Buccaneers nose tackle Vita Vea was a stud running back in high school. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Bucs DT Vita Vea's high school RB highlight video is a must-watch

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 10/24/21

Vita Vea is among the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. But did you know that he was a stud as a running back in high school too?

During the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, CBS showed video of Vea’s high school running back highlights.

They are impressive to say the least. Take a look and enjoy:

Vea was not only the biggest guy on the field, but he sure looked like the fastest too. He was outrunning dudes and even chased one down on defense too. How is that possible? Although, I guess that’s the case with this guy in the NFL today.

Vea played at Milpitas High School in Northern California and served as a running back and defensive lineman. As a senior, he rushed 47 times for 578 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 19 sacks, according to his MaxPreps page. It makes you wonder why they didn’t feed him the ball more based on how unstoppable he was!

Vea played defensive line at Washington in college and with the Bucs. The 2018 No. 12 overall pick is listed at 6-foot-4 and 347 pounds. He must have put on a ton of weight upon arriving at Washington.

Some people have the misconception that football players — especially the linemen — are just big dudes. This video should help dispel that notion. These guys are elite athletes who aren’t just bigger and stronger than nearly anyone else; many of them are also faster and more agile too.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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