Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kalen DeLoach Saw Chance to Succeed in Tampa

Rookie LB Kalen DeLoach, a college free agent from Florida State, got calls from a half-dozen interested NFL teams but saw a chance in Tampa to learn from the likes of Lavonte David and hopefully earn a spot on the team

May 12, 2024 at 08:00 AM

Scott Smith

Senior Writer/Editor

The 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers media guide is the first of 14 to include a bio of linebacker Derrick Brooks. In this case, he was part of a section at the back that listed the Buccaneers' draft picks separately from the veteran players. Brooks – obtained with the 28th overall pick in the 1995 draft after the Buccaneers traded up to pair him with their other first-round pick, Warren Sapp – is described as a "big-play linebacker" with "excellent pass-rush and coverage skills." The bio also notes that Brooks started his Florida State career as a safety, and he is listed at 6-0 and 229 pounds. It was these numbers, considered "undersized" for an NFL linebacker in the mid-90s, that made him still available at the back end of the first round.

Twenty-nine years later, the Buccaneers have another Florida State rookie linebacker on their roster, and another one that has been described as undersized. It would be grossly unfair to compare new Buccaneer Kalen DeLoach – or any linebacker coming into the league, for that matter – to Brooks, a Hall of Famer and one of the most productive linebackers in NFL history. Moreover, Brooks was still a first-round pick, while DeLoach is coming in as a college free agent. The FSU-to-Tampa connection is coincidental but there is some similarity in the opportunity DeLoach sees to show that his height and weight don't define him as a player.

"I feel like I'm strong," said the rookie defender on Saturday, the second day of the Buccaneers' rookie minicamp. "I feel like my size doesn't matter. I like to play in space. You get your hands on me, I'm going to try to get off you. Most of the time, I'm trying to make a play in space and play my game, just do me. I am able to get off blocks. That is what I do."

Meanwhile, that "excellent pass-rush and coverage skills" line from Brooks' rookie bio fits well on DeLoach, too. He had 11.0 sacks in his three years as a starter for the Seminoles and his speed (4.47-second 40-yard dash at the Combine), range and instincts make him a plus pass defender. He had 13 passes defensed and two interceptions over the past three seasons.

"At Florida State, I played all three [linebacker] positions," said DeLoach. "I'm used to playing outside the box, inside the box, the boundary. I think that really helped me a lot to understand all three spots. During practice and film study I'm trying to learn all three spots because you never know where I could be used."

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TAMPA, FL - May 10, 2024 - Safety Tykee Smith #23 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Director of Rehabilitation and Performance Coach Maral Javadifar of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during 2024 Rookie Mini Camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers