It’s time to continue my series of the top five players in Tampa Bay’s history with No. 3. In this spot, I’m going with defensive tackle Warren Sapp.

That should pretty much lead you to the conclusion that Lee Roy Selmon and Derrick Brooks are in the top two spots (and you’ll see the final order tomorrow). Putting Sapp third was a tough call because he was in strong consideration for the top spot.

Sapp changed the position of defensive tackle. He showed that you can dominate a game from the interior of the defensive line. For most of his time with the Bucs, Sapp was the best defensive tackle in the game.

He and Brooks were the cornerstones of a defense that won one Super Bowl and probably should have won more than that if the offense had been better. Sapp was never beloved by the fan base the same way that Brooks, John Lynch, Ronde Barber and Mike Alstott were.

That’s largely Sapp’s fault. His personality was unpredictable. He could be warm and funny one minute and vicious the next. There are countless tales of Sapp being rude to fans.

That’s unfortunate, but it was part of the package with Sapp. Say what you want to about Sapp’s personality, but this guy will always be one of the top players in Tampa Bay history.