Mercedes Sapp was welcomed the role of Student-Athlete Enhancement Coordinator in the fall of 2022.

Mercedes overlooks the Personal Enhancement pillar which takes focus on personal identity development, values, wellbeing, and transitions. Alongside these themes, the area also covers NIL education, DEI, Personal Branding, and Finance.

Sapp earned her Master’s degree in Science of Communication Management with an emphasis in Leadership at the Osprey’s nest, University of North Florida, in Jacksonville, FL in 2019. During her time, she competed as a Division I student-athlete for the Women’s Soccer team at the goalkeeper position. She was the first UNF student-athlete to receive the Goalkeeper of the Year accolade in 2020. Sapp started all 16 games, holds the best save percentage (0.823), and posted eight shutouts, a UNF D1-era single season record.  Her collegiate career continued to flourish, and she accumulated these accolades: 2020 First Team All-ASUN, United Soccer Coaches All-South Region, 2nd team, 2x ASUN Defensive Player of the Week, and ASUN Honor Roll. Outside of her time on the field, Sapp was involved in committees that learned and addressed social injustices and inequalities with transparent perspectives to understand the shifts needed to meet societal demands on and off campus. These committees were Diversity and Inclusion and the Taylor Leadership Institute.

Prior to Sapp’s success on the field, she was a three-year player at the University of Missouri. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication with a minor in Spanish. She was involved in multiple committees that served herself, her peers, and neighboring communities in area. These committees were Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Tiger Leadership Institute (TLI), and Student Athletes Fostering Equality (SAFE). In addition, Sapp was very involved with community engagement and served as the Women’s Soccer community service representative. She volunteered at the Food Bank of Central Missouri, Girl Power Talk, Veteran’s Association Hospital, Special Olympics of Missouri, Elementary School Reading, and Mizzou’s annual Inclusive Excellence Mile. 

Sapp is very familiar with the Tampa Bay area due to her family’s sports history. Her father, Warren Sapp, was a 7-time NFL Pro Bowler with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders, 2002 Super Bowl Champion, and 2013 Hall of Fame selection. Her mother, Jamiko Sapp, played soccer as well and her brother, Warren Sapp II, plays collegiate football at Florida Atlantic University. Outside of her passion for sports, Mercedes loves watching documentaries and painting.