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Inside The Huskies

At UW, It's Be A Pro -- For Vea, It's Be A Rich One

The former Husky defensive lineman reportedly agreed to a one-year, $30 million extension this week.
Dan Raley|
Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) reportedly just agreed to a one-year $30 million extension.
Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) reportedly just agreed to a one-year $30 million extension. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the University of Washington football team, the catch words are "Be a Pro." Jedd Fisch repeats this mantra whenever he can. The words can be found on display throughout the facilities, in nearly every conversation.

So where are the NFL-minded Huskies at with that mission?

Following running back Myles Gaskins' heartfelt retirement at mid-week, the number of one-time UW players currently in training camp stands at 39, with a dozen of them coming from Fisch-coached teams.

The big news anywhere across the league this past week was former Husky defensive tackle Vita Vea playing hardball with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over a contract extension -- and winning.

Just like in a game, the 6-foot-4, 347-pound defender proved tough to block during negotiations and walked away with reportedly a one-year, $30 million deal clutched in both hands.

His employers tried to cite age issues and potential performance falloff coming for initially balking at paying him big money after his eight seasons in Florida in which he has established himself as one of the NFL's foremost defensive linemen.

Vea reflexively said trade me.

The Bucs, in dealing with one of the franchise's most beloved players, caved in a big way and said please stay.

Vea's burgeoning bank account wasn't the only Husky-related NFL news this past week.

Greg Gaines, most recently a Bucs defensive tackle alongside Vea, and Taylor Rapp, a safety who always plays fearlessly, each changed teams -- with one going to the Buffalo Bills and the other leaving them.

The 6-foot-1, 312-pound Gaines originally from La Habra, California, has played in 108 NFL games and started 34 over the past seven seasons after leaving Montlake with Vea and being reunited with him in Tampa Bay.

Gaines is considered a brawler up front and shared in a 2021 Super Bowl victory with the Los Angeles Rams and Rapp.

The 6-foot, 208-pound Rapp from Bellingham, Washington, joins the Denver Broncos, where he'll play with former Huskies in center Luke Wattenberg and running back Jonah Coleman.

He spent three seasons in Buffalo, with 2025 ending abruptly for him after just six games because of a knee injury.

He's appeared in 93 NFL games and started 72.

Vea, who originally hails from Milpitas, California, has 112 NFL games under his belt and opened 107 of them. He has 256 career tackles, which include 48 tackles for loss and 35 sacks.

He's even caught a 1-yard touchdown pass for the Bucs back in 2019.

For Vea, he's taken the Husky pursuit of the NFL to a new level.

It's not only Be a Pro, it's be one of the richest ones.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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