SirVocea Levitticus Dennis (born March 9, 2000) is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh.
No. 8 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers | |||
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Position: | Linebacker | ||
Personal information | |||
Born: | Syracuse, New York, U.S. | March 9, 2000||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
Weight: | 226 lb (103 kg) | ||
Career information | |||
High school: | Christian Brothers (Syracuse, New York) Peddie (Hightstown, New Jersey) | ||
College: | Pittsburgh (2019–2022) | ||
NFL draft: | 2023 / Round: 5 / Pick: 153 | ||
Career history | |||
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Roster status: | Active | ||
Career highlights and awards | |||
Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||
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Player stats at PFR |
Early years edit
Dennis was born on March 9, 2000, in Syracuse, New York.[1][2] He attended Christian Brothers Academy and played both quarterback and defensive back, leading the team to two Section III championships.[1][3] He also played basketball and lacrosse.[4] However, as a senior he suffered a torn Achilles tendon and, as that put doubt on his college football career, Dennis decided to play a postgraduate year at the Peddie School.[5] At Peddie, he was named the Mid-Atlantic Prep League Defensive Player of the Year.[6] He was only a two-star college recruit, and after initially committing to Air Force switched to Pittsburgh, the only Power Five team to make an offer.[7][8]
College career edit
Dennis joined Pittsburgh as a linebacker.[8] As a freshman in 2019, he appeared in eight games as a special teams player.[6] He saw more defensive action in 2020, appearing in 10 games, two as a starter, and posted a team-leading 14.5 tackles-for-loss, a total that placed top ten nationally, as well as 57 tackles and four sacks, on his way to being named third-team all-conference.[4][9][10] In 2021, he started 13 games and led the team with 87 total tackles as well as 9.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, one blocked field goal, an interception and a fumble recovery, being named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference.[1][11]
Dennis became a team captain as a senior in 2022 and started 12 games, recording 94 tackles, a team-best, as well as nine sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles.[12][13] He was a first-team all-conference selection and was named third-team All-American by Pro Football Focus.[14] After the regular season, Dennis declared for the NFL draft and skipped Pittsburgh's bowl game, finishing his college career with 233 tackles, 36.0 tackles-for-loss , 15.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.[15][16]
Professional career edit
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m) |
226 lb (103 kg) |
32+7⁄8 in (0.84 m) |
10+5⁄8 in (0.27 m) |
4.64 s | 1.66 s | 2.66 s | 4.36 s | 41.5 in (1.05 m) |
10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) |
19 reps | ||
Sources:[17][18] |
Dennis impressed at his pro day and was projected as a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.[1][16][19] He ended up being chosen in the fifth round (153rd overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[20]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "NFL Draft Profile: SirVocea Dennis, Linebacker, Pittsburgh Panthers". Sports Illustrated. August 14, 2022.
- ^ "SirVocea Dennis". ESPN.
- ^ Hauswirth, Matt (February 4, 2019). "Former CBA football star SirVocea Dennis commits to Pitt Panthers". WSTM-TV.
- ^ a b Dipaola, Jerry (August 13, 2021). "Stats aside, Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis approaches 2021 with unfinished business". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- ^ Columbia, Erik (September 17, 2020). "CBA's SirVocea Dennis Finds New Home with Panthers". Spectrum Local News.
- ^ a b Vukovcan, Mike (August 6, 2020). "Re-Introducing You To Pitt Football's Class of 2019". Pittsburgh Sports Now.
- ^ Crisan, Corey (November 2, 2022). "Dennis eager to oppose hometown Syracuse team amid his strong season". DK Pittsburgh Sports.
- ^ a b Ludwig, Karl (November 3, 2022). "Syracuse Week Brings SirVocea Dennis's Football Journey Nearly Full Circle". Pittsburgh Sports Now.
- ^ Filipcic-Godsey, Amanda (September 16, 2021). "Pitt football | Unheralded LB Dennis standing out on Panthers defense". The Tribune-Democrat.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (November 15, 2022). "For now, Pitt's SirVocea Dennis focused on sacks more than plans for future". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- ^ Dipaola, Jerry (June 21, 2022). "SirVocea Dennis said his 'love for Pitt football' made him spurn transfer suitors". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
- ^ Barton, Jared; Pompeani, Bob (August 31, 2022). "Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis takes advantage of NIL opportunities". CBS News.
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: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Lacy, Kenny Jr. (December 19, 2022). "CBA grad SirVocea Dennis declares for NFL Draft". The Post-Standard.
- ^ Thompson, Stephen (December 19, 2022). "Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis Opts Out of Sun Bowl to Prepare for NFL Draft". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Carter, Christopher (December 19, 2022). "Pitt's Israel Abanikanda, SirVocea Dennis lead list of Panthers skipping Sun Bowl". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ a b Campbell, Dominic (March 30, 2023). "LB SirVocea Dennis Impresses Scouts with Stellar Performance at Pitt Pro Day". Pittsburgh Sports Now.
- ^ "SirVocea Dennis Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout SirVocea Dennis College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Stephen (March 1, 2023). "Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis Transforms Body in Anticipation of NFL Combine". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Dipaloa, Jerry (April 29, 2023). "Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis drafted by Buccaneers in 5th round, 1 of 6 Panthers selected". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.