Bad break was good for Culpepper By TOM MCEWEN/Tampa Tribune Columnist
Sounds nutty but Brad Culpepper is a defensive lineman - and having a career year with the Bucs - because he contracted osteomyelitis 10 years ago and shrank before taking up his football scholarship at Florida.Otherwise, Culpepper would have been an offensive lineman and maybe never big enough to be an All- American, or play in the NFL for six seasons, the last three in Tampa Bay.
Right now, nose tackle Culpepper, waived by Minnesota in August 1994, is leading the Buc defensive front with 46 tackles, has 7 1/2 sacks and has done what the great Lee Roy Selmon never did. He has had two three- sack games.
Oh, we know part of all this is because enemy linemen are double- teaming the footloose Warren Sapp, but so what? ``We are team. We are one. We have great, hand-signal communication. Nobody cares who does what individually. We hang together. We work hard - with Coach Rod Marinelli as hard as any other group,'' said Culpepper, father of Rex, husband of the talented Monica, off-season Florida law student, and, gratefully, benefactor of Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
Comeback from disease
A standout lineman at Tallahassee Leon, in the spring of 1987, he signed a scholarship to Florida. He developed back pains pitching baseball on his 18th birthday. The pains worsened, his fever shot to 103. He entered Shands at 6-foot-2 and 265, an offensive line prospect. The bone disease was near fatal.
``I was hospitalized a month. Intravenous medication was constant. I was two weeks from paralysis. I shrank an inch and a half and got to 215 pounds. And then I got well,'' Culpepper said, ``but reported to Florida football at that new size and they told me to learn to be mean, work the weights and become a defensive lineman.''
That worked. At Florida he won everything possible, on the field and in the classroom, but ``when Minnesota drafted me in the 10th round, well, that was a disappointment. Did I ever think about quitting? Well, we trained at Mankato, and I was the smallest defensive lineman. John Randle was in my place. Sure, I looked at my keys many times thinking about going home to study law, but I didn't. Thank heaven. People got hurt, I got promoted and when the Vikings cut me in 1994, the Bucs were first in line ahead of six others to pick me up. What a break!''
What a break for the Bucs, too.
Culpepper played in 16 games, starting only four, in 1995, started 13 in 1996 under Coach Tony Dungy and every game this season. He is playing sensationally. He and his buddy, Sapp, have 7 1/2 sacks each. Chidi Ahanotu has eight. All four starters - Culpepper, Sapp, Ahanotu and Regan Upshaw - are quick, tough and smart.
Great competition going
``Warren is so observant,'' Culpepper said. ``Nothing slips by him. He intimidates. Slashes. Chidi is quiet and efficient. And strong. Regan is loud in the locker room. Talks smack. May be the smartest of us all. He's a force and getting better. Then we have to swing, more good team people. Got a great competition going.''
Culpepper has signed a contract extension because ``where could it be better? Got the staff, the team the future, a new stadium, the weather. And it looks to me like the Bucs are doing all they can to keep us together. I hope they do. I believe they can. I know I'm happy here and playing defense with this gang around me.''
