BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 56
Current official roster portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Defensive lineman • Twelfth NFL season
From Belize to the Buccaneers
Rakeem Nathan Nuñez-Roches
- Born
- July 3, 1993 • Age 33
- Hometown
- Dangriga, Belize
- Listed size
- 6 feet 2 inches • 305 pounds
- High school
- Central High School • Phenix City, Alabama
- College
- Southern Miss • Playing seasons: 2011–2014
- NFL Draft
- 2015 • Round 6 • Pick 217 • Kansas City
- Buccaneers career
- 2018–2022 • Returned in 2026
- Jersey
- No. 56
- Current status
- Active roster • As of November 3, 2026
Birthdate and background: Southern Miss player biography. Current team listing: official Buccaneers profile and current roster.
Sources: the football journey, NFL career records, Southern Miss records and the championship season. NFL statistics are through November 1, 2026.
For the Krewe, Rakeem Nuñez-Roches comes with a familiar nickname and plenty of personality. Andy Reid gave him the name Nacho early in his Chiefs career, and teammates described a player who celebrated their successes as readily as his own. That enthusiasm helped make him a familiar presence long before his return to Tampa Bay. The Chiefs’ account of his personality and beginnings.
Belize roots • An NFL journey
From Dangriga to the Krewe
From Belize to Alabama Family, school and football.
Born in Dangriga, Belize, Nuñez-Roches moved to the United States with his mother, Nancy, during childhood. His family’s journey.
He attended Central High School in Alabama, playing basketball and baseball as well as football before joining Southern Miss. His university biography.
A Golden Eagle becomes a Chief The 217th selection.
His Southern Miss playing years ran from 2011 through 2014, including two games in 2013 before a foot injury ended that season. Kansas City selected him in the sixth round on May 2, 2015, 217th overall. The draft brought the defensive lineman from Hattiesburg into his first professional opportunity. Southern Miss’s draft-day report.
Finding a home in Tampa Bay October 2018.
After three seasons with the Chiefs and a 2018 offseason with Indianapolis, Nuñez-Roches joined the Buccaneers on October 2, 2018. That signing began a five-season Tampa Bay chapter, followed by three seasons with the Giants. His route included both roster uncertainty and the chance to become a trusted veteran. His official NFL transaction history.
Recognition along the way
Conference recognition A productive Southern Miss career.
Nuñez-Roches earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors in 2011, honorable mention All-Conference USA in 2012 and first-team All-Conference USA in 2014. The final recognition followed his return from the injury that had shortened the previous season. His college honors.
A Buccaneers champion Super Bowl LV.
His championship place includes four starts during Tampa Bay’s 2020 postseason. That contribution became part of the history he brought back when the Buccaneers welcomed him again in 2026. Tampa Bay’s account of the reunion.
February 7, 2021 • Super Bowl LV
A place at the heart of a championship defense
Ready when his number was called
15
STARTS • CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON FINISH
11 regular-season starts + 4 playoff starts
Super Bowl LV: Tampa Bay 31 • Kansas City 9.
In 2020, Tampa Bay needed its depth to become something more. When Vita Vea fractured his ankle in Week 5, Nuñez-Roches took over at nose tackle. He started the final 11 regular-season games and all four playoff games—15 consecutive starts. Even after Vea returned for the NFC Championship Game, Nuñez-Roches remained in the starting lineup. The Buccaneers still finished the regular season ranked first against the run. Tampa Bay’s review of his championship role.
That run ended on February 7, 2021, with Nuñez-Roches starting against the club that had drafted him. Tampa Bay defeated Kansas City 31–9 in Super Bowl LV. His appearance is documented in the game’s starting lineup and playtime report: a place in the championship earned through the work of the preceding months. The original Super Bowl gamebook.
Tampa Bay • A 2026 homecoming
Back in familiar colors
The Buccaneers brought Nuñez-Roches back on April 7, 2026, after his three-year Giants stint. He returned with experience in Tampa Bay’s defensive system and a connection to its championship group. The reunion added a familiar interior defender to the roster for his 12th NFL season. The official return announcement.
