Inside The Huskies

Ex-Husky Gaines Signs Up for Another Season with Vea

The defensive tackles have been teammates for much of a decade.
Dan Raley|
Former Husky Greg Gaines is introduced before a Tampa Bay Bucs game against the Denver Broncos.
Former Husky Greg Gaines is introduced before a Tampa Bay Bucs game against the Denver Broncos. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

In bringing back Greg Gaines, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers obviously see the benefit of keeping dynamic duos together.

While Vita Vea is their Superman, Gaines is Batman.

These former University of Washington defensive tackles work well together. They always have. They will continue to do so next fall.

On Wednesday, Gaines agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract extension with the Bucs, assuring that he and Vea will spend yet another football season together, according to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz.

Gaines and Vea have been teammates for most of a decade.

In 2014, they came to the UW in the same recruiting class after Vea delayed his arrival by a year. Gaines was from Southern California and Vea from the northern part of that state.

Gaines redshirted and played four seasons for the Huskies, starting 47 of 54 games. He became a first-team All-Pac-12 player and the 2018 Morris Trophy winner as the league's top lineman.

Vea redshirted and played alongside Gaines for three seasons in Montlake, starting 18 of 40 games. He likewise was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection and the 2017 Morris winner before giving up a season of UW eligibility to turn pro early.

While Gaines played his first four NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, he rejoined Vea for the past two in Tampa.

Each has won a Super Bowl in his career.

Last season for a 10-7 Bucs team that advanced to the playoffs, Vea was a 16-game starter while Gaines opened 3 of 15 games, missing a pair of outings because of a calf injury.

Vea had 42 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and 7 sacks. Gaines came up with 17 tackles, 2 TFLs and a sack.

The Bucs like having these guys anchored on the front wall of the defense because they're hard to move. Gaines and Vea also seem to enjoy each other's company.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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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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