TAMPA, Fla. — For a big man, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea has always used his quickness and athleticism to his advantage.
But this offseason, Vea decided to slim down and get in better shape to help him in his goals of staying on the field more, avoiding injuries and prolonging his career.
“He’s quick. He looks good. He's in shape; he's flying around,” head coach Todd Bowles said of Vea during the mandatory minicamp. “He’s a little faster than he was last year – hopefully that continues. We look forward to him having a great training camp.”
The secret behind Vea’s transformation — rather than attending voluntary organized team activities in May, he chose to workout with former Bucs’ teammate Ndamukong Suh in Portland, Oregon.
“A lot of early morning stuff,” Vea said. “We got it together. He took me under his wing and just took care of me out there.”
Vea is listed at 6'4"and 347 pounds. He lost weight under Suh’s direction but was unwilling to share how much.
“He can always help him be quicker and fitter and faster,” Bowles said. “He was fit last year and before that. But he did this on his own and get a little healthier so he can stay out there longer and make an impact on third downs.”
Vea was a Pro Bowler in 2021 and has 23.5 career sacks, including 12 over the last two seasons. However, nagging injuries have caused him to miss six games in the last three seasons.
Working out with Suh proves that Vea wants to be a the top of his game this upcoming season.
“Suh has always invited me to train with him in Portland,” Vea said. "It was one of those things that I finally, I always said I was going to come. Every year is the same answer, ‘I’m coming out.’ And I never went. This past offseason, I finally pulled the trigger on it.”
Which could lead to Vea pulling more quarterbacks to the ground.
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