SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — At 6-feet-5 and 340 pounds, Washington’s star defensive lineman, Vita Vea, is an imposing presence, even as he is sitting down, smiling and laughing and telling stories, as he was at a podium Wednesday morning during a Fiesta Bowl press conference.
He told one story from his freshman year at Milpitas High School near San Jose, Calif. It is a story of regret.
Even then, as a freshman playing on varsity in 2009, Vea was bigger than most. He was about 6-4 and 270 pounds then. That’s good size for a high school defensive lineman.