Inside The Panthers

Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis Signs Rookie Contract with Buccaneers

Former Pitt Panthers linebacker SirVocea Dennis has signed his first NFL contract.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis Signs Rookie Contract with Buccaneers
Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis Signs Rookie Contract with Buccaneers /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially signed their entire 2023 draft class after inking the second Pitt Panther they selected to his first NFL contract. 

This week, former Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis signed his rookie contract worth $4,157,328 over four years with a signing bonus worth $317,328. 

Dennis was a late bloomer in the draft process. He hurt his foot at the Senior Bowl in February and did not play in the exhibition game after practicing all week. He also sat out of workouts at the NFL Combine, but Dennis rebounded, impressing scouts with his mental traits in team meetings and showing off his athleticism with impressive testing numbers in the 40-yard dash and the vertical leap.

The Buccaneers selected him with the 153rd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, making him the second Panther drafted this year alongside first round defensive lineman Calijah Kancey. 

Dennis was a stalwart middle linebacker for two seasons, leading the Pitt defense from the inside. He earned All-ACC recognition three years in a row, climbing from the third team in 2020 to the second team in 2021 and ending up on the first team in 2022. He even earned third-team All-American honors from Pro Football Focus last season and was named a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award, given annually to college football's best linebacker.

Dennis led the Panthers in tackles in each of the last two seasons. He finished his career at Pitt having recorded 233 total tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, two interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles in 42 games. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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