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Vita Vea

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Vita Vea
refer to caption
Vea in 2018
No. 50 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Position:Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1995-02-05) February 5, 1995 (age 29)
Milpitas, California
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:347 lb (157 kg)
Career information
High school:Milpitas (CA)
College:Washington
NFL draft:2018 / round: 1 / pick: 12
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2019
Total tackles:63
Sacks:5.5
Forced fumbles:0
Fumble recoveries:0
Pass deflections:3
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau Vea[2] (born February 5, 1995), commonly known as Vita Vea, is an American football defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington.

College career

As a junior in 2017, Vea was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and won the Morris Trophy.[3][4] On January 2, 2018, Vita declared his intentions to enter the 2018 NFL Draft.[5]

Professional career

Vea participated in the 2018 NFL Combine, but did not complete all drills due to a hamstring injury.[6]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split Bench press
6 ft 4 in
(1.93 m) 		347 lb
(157 kg) 		32+5⁄8 in
(0.83 m) 		10 in
(0.25 m)		 5.10 s 1.76 s 2.95 s 41 reps
All values from NFL Combine[7]

Vea was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round (12th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.[8]

2018 season

Vea sprained his calf during training camp, forcing him to miss the entire preseason as well as the first 3 games of the regular. Vea records his first career sack in Week 10, during a 16-3 loss to the Washington Redskins.

He finished his rookie year with 28 tackles and 3 sacks.

2019 season

Vea in a game against the Tennessee Titans

In Week 12, during a 35-22 win against the Atlanta Falcons, Vea recorded a sack, a career-best 2 pass deflections, and caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jameis Winston. As a result, Vea became the first defensive player since J.J. Watt in 2014 to record a sack and catch a touchdown in the same game, the 9th player in NFL history to accomplish both in the same game, and the heaviest player in NFL history to catch a touchdown at 347 pounds.[9]

NFL career statistics

Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles Receiving
GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sack Sfty PD Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD Rec Yds Avg Long TD
2018 Tampa Bay 13 8 28 21 7 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019 Tampa Bay 14 14 29 15 14 1.5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1.0 1 1
Career 27 22 57 36 21 4.5 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1.0 1 1

Personal life

Vea is the son of Sione and Fipe Vea, immigrants from Tonga.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Pac-12 Football Awards and All-Conference Team Announced". Pac-12.
  2. ^ Jude, Adam (April 24, 2018). "Vita Vea is poised to become Huskies' second consecutive first-round NFL draft pick". Seattle Times. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  3. ^ Jude, Adam (December 5, 2017). "UW's Vita Vea named Morris Trophy winner as Pac-12's top defensive lineman". Seattle Times. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Jude, Adam (December 5, 2017). "UW's Vita Vea named Pac-12's defensive player of the year". Seattle Times. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. ^ "Washington star DL Vita Vea declares for NFL draft". Q13 FOX. January 2, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  6. ^ Goodbread, Chase (March 4, 2018). "Vita Vea ends NFL Combine workout with hamstring injury". NFL. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  7. ^ "NFL Draft & Combine Profile - Vita Vea". NFL.com.
  8. ^ Smith, Scott (April 26, 2018). "Revitalized Line: Bucs Nab Vita Vea at #12". Buccaneers.com.
  9. ^ "Big guy, big catch: Vea TD leads Bucs past Falcons 35-22". www.espn.com. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  10. ^ "Buccaneers draft Vita Vea". Matangi Tonga. April 30, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
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