Vita Vea

Tevita Tuliʻakiʻono Tuipulotu Mosese Vaʻhae Fehoko Faletau Vea[2] (born February 5, 1995), commonly known as Vita Vea, is an American football nose tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Washington and was drafted by the Buccaneers in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Vita Vea
Vea in 2018
No. 50 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Position:Nose tackle
Personal information
Born: (1995-02-05) February 5, 1995
Milpitas, California
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:347 lb (157 kg)
Career information
High school:Milpitas
(Milpitas, California)
College:Washington
NFL Draft:2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2020
Total tackles:73
Sacks:7.5
Pass deflections:3
Player stats at NFL.com

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, he declared his intention to enter the 2018 NFL Draft.[5]

College Statistics
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP Comb Solo Ast TFL Sack PD Int Yds Avg TD FF FR Yds TD
2015 Washington 11 17 13 4 3.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
2016 Washington 14 39 22 17 6.5 5.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
2017 Washington 12 43 30 13 5.5 3.5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 37 99 65 34 15.0 9.5 5 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0

Professional career

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

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand size40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard splitBench 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 s1.76 s2.95 s41 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 strained his calf during training camp, forcing him to miss the entire preseason as well as the first three games of the regular season. Vea recorded his first career sack in Week 10, during a 16–3 loss to the Washington Redskins.[9]

He finished his rookie year with 28 tackles and three sacks.[10]

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 two pass deflections, and caught a one-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 ninth 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.[11] Overall, he started all 16 games and recorded 35 total tackles, 12 quarterback hits, and three passes defensed.[12]

2020 season

During Thursday Night Football against the Chicago Bears in Week 5, Vea suffered fractures to his right leg and ankle after making a tackle on running back David Montgomery. Prior to the injury, Vea recorded one sack on Nick Foles during the 20–19 loss. Vea was placed on injured reserve on October 13, 2020.[13][14] Vea was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 28, 2020,[15] and moved back to injured reserve on December 5.[16] Vea was designated for return on January 18, 2021.[17] Vea was activated from injured reserve on January 22, 2021.

Statistics
Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles Receiving
GPGSCombSoloAstSackSftyPDIntYdsAvgLngTDFFFRYdsTDRecYdsAvgLongTD
2018TB 138282173.00000000000000000
2019TB 16163519162.503000000000111.011
2020TB 5510642.00000000000000000
Career34297346277.503000000000111.011

Personal life

Vea is the son of Sione and Fipe Vea, immigrants from Tonga.[18] Vea is a first cousin of Wales international rugby player Taulupe Faletau.

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. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018.
  9. "Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers - November 11th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  10. "Vita Vea 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  11. "Big guy, big catch: Vea TD leads Bucs past Falcons 35-22". www.espn.com. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  12. "Vita Vea 2019 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  13. "Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears - October 8th, 2020". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  14. Smith, Scott (October 13, 2020). "Vita Vea, Jack Cichy to I.R. Among Multiple Bucs Moves". Buccaneers.com.
  15. Smith, Scott (November 28, 2020). "Jack Cichy Activated from Injured Reserve". Buccaneers.com. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  16. "Buccaneers' Vita Vea: Clears COVID-19 protocol". CBSSports.com. December 5, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  17. "Vita Vea Set to Return to Practice". www.buccaneers.com. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  18. "Buccaneers draft Vita Vea". Matangi Tonga. April 30, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
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