Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Three things to know about Vita Vea

3. He Played Defensive Line and Running Back in High School

Sure, it was clear from the previous side that Vita Vea has some speed for his size. But before he was as massive as he is now, he played defensive line and running back at Milpitas High School in California. As a senior, he earned a spot on MaxPreps’ All-NorCal first team in addition to being Division II first-team all-state. It wasn’t just his defensive production that earned those nods, either.

He ran for 578 yards and eleven touchdowns in his senior year to go along with 89 tackles and eight sacks on the defensive side of the ball. His high school highlights are extremely entertaining. Of course, he wasn’t 347 pounds as a high school running back. But he was absolutely larger than most running backs you’d see on a high school football field. Just imagine a little freshman linebacker trying to bring down Vita Vea running at full speed. Good luck with that.

The Bucs haven’t used a fullback all too often in recent years. Could we see Vea in the backfield on goal line situations this fall? I wouldn’t count on it, but wouldn’t that be something? I want to see it, that’s for sure.

Next: Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans split on Vita Vea

There you have it, Bucs fans. Vita Vea the newest member of a defense in dire need of some help. Take some time to find him on Twitter @VitaVea and welcome him to Tampa Bay.