BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 52
Current official roster portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Linebacker • Sixth NFL playing season
From the Jackrabbits to the Krewe
Christian Rozeboom
- Born
- January 30, 1997 • Age 29
- Hometown
- Sioux Center, Iowa
- Listed size
- 6 feet 2 inches • 230 pounds
- High school
- Sioux Center High School • Sioux Center, Iowa
- College
- South Dakota State • 2016–2019
- NFL entry
- 2020 • Undrafted free agent • Los Angeles Rams
- Buccaneers career
- 2026–present
- Jersey
- No. 52
- Current status
- Reserve/Injured • As of November 3, 2026
Birthdate: 2026 Buccaneers media guide. Background: South Dakota State biography. Current listing: official Buccaneers profile and current roster.
Milestone sources: South Dakota State career summary, current Buccaneers roster and Tampa Bay signing announcement.
Christian Rozeboom’s route to Tampa Bay included a college tackles record, an undrafted NFL beginning and a growing role on defense. The Buccaneers added him after a season as a starter in Carolina, bringing a linebacker with both defensive and special-teams experience into the Krewe. Tampa Bay’s introduction.
Iowa roots • A path through South Dakota
From Sioux Center to Tampa Bay
An Iowa beginning Sioux Center and South Dakota State.
Rozeboom came to South Dakota State from Sioux Center High School in Iowa. He redshirted in 2015 before playing four seasons for the Jackrabbits, from 2016 through 2019. That first year gave way to a college career built around sustained tackling production. His South Dakota State biography.
Earning an NFL place Los Angeles and Kansas City, 2020–2021.
The Rams signed Rozeboom as an undrafted free agent in 2020; he spent that season on their practice squad. A subsequent move to Kansas City led to his NFL debut at Tennessee on October 24, 2021. The Rams signed him back from the Chiefs’ practice squad on November 3. The official transaction and debut record.
A larger role with the Rams Special teams, a championship and defensive opportunity.
Rozeboom was part of the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI championship team. Tampa Bay’s career summary. As his defensive role grew, Rams coaches emphasized his speed and ability to cover ground. A 2024 team feature described the greater opportunity at linebacker and the understanding he shared with teammate Troy Reeder. The Rams’ development feature.
A new NFC South chapter Carolina in 2025; Tampa Bay in 2026.
He started 15 games for Carolina in 2025, then signed with Tampa Bay on March 23, 2026. The Buccaneers’ announcement highlighted his experience and his contribution to Carolina’s division-title season. The official signing announcement and transaction log.
Recognition along the way
Four first-team selections All-Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Rozeboom earned first-team All-MVFC honors in each of his four playing seasons, 2016–2019. South Dakota State’s announcement of his move to the NFL recorded that uninterrupted run of conference recognition. The school’s career summary.
National recognition Consensus All-American, 2019.
His senior season brought consensus All-America recognition. Earlier, his first playing season earned him MVFC Freshman of the Year honors and a runner-up finish for the Jerry Rice Award, which recognizes the top FCS freshman. The university’s honors record.
South Dakota State • 2016–2019
Four seasons and a place in Jackrabbit history
Four seasons with the Jackrabbits
475
CAREER TACKLES AT SDSU
More than 100 tackles in every playing season
The school career record when he left for the NFL.
When Rozeboom finished his South Dakota State career, his 475 tackles stood as the school career record. He surpassed 100 tackles in every playing season, giving the Jackrabbits four years of consistent production. The university documented that record as he moved toward the NFL in spring 2020. South Dakota State’s departure announcement.
His teammates also repeatedly entrusted him with a leadership role. His election as a captain in 2019 made him the third three-time captain in program history, according to the school’s announcement. The tackles show the production; those repeated elections add another part of his college story. The 2019 captain announcement.
Tampa Bay • 2026–present
Tampa Bay in 2026
The Buccaneers placed Rozeboom on injured reserve on October 22, 2026, with a finger injury. The move followed his appearance against Pittsburgh, when the club used him alongside Alex Anzalone and Josiah Trotter in a three-linebacker look. The team’s injury and roster report.
As of November 3, 2026, the current roster lists him under Reserve/Injured, No. 52. The official roster. His five actual appearances, the opening-week active DNP and the two injured-reserve weeks are distinguished in the 2026 table below.
The person behind No. 52
Iowa roots and life beyond football
Football was one part of Rozeboom’s athletic life in Sioux Center. He earned all-state recognition in baseball and all-conference honors in basketball, and was a member of a 2014 state champion shuttle-hurdle relay. His high-school sports background.
At South Dakota State, he studied animal science. His official Buccaneers biography also records the memorable nickname “Exploding Flower.” The team’s personal profile.
Helping with the holiday table Oxnard, 2022.
Rozeboom and Rams teammate Tyler Higbee participated in a Thanksgiving food distribution at College Park in Oxnard. The event worked with Food Share Ventura County and community partners to provide holiday food for families. The Rams’ event gallery.