Through November 1, 2026, he had made seven reserve appearances with no starts, recording five defensive tackles and one tackle for loss. His playtime reports list 120 defensive snaps and one special-teams snap; those reports are labeled unofficial. The weekly record also includes games in which he played without a credited counting statistic. The seven verified appearances.
The person behind No. 56
Roots, family and life beyond football
Giving back began before the NFL. A 2017 Chiefs profile described how Nuñez-Roches and his mother started Bookbags for the Homeless while he was in junior high, assembling practical supplies for people in need. He continued the effort after leaving for college, carrying a family example into his own life. The story of Nancy and Rakeem.
Life beyond the field Biological sciences.
Southern Miss identified his academic major as biological sciences. His college biography also preserves the breadth of his school sports background, including basketball and baseball alongside the football career that took him to the NFL. His Southern Miss profile.
A family connection to service Gratitude at training camp.
At the Colts’ 2018 Armed Forces Day, Nuñez-Roches discussed his family’s military connections. His wife, Tyrielle, was then an Air Force nurse medic. He credited that upbringing with teaching him discipline and teamwork, and stayed to sign footballs for visiting military families. The Colts’ August 2018 account.
Sharing the joy Tampa Bay and Belize.
During his first D-Line Delivers Christmas in 2018, he helped children choose gifts and enjoyed the toy aisles with them. The Buccaneers’ holiday report.
The Giants’ My Cause My Cleats page also identifies his support for the Belizean Education Empowerment Foundation, connecting his NFL platform with opportunities for young people in Belize. His featured cause.
NFL regular season • Career through 2026
The NFL career record
These regular-season tables cover 12 NFL playing seasons, from 2015 through 2026, with Kansas City, Tampa Bay and the New York Giants. His 2018 Indianapolis stint was offseason only and produced no regular-season appearance. The asterisk marks the incomplete 2026 season, through November 1, Week 8. NFL postseason and preseason figures are excluded from regular-season totals.
| Season | Club | G | GS | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | ST TKL | Sacks | Sack YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | KC | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2016 | KC | 11 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 0 | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| 2017 | KC | 16 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 2018 | TB | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 | TB | 16 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2020 | TB | 16 | 11 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 | TB | 16 | 1 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 | TB | 17 | 10 | 19 | 14 | 33 | 0 | 2.0 | 18.0 |
| 2023 | NYG | 16 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 26 | 0 | 0.5 | 5.0 |
| 2024 | NYG | 15 | 15 | 14 | 38 | 52 | 0 | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| 2025 | NYG | 9 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 0 | 3.0 | 22.0 |
| 2026* | TB | 7 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| NFL career | All clubs | 149 | 62 | 105 | 133 | 238 | 0 | 9.0 | 57.5 |
G = games played; GS = starts; DEF = defense; ST = special teams. DEF Solo + DEF Ast = DEF TKL. These records total 105 solo + 133 assisted = 238 defensive tackles, with no ST or miscellaneous tackle credit. Sack YDS are credited yards lost; fractional sack-yard credits are retained.
Historical tackle figures follow the detailed team-guide DEF/ST series. The website’s separate SOLO field differs in some seasons, so it is not combined with guide assists. KC = Kansas City; TB = Tampa Bay; NYG = New York Giants.
Sources: 2025 Giants guide, PDF p. 185 for 2015–2024; 2026 Buccaneers guide, PDF p. 194 for 2025; and the eight current gamebooks below. Tampa Bay’s 2020 final team table, 2021 final team table and 2022 final team table provide additional checks of those annual records.
Pass defense and takeaways
| Season | Club | TFL | QB hits | PD | INT | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | KC | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | KC | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | TB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | TB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | TB | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | TB | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | TB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | NYG | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | NYG | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | NYG | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026* | TB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NFL career | All clubs | 21 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
TFL = tackles for loss; QB hits = hits on the quarterback; PD = passes defended, including interceptions; INT = interceptions; FF = forced fumbles; FR = recoveries of opponents’ fumbles. His one forced fumble and one recovery were credited on defense. The recovery produced no return yardage; no NFL interception, return touchdown or individual safety is credited.
The 24 career QB hits include two in 2017. The detailed Giants tables agree with the original gamebooks: Week 3 at the Chargers, PDF p. 5, and Week 8 against Denver, PDF p. 7. Some biographical summaries count only one that season and consequently print a career total of 23.
