For the first two seasons of his NFL career, Timmy Jernigan has worn uniform No. 97. When he takes the field this fall, Jernigan will do so in No. 99 to honor a player he admired growing up. Unfortunately, it appears that person doesn’t like the idea.
Like many guys his age who play defensive tackle, Jernigan was a fan of Warren Sapp as a youngster. That’s certainly not a bad choice as Sapp was named to seven Pro Bowls, recorded the second most sacks for a defensive tackle in NFL history, won a Defensive Player of the Year Award, and went into the Hall of Fame a few years ago.
“Just the way he played the game, nasty and ferocious,” Jernigan told the Baltimore Sun of Sapp’s style of play. “He came every play. You definitely knew he was there when he made a play.”
The Sun also added Jernigan has wanted to wear the number since being drafted, but it belonged to Chris Canty. With the switch now official, the Ravens made an announcement via their Twitter account. However, Sapp wants to find a way to put a stop to it.
@Ravens how do I stop this??
— Warren Sapp (@WarrenSapp) May 26, 2016
Ouch. Perhaps Sapp’s reasoning centers around him proudly attending the University of Miami while Jernigan spent his collegiate days at rival Florida State. Sapp certainly isn’t shy with his words so I’m sure we will find out soon enough.
Jernigan has recorded 60 tackles and eight sacks in 27 career games.
