Vita Vea

Acquired By Bucs:

Selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers.

Acquired By Bucs:

Selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Buccaneers.

Awards & Accolades:

Super Bowl LV Champion.

2021 Pro Bowl Selection

Career Highlights:

Has started 59-of-64 games he has played, recording 137 tackles (23 for loss), 44 quarterback hits, 18.0 sacks, six passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Has played in five postseason contests, with three starts, recording 12 tackles (two for loss), three quarterback hits and 2.0 sacks.

Recorded first career multi-sack game at Atlanta (12/5/21), with 2.0 sacks.

Registered first career fumble recovery against Chicago (10/24/21).

Scored first NFL touchdown when he caught a one-yard pass in a Buccaneers' win at Atlanta (11/24/19).

Recorded first career sack (Alex Smith) vs. Washington (11/11/18).

Recorded a career-high nine tackles, which is the most by a Buccaneers defensive lineman since Week 15 of 2015, at Baltimore (12/16/18).

Made NFL debut at Chicago (9/30/18).

Made first career start in win vs. Cleveland (10/21/18).

2022 Highlights:

Was named a team captain for the first time.

Contributed to a Buccaneers defense that finished tied for seventh in sacks, tied for ninth in total defense, ninth in pass defense and 13th in points allowed per game.

Finished the 2022 campaign with 31 tackles (a career-high seven for loss), a career-high 6.5 sacks, a career-high 13 quarterback hits, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

His 6.5 sacks in 2022 led all nose tackles.

Started at nose tackle and recorded one tackle, one sack, one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in the season opener at Dallas. Increased his career sack total to 12.5.

Recorded two tackles, one quarterback hit and 0.5 sacks in Week 2 at New Orleans (9/18).

Recorded his first career forced fumble in Week 3 vs. Green Bay. Also added two tackles and one quarterback hit.

Finished with four tackles in Week 4 vs. Kansas City.

Tallied two tackles (one for loss), one sack and one quarterback hit in the Week 5 win vs. Atlanta.

Recorded one tackle in Week 6 at Pittsburgh.

Recorded a then-season-high five tackles (one for loss), one sack and one quarterback hit in Week 7 at Carolina.

Recorded four tackles (one for loss), one sack and one quarterback hit in Week 8 vs. Baltimore. It improved Vea's sack total to 4.5, marking a new career high.

Recorded three tackles (two for loss), three quarterback hits and two sacks in Week 9 vs. L.A. Rams.

His two sacks in Week 9 marked his second career multi-sack game, joining 12/5/21 at Atlanta (2.0 sacks).

Through nine weeks, his 6.5 sacks were sixth-most among defensive linemen and second-most among defensive tackles.

Played 32 snaps on defense in Week 10 vs. Seattle.

Logged two tackles (one for loss) and one quarterback hit in Week 12 at Cleveland.

Finished with three tackles in Week 13 vs. New Orleans.

Played just four defensive snaps in Week 14 at San Francisco before leaving with injury.

Was inactive in Week 15 vs. Cincinnati and Week 16 at Arizona.

Logged two quarterback hits and one fumble recovery in Week 17 vs. Carolina.

Was inactive for Week 18 at Atlanta.

College:

Played in 40 career games at Washington (2014-17), recording 100 tackles (15 for loss), 9.5 sacks, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks.

As a redshirt junior (2017), earned the Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Award, as well as the Morris Trophy, given annually to the top defensive lineman in the Pac-12, as voted on by the conference's offensive linemen.

Named second-team All-American by USA Today, Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and The Athletic, while earning first-team All-Pac-12 Honors from both the league's coaches and the Associated Press. Was also a finalist for the Polynesian Player of the Year and was a Bednarik Award semifinalist.

Started all 13 games as a senior, recording 44 tackles (5.5 for loss), four passes defensed, 2.5 sacks and a blocked punt.

Helped anchor Washington's run defense, which ranked fourth in the NCAA in rushing yards allowed per game (100.9), while only allowing 2.86 yards per carry, the second-lowest mark in the NCAA.

Part of a Washington defense that allowed just 16.1 points per game, the fifth-best mark in the country, and allowed only 298.0 yards per game, the eighth-fewest in the NCAA.

Played in all 14 games, with five starts, as a redshirt sophomore (2016), tallying 39 tackles (6.5 for loss), 5.0 sacks, two passes defensed and a forced fumble.

As a redshirt freshman in 2015, played in 13 games, registering 17 tackles (three for loss), one forced fumble, one pass defensed and one sack.

Redshirted in 2014.

Personal/Community:

Attended Milpitas High School (Milpitas, California).

Played defensive line and running back in high school.

Named to MaxPreps.com All-NorCal first team and Division II all-state first-team as a senior, while also being named first-team All-Metro by the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Jose Mercury News.

Vea, along with the defensive linemen hosted the 8th annual "D-Line Delivers Christmas". Local families were surprised with a tour of AdventHealth Training Center, dinner with D-Line, and a shopping spree at Target.