Sources: the annual guides above, the two original 2017 gamebooks, the official takeaway categories and the current gamebooks.
NFL postseason appearances
| Season | Date | Club | Round | Opponent | Club result | G | GS | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | ST TKL | TFL | Sacks | QB hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Jan 15, 2017 | KC | Divisional | PIT | L 16–18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Jan 9, 2021 | TB | Wild Card | @WAS | W 31–23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 |
| 2020 | Jan 17, 2021 | TB | Divisional | @NO | W 30–20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Jan 24, 2021 | TB | NFC Championship | @GB | W 31–26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Feb 7, 2021 | TB | Super Bowl LV | KC | W 31–9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Jan 16, 2022 | TB | Wild Card | PHI | W 31–15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 |
| 2021 | Jan 23, 2022 | TB | Divisional | LAR | L 27–30 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Jan 16, 2023 | TB | Wild Card | DAL | L 14–31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 |
| Postseason career | — | All clubs | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 5 |
Nuñez-Roches played eight actual NFL playoff games: one for Kansas City and seven for Tampa Bay. All four starts came during the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LV run. The separate postseason record contains ten defensive tackles, two TFL and five QB hits. No ST tackle, sack, PD, interception, forced fumble, recovery or individual safety is credited.
The highlighted Super Bowl LV start included 13 defensive snaps and nine special-teams snaps, despite no credited counting statistic. The NFC Championship Game at Green Bay was also an actual zero-stat start. Across the eight playoff appearances, the playtime reports total 236 defensive and 67 special-teams snaps; those reports are labeled unofficial.
January and February dates belong to the preceding season. Results are from his club’s perspective; @ = away. PIT = Pittsburgh; WAS = Washington; NO = New Orleans; GB = Green Bay; KC = Kansas City; PHI = Philadelphia; LAR = Los Angeles Rams; DAL = Dallas.
Original playoff gamebooks: 2016 Divisional PIT · 2020 Wild Card @WAS · 2020 Divisional @NO · 2020 NFC Championship @GB · 2020 Super Bowl LV KC · 2021 Wild Card PHI · 2021 Divisional LAR · 2022 Wild Card DAL. Excluded inactive games: Kansas City’s 2015-season Houston game, 2015-season New England game and 2017-season Tennessee game; each original lists him as not active.
September 13–November 1, 2026
Seven appearances through Week 8
| Week | Date | Opponent | TB result | Status | G | GS | DEF snaps | ST snaps | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 13 | @CIN | L 27–33 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | Sep 20 | CLE | L 19–23 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | Sep 27 | MIN | L 16–23 | Inactive | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4 | Oct 4 | GB | L 14–17 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Oct 8 | @DAL | W 24–16 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Oct 18 | PIT | L 19–26 (OT) | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Oct 25 | @CAR | W 43–13 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Nov 1 | ATL | W 16–0 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2026 total | Through Nov 1 | Tampa Bay | — | 7 appearances | 7 | 0 | 120 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
The eight team games include seven actual reserve appearances and no starts. He was inactive against Minnesota in Week 3; dashes distinguish that nonappearance from a played game with zero credited statistics. Weeks 5–7 are actual appearances confirmed by the substitution lists and playtime reports.
Through Week 8: two solo tackles plus three assists = five defensive tackles, with one TFL against Green Bay. No ST tackle, sack, QB hit, PD, interception, forced fumble or recovery is credited. He played 120 defensive snaps and one special-teams snap; the ST snap came at Carolina. NFL playtime reports are labeled unofficial.
G = actual appearances; GS = starts. Results are from Tampa Bay’s perspective; @ = away; OT = overtime. CIN = Cincinnati; CLE = Cleveland; MIN = Minnesota; GB = Green Bay; DAL = Dallas; PIT = Pittsburgh; CAR = Carolina; ATL = Atlanta.
Original gamebooks: Week 1 · Week 2 · Week 3 · Week 4 · Week 5 · Week 6 · Week 7 · Week 8. The current Buccaneers roster confirms his active status and No. 56 jersey.
