BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 0
Current official portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Outside linebacker • Fourth NFL season
Another opportunity, another step forward
Yaya Diaby
- Born
- May 30, 1999
- Hometown
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Listed size
- 6 feet 4 inches • 270 pounds
- High school
- North Clayton • Georgia
- Junior college
- Georgia Military College • 2018–2019
- Louisville
- 2020–2022
- Draft
- April 28, 2023 • Round 3 • No. 82 overall
- Buccaneers
- 2023–present • Outside linebacker
Profile sources: Buccaneers roster, Louisville biography and draft announcement. Atlanta is his listed hometown.
Sources: Louisville draft record and the college statistics below. NFL figures stop after November 1, 2026 (Week 8), checked November 3.
Before Yaya Diaby was helping Tampa Bay close the pocket, he was helping wheelchair passengers through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Football still mattered to him during that time away from the field. Georgia Military College offered a route back, and Louisville became the next step toward the Buccaneers. His official background; the story of that return.
There is plenty for the Krewe to appreciate in that route. The sack celebration is the easy part to spot. The longer story includes earning another chance, learning different assignments and becoming someone younger players can turn to. No. 0 brings all of that history onto the field.
Georgia roots → Louisville → Tampa Bay
Three stages of a determined climb
2018–2019 A chance at Georgia Military.
A friend at the airport encouraged Diaby to attend a Georgia Military College tryout. He paid the entry fee, earned an opportunity to walk on and later received a scholarship. Those two seasons brought him back into college recruiting conversations. The club’s account of his path.
2020–2022 Growing with the Cardinals.
At Louisville, Diaby started his first game against Western Kentucky and developed over three seasons. His final year earned third-team All-ACC recognition. The progression from junior college to an established ACC defensive lineman gave NFL evaluators a substantial body of work. Louisville’s season accounts.
2023 A Buccaneer in round three.
Tampa Bay selected Diaby with the 82nd pick and signed him on June 14, 2023. He finished his rookie season leading the team with 7.5 sacks, turning a draft opportunity into production on Sundays. The signing record; his rookie achievements.
October 25, 2026 • Week 7 at Carolina
Three sacks, one memorable afternoon
A career first
3
SACKS AGAINST CAROLINA
All three came against Bryce Young.
Diaby’s first sacks of the 2026 season.
TAMPA BAY 43 • CAROLINA 13
Diaby recorded his first three-sack NFL game as Tampa Bay won at Bank of America Stadium. Power rushes produced his first two sacks; the third involved a twist with Calijah Kancey that disrupted the protection. The club’s October 26 breakdown.
Todd Bowles described a player improving at understanding blockers and developing counters. For fans, the afternoon offered a clear view of that work: different rush situations, the same finish behind the line.
Run defense • Rush development • Leadership
The work outside the sack column
In an October 21, 2026 feature, outside linebackers coach Larry Foote highlighted Diaby’s ability to hold the perimeter against the run. He also explained that Diaby was still developing as an outside pass rusher after playing substantial interior work in college. Strength and speed help, but the assignment requires understanding where the offense is trying to create space. Foote’s assessment.
That gives fans another way to follow him. On a running play, watch whether the blocker can move him and whether the ball carrier has room to turn the corner. A defender can help the unit by keeping the play contained even when a teammate finishes the tackle.
Diaby also spoke during the 2026 offseason about earning teammates’ trust and helping rookie Rueben Bain Jr. develop. The club’s May feature presented that as a growing leadership responsibility. His experience gives the younger pass rusher a teammate who has already worked through the transition to Tampa Bay’s defense. The leadership discussion.
Status at this update: The official depth chart lists Diaby first at outside linebacker. The club’s November 2 report confirms that he left the previous day’s Atlanta game with a first-half knee injury. Depth chart; the dated injury report.
NFL regular season • 2023–2026
The Buccaneers record through Week 8
A notable honor came at the end of his second season: NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 18 of 2024, announced January 8, 2025. His performance against New Orleans helped Tampa Bay clinch the division. The award announcement.
On October 8, 2026, Diaby added his first NFL interception during the win at Dallas, collecting a pass deflected by David Walker and Tykee Smith. The Cowboys game notes.
| Season | Team | G | GS | Tackles | Sacks | INT | PD | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tampa Bay | 17 | 7 | 38 | 7.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024 | Tampa Bay | 17 | 17 | 54 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | Tampa Bay | 17 | 17 | 50 | 7.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2026 — through Week 8 | Tampa Bay | 8 | 8 | 16 | 3.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| NFL career through 2026 W8 | Tampa Bay | 59 | 49 | 158 | 22.0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
G = games played; GS = games started; INT = interceptions; PD = passes defensed; FF = forced fumbles; FR = opponent fumbles recovered. Tackles use combined totals. The 2026 row is a partial season; see the source note for the current figures.
Statistical note, November 3: The Week 8 gamebook and opponent splits confirm eight 2026 appearances and starts; the annual summary still lists seven. Career appearances and starts here include that Atlanta game. Combined tackles follow the summary and 2024, 2025 and current team totals, giving 158 career tackles. The separate career feed totals 146. All current figures stop after November 1.
