, he was a first team All-Broward County
selection and an All-State Honorable Mention selection. Benny Sapp graduated from Boyd Anderson High School in 2000.
) with the Northern Iowa Panthers
and 24 games (20 starts) with the Iowa Hawkeyes
. He was removed from the Iowa Hawkeyes squad in 2002 due to charges of violence. He racked up 78 tackles
, six interceptions
, 29 passes defensed
and four forced fumble
s with the Panthers and 104 tackles and three interceptions in two seasons with the Hawkeyes..
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played for them until 2007.
he stepped in to the Vikings starting nickle rotation after Charles Gordon went down. In 2008, he had 22 tackles along with 2 interceptions. On March 3, 2009, the Vikings re-signed him to a one-year contract. And re-signed him again for a two year contract on March 9, 2010.
for Greg Camarillo
. For the Dolphins Sapp recorded 2 interceptions and had 10 pass deflections in 17 games. On September 12, 2011, during a Monday Night Football
game against rival New England Patriots
, Sapp was burned by Patriots WR Wes Welker
on a 99 yard touchdown pass. The Dolphins cut Sapp the next day.
sustained a season ending injury, Sapp was signed by the Vikings after a work out.
plays for the Philadelphia Eagles
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
who is currently a member of the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa Panthers football
The first year of Northern Iowa Panthers football was in 1895. They have fielded a football team every year since then with the exceptions of 1906-1907 and 1943-1944...
.
Sapp has also played for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
Sapp attended Boyd Anderson High SchoolBoyd H. Anderson High School
Boyd H. Anderson High School is a high school in Broward County. Boyd H. Anderson serves Lauderdale Lakes, and parts of Tamarac, Oakland Park, Fort Lauderdale and Lauderhill.The school is named after the third County Judge of Broward County, Boyd H...
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was a student and a letterman in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and track&field. In football, as a senior, he was a first team All-Broward County
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
selection and an All-State Honorable Mention selection. Benny Sapp graduated from Boyd Anderson High School in 2000.
College career
He appeared in 24 games (15 startsStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
) with the Northern Iowa Panthers
Northern Iowa Panthers
The Northern Iowa Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Northern Iowa. The university is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 15 varsity teams in 11 sports:...
and 24 games (20 starts) with the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
. He was removed from the Iowa Hawkeyes squad in 2002 due to charges of violence. He racked up 78 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, six interceptions
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
, 29 passes defensed
Pass deflected
In American football a pass deflected, also known as a pass defended, a pass defensed, a pass knock down, or a pass break up, is an incomplete pass that is caused by a defensive player...
and four forced fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s with the Panthers and 104 tackles and three interceptions in two seasons with the Hawkeyes..
Kansas City Chiefs
Sapp was signed by the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played for them until 2007.
Minnesota Vikings
Sapp signed with the Vikings in 2008. In 20082008 Minnesota Vikings season
The 2008 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 48th season in the NFL, and the 17th season in which they won their division. They won the NFC North with a 10–6 record, but had to play in the wild card round of the playoffs...
he stepped in to the Vikings starting nickle rotation after Charles Gordon went down. In 2008, he had 22 tackles along with 2 interceptions. On March 3, 2009, the Vikings re-signed him to a one-year contract. And re-signed him again for a two year contract on March 9, 2010.
Miami Dolphins
Sapp was traded from the Vikings on August 25, 2010 to the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for Greg Camarillo
Greg Camarillo
Greg Camarillo is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.He played college football at Stanford. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2005....
. For the Dolphins Sapp recorded 2 interceptions and had 10 pass deflections in 17 games. On September 12, 2011, during a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game against rival New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Sapp was burned by Patriots WR Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
on a 99 yard touchdown pass. The Dolphins cut Sapp the next day.
Minnesota Vikings (second stint)
After CB Antoine WinfieldAntoine Winfield
Antoine Winfield is an American football cornerback in the NFL. He played college football at The Ohio State University, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back in 1998. Winfield was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Since 2004, he...
sustained a season ending injury, Sapp was signed by the Vikings after a work out.
Personal life
Sapp's high school teammate Asante SamuelAsante Samuel
Asante T. Samuel is an American football cornerback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
plays for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.