Southern Miss • 2011–2014
The Southern Miss record
Southern Miss records four playing seasons, 2011–2014. His 2013 medical redshirt followed two actual games and starts, both retained below. The Hawai‘i Bowl appearance is already included in his 31 career games. The university’s season-by-season biography.
| Season | G | GS | Solo | Ast | TKL | TFL | TFL YDS | Sacks | Sack YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 12 | 11 | 22 | 15 | 37 | 6.0 | 16 | 1.0 | 9 |
| 2013 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0.5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 11 | 11 | 32 | 26 | 58 | 14.0 | 43 | 3.0 | 20 |
| Southern Miss career | 31 | 24 | 57 | 48 | 105 | 22.0 | 62 | 4.0 | 29 |
G = games played; GS = starts; Solo + Ast = TKL. TFL includes sacks; YDS = credited yards lost. The original final records total 57 solo + 48 assisted = 105 tackles, with 22.0 TFL and 4.0 sacks. They do not provide a separate defensive-versus-special-teams tackle split.
Original annual records: 2011 final statistics, PDF p. 6 · 2012 final statistics, PDF p. 6 · 2013 final statistics, PDF p. 6 · 2014 final statistics, PDF p. 6. The 2014 final career table, PDF p. 19 provides a second reconciliation. Each annual defensive table records both games and starts.
The original 2014 total is 58 tackles, correcting the 88 printed in the later draft summary. Original 2012 records credit nine sack yards, rather than one, making the career sum 29 sack yards. The following year’s opening notes, PDF p. 16 independently confirm the 2012 credit.
College disruption and takeaways
| Season | QB hurries | PBU | INT | PD | FF | FR | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Southern Miss career | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
College QB hurries differ from NFL QB hits. PBU = pass breakups, excluding interceptions; PD = PBU + INT. FF = forced fumbles; FR = fumble recoveries; BLK = blocked kicks. Southern Miss credits seven hurries, one PBU, one forced fumble and two blocks across his career.
His 2014 blocked field goal at UTEP led to Cornell Armstrong’s touchdown. Nuñez-Roches receives the block; he is not credited with that recovery or score. No college interception, fumble recovery, return touchdown or individual safety is recorded.
Sources: the annual final records above, the university’s account of the UTEP play and the 2014 scoring table, PDF p. 4.
College postseason appearances
| Season | Date | Bowl | Opponent | Southern Miss result | G | GS | Solo | Ast | TKL | TFL | TFL YDS | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Dec 24, 2011 | Hawai‘i Bowl | Nevada | W 24–17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0.0 |
| Postseason subset | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0.0 |
His only actual college postseason appearance was the 2011 Hawai‘i Bowl, a 24–17 win over Nevada. Playing as a reserve, he made one solo tackle for a one-yard loss. This single-game subset is already included in the 2011 and career totals. No other defensive impact statistic is credited.
Southern Miss also won the 2011 Conference USA Championship Game, but Nuñez-Roches is absent from its starting lineup and substitution list. That team event is excluded from his individual appearance total; the university’s six-game freshman log agrees.
Original records: Hawai‘i Bowl defense, PDF p. 4, bowl participation, PDF p. 8, and Conference USA Championship participation, PDF p. 5. G = appearances; GS = starts; the result is from Southern Miss’s perspective.
Sources & statistical notes
The records behind the spotlight
- Identity and journey: Buccaneers profile, Southern Miss biography, draft announcement and 2026 return.
- Championship: the 2020 starting role and Super Bowl LV gamebook.
- Personal background: family and personality, military connections, holiday giving and his Belizean education cause.
- NFL statistics: Detailed Giants and Buccaneers media-guide tables, eight completed 2026 team gamebooks and eight actual playoff gamebooks. The 2017 quarterback-hit correction is documented beside the impact table. Inactive games are distinguished from actual appearances with zero counting statistics.
- College statistics: Four original Southern Miss final-season reports, the Hawai‘i Bowl gamebook and the original Conference USA title-game participation report. The medical-redshirt games remain in his career total. Annual figures and individual postseason participation are reconciled beside their tables.
- Portrait: the current official Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster image.
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL regular-season statistics stop after November 1, Week 8; preseason is excluded. NFL postseason figures are separate. College postseason appearances are subsets already included in Southern Miss’s annual and career totals. Pass breakups exclude interceptions; passes defended include them.