2026 game-by-game record • through Week 8
| Week | Date | Opponent | Tampa Bay result | G | GS | Tackles | Sacks | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Sep. 13 | @ Cincinnati | L 27–33 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Week 2 | Sep. 20 | Cleveland | L 19–23 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Week 3 | Sep. 27 | Minnesota | L 16–23 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Week 4 | Oct. 4 | Green Bay | L 14–17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Week 5 | Oct. 8 | @ Dallas | W 24–16 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 |
| Week 6 | Oct. 18 | Pittsburgh | L 19–26 (OT) | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Week 7 | Oct. 25 | @ Carolina | W 43–13 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 |
| Week 8 | Nov. 1 | Atlanta | W 16–0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Through Week 8 | 2026 | 8 starts | 3–5 team record | 8 | 8 | 16 | 3.0 | 1 |
Scores show Tampa Bay first; @ means an away game and OT means overtime. An appearance with no recorded tackle still counts as a game played. Tables scroll horizontally on small screens.
Sources: official game log, participation splits, Atlanta gamebook and Pittsburgh overtime recap.
NFL playoff appearances
Three starts on the postseason stage
Diaby started Tampa Bay’s games against Philadelphia and Detroit in the 2023 postseason and the Washington game in the 2024 postseason. Those games were played in January 2024 and January 2025, respectively. His playoff figures are kept separate from regular-season totals. Official gamebooks: Philadelphia, Detroit and Washington.
NFL postseason statistics • actual appearances
| NFL season | Game date | Round / opponent | Tampa Bay result | G | GS | Tackles | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jan. 15, 2024 | Wild Card / Philadelphia | W 32–9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 |
| 2023 | Jan. 21, 2024 | Divisional / @ Detroit | L 23–31 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 |
| 2024 | Jan. 12, 2025 | Wild Card / Washington | L 20–23 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Playoff career | Through 2025 season | 3 starts | 1–2 team record | 3 | 3 | 8 | 0.0 |
Tampa Bay did not qualify for the 2025 postseason. The 2026 postseason had not begun at this update.
Georgia Military College • Louisville Cardinals
Two programs, distinct college records
Two seasons at Georgia Military College preceded Diaby’s three years at Louisville. The tables below show his junior-college and NCAA Division I records separately. His earlier-career account.
Georgia Military College also recognized Diaby among its 2019 All-Americans, a college honor earned before his move to Louisville. The GMC announcement.
Georgia Military College • 2018–2019 tackles and sacks
| Season | School | Tackles | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Georgia Military College | 19 | 2.0 |
| 2019 | Georgia Military College | 58 | 5.0 |
| JUCO career | Georgia Military College | 77 | 7.0 |
These two seasons preceded his NCAA Division I career at Louisville.
His Louisville career finished with 34 appearances and 32 starts. The senior season supplied nine of his 10.5 career sacks and earned third-team All-ACC recognition. He also contributed in both the 2021 First Responder Bowl and the 2022 Fenway Bowl. Louisville’s draft summary; the season accounts.
Louisville season-by-season statistics • including bowls
| Season | G | GS | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | PD | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8 | 7 | 18 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | 12 | 39 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 | 13 | 37 | 14.0 | 9.0 | 2 | 2 |
| Louisville career | 34 | 32 | 94 | 19.5 | 10.5 | 2 | 2 |
TFL = tackles for loss. These figures include his bowl appearances and are separate from junior-college and NFL records.
Source note: The table uses the final 2022 cumulative statistics: 14.0 tackles for loss that season and 19.5 across Louisville. The roster biography’s 14.5 season figure differs from that final table.
Learning beyond football
Diaby majored in criminal justice at Louisville. University biography.
Family roots • A cause on his cleats
The people and places behind No. 0
Connections to Guinea
Diaby’s parents, Mariama and Mohamed, came to the United States from Guinea. He spent several childhood years there with his grandparents before returning to the U.S. The club’s family feature describes those connections and the encouragement he received while working toward another football opportunity. His family background.
Men’s x Mental
For 2025 My Cause My Cleats, Diaby selected Men’s x Mental. The Buccaneers listed his choice among the causes players represented through customized footwear for their November 30 game. It is a documented example of using his place on an NFL roster to bring attention to an organization. The club’s campaign announcement.
Follow the assignment as well as the finish
Keep an eye on the edge
Diaby’s path makes each opportunity easy to appreciate. For the Krewe, watching him means enjoying the sacks while also looking for the earlier work: the stance, the response to a blocker and the effort to keep a runner from escaping outside. That is a fuller view of No. 0’s job.
Sources & statistical notes
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL figures stop after November 1, Week 8. Regular season, postseason, junior college and Louisville records are labeled separately.
- NFL profile and participation: Buccaneers biography, game log and opponent splits.
- Current football story: Carolina sacks, run defense and November 2 injury confirmation.
- College and draft: Louisville biography, draft announcement, final cumulative statistics for 2020, 2021 and 2022, plus the school’s historical appearances and starts.
- Personal story and community: the road from Georgia and 2025 My Cause My Cleats.