Tampa Bay Buccaneers DT Vita Vea caught a touchdown pass on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. That’s a very big deal. Literally.
At 347 pounds, he is now the heaviest player in NFL history to catch a touchdown pass. Bet you didn’t see that record falling today (or even know it was a record worth considering).
Up 13-10, the Bucs were driving towards the Falcons’ endzone with seconds left in the first half. They knew they needed to pull out some tricks in order to ensure a score before halftime. Vea sometimes shows up on offense in the fullback slot given how well his hefty frame can clear lanes for runners. However, this time, the Bucs lined him up in the flat to the right of the formation. Perhaps not considering him a threat, the Falcons let Vea slip into the endzone where he caught a Jameis Winston pass for the touchdown.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL VITA VEA HAS HAULED IN HIS FIRST CAREER TOUCHDOWN pic.twitter.com/UXlButlO9H
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 24, 2019
Not only was that a Big Man Touchdown, but it was the biggest big man touchdown in the history of the league per Pro Football Reference (via Rodger Sherman).
NFL HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE When 346-pound DT Vita Vea caught a touchdown for the Buccaneers, he became THE HEAVIEST PLAYER IN NFL HISTORY TO CATCH A TOUCHDOWN PASS, edging out 345-pound Jonathan Ogden!
The Biggest Big Man Receiving Touchdown Ever! pic.twitter.com/EZ5y2YCNhp
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 24, 2019
Vea’s touchdown pass displaces the previous touchdown pass record-holder, Jonathan Ogden. The 345-pound lineman caught two touchdowns in his NFL career, one in 1996 and one in 2003.
However, Vea also surpassed the previous record-holder for an offensive touchdown, period. That was defensive tackle Dontari Poe, who scored on a one-yard run in 2015 as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Dontari Poe weighs 346 lbs & is now, officially:
The heaviest player to ever score an offensive touchdown. #KCvsSD https://t.co/ZXBYiqCVT2
— NFL (@NFL) November 22, 2015
Vea later added a sack to his stat line to complete a very big day for a very big guy.
Touchdown Sack #BudLightCelly of the Week pic.twitter.com/hzIN7U3uqF — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) November 24, 2019
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.