Ex-FSU Football Linebacker Kalen DeLoach Watched Buccaneer Linebacker In College

And not the one you're thinking of.

River Wells | May 11, 2024

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebackers Lavonte David (54), K.J. Britt / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

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Kalen DeLoach didn't have to travel far to come to Tampa Bay, and as it turns out, he'll be playing with one of his football role models with the Buccaneers.

DeLoach spoke to media on Saturday for Day 2 of Rookie Minicamp, and he was asked which linebackers inspired his game and which ones he watched at Florida State. He mentioned a Buccaneers linebacker as one he watched often, but not the one you're probably thinking.

"What's crazy is that throughout my training process, we watched a lot of Tampa Bay, because my coach, Coach Doug, he has some connections there, he would always pull up K.J. Britt."

There are a few similarities between DeLoach and Britt. Britt, like DeLoach, is undersized, though he's a bit bigger at 6'0", 235 pounds. DeLoach currently plays at 5'11", 220 pounds, but the size difference is small enough to where the two could play similarly to each other. He'll likely get a better look at Britt, who could start where Devin White used to start at linebacker for the last few years.

DeLoach also mentioned that Britt was a big reason why he came to Tampa Bay in the first place as an undrafted free agent. He mentioned that Britt and legendary Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David were big reasons for choosing the Bucs, as he wanted to learn as much as he could from those two players.

"I got Lavonte (David) and KJ (Britt), two guys I can learn from," DeLoach said. "I want to be a sponge and learn as much as possible."

DeLoach will first get a chance to learn from his fellow rookies at Rookie Minicamp, however, which started Friday and ends on Saturday. Despite being undersized, DeLoach is still lining up at linebacker during team drills.

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Published May 11, 2024

RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.