A cause close to Iowa My Cause My Cleats, 2024.
For the Rams’ 2024 My Cause My Cleats campaign, Rozeboom selected University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital as the organization he supported. The team’s campaign announcement documents that choice. The official campaign list.
NFL regular season • Career through 2026
The NFL career record
These regular-season tables cover six NFL playing seasons, 2021–2026. His two 2021 clubs have separate rows; no duplicate season subtotal is added. His 2020 Rams practice-squad year produced no regular-season appearance. The asterisk marks incomplete 2026 statistics through November 1, Week 8; preseason is excluded.
| Season | Club | G | GS | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | ST TKL | Sacks | Sack YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | KC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2021 | LAR | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2022 | LAR | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2023 | LAR | 17 | 5 | 47 | 30 | 77 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2024 | LAR | 17 | 11 | 69 | 64 | 133 | 2 | 1.0 | 6.0 |
| 2025 | CAR | 15 | 15 | 59 | 63 | 122 | 0 | 2.0 | 9.0 |
| 2026* | TB | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| NFL career | All clubs | 81 | 33 | 179 | 162 | 341 | 17 | 3.0 | 15.0 |
G = games played; GS = starts; DEF = defense; ST = special teams. DEF Solo + DEF Ast = DEF TKL. Sack YDS = credited yards lost. The career record separates 341 defensive tackles from 17 special-teams tackles.
The detailed guides’ DEF/ST columns govern historical tackle classification. The website’s separate SOLO field differs in some years and is not mixed with guide assists. Annual sources: 2025 Panthers guide — 2021–2024 records and 2026 Buccaneers guide — 2025 record; 2026 gamebooks appear below. KC = Kansas City; LAR = Los Angeles Rams; CAR = Carolina; TB = Tampa Bay.
| Season | Club | TFL | QB hits | PD | INT | FF | Opp FR | Own FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | KC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | LAR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | LAR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | LAR | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | LAR | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | CAR | 7 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026* | TB | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NFL career | All clubs | 15 | 5 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
TFL = tackles for loss, including sacks; QB hits = hits on the quarterback; PD = passes defended, including interceptions; INT = interceptions; FF = forced fumbles. Opp FR means an opponent’s fumble recovered; Own FR means a teammate’s or his own team’s fumble recovered.
His three interceptions produced 36 return yards, a 12.0-yard average and a 20-yard longest return, with no touchdown. They came in 2023, 2024 and 2025, with zero, 16 and 20 return yards, respectively.
The 2025 recovery is an own-team recovery: against Seattle on December 28, Rozeboom recovered teammate A’Shawn Robinson’s subsequent fumble after Robinson had recovered the original opponent fumble. Rozeboom has one total recovery, zero opponent recoveries and zero recovery return yards. The general defensive FR column and opponent-recovery category describe different things.
The annual sources above and original Seattle–Carolina gamebook, December 28, 2025 establish these categories. A complete historical blocked-kick series is not supplied by the selected NFL annual records.
NFL postseason
| Season | Date | Club | Round | Opponent | Club result | G | GS | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | ST TKL | TFL | Sacks | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Jan 17, 2022 | LAR | Wild Card | ARI | W 34–11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Jan 23, 2022 | LAR | Divisional | @TB | W 30–27 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Jan 30, 2022 | LAR | NFC Championship | SF | W 20–17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Feb 13, 2022 | LAR | Super Bowl LVI | CIN | W 23–20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Jan 14, 2024 | LAR | Wild Card | @DET | L 23–24 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Jan 13, 2025 | LAR | Wild Card | MIN | W 27–9 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Jan 19, 2025 | LAR | Divisional | @PHI | L 22–28 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Jan 10, 2026 | CAR | Wild Card | LAR | L 31–34 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 |
| Postseason career | — | All clubs | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | 18 | 10 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 |
Rozeboom played eight actual NFL playoff games, starting four. His 2025 postseason appearance was with Carolina, against the Rams in January 2026. The original gamebook governs that club identification. NFL playoff totals remain separate from regular-season totals.
In Super Bowl LVI, he played 22 special-teams snaps and had no credited tackle or other counting statistic. The gamebook confirms an actual appearance in the Rams’ championship win. The highlighted row belongs to the 2021 season; the game was played on February 13, 2022.
The playoff gamebooks’ unofficial reports total 233 defensive snaps and 112 special-teams snaps. Original records: 2021 Wild Card ARI · 2021 Divisional TB · 2021 NFC Championship SF · 2021 Super Bowl LVI CIN · 2023 Wild Card DET · 2024 Wild Card MIN · 2024 Divisional PHI · 2025 Wild Card LAR. Results are from his club’s perspective; @ = away. Super Bowl LVI was a neutral-site game.
September 13–November 1, 2026
Five appearances and the 2026 availability record
| Week | Date | Opponent | TB result | Status | G | GS | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | ST TKL | TFL | PD | DEF snaps | ST snaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 13 | @CIN | L 27–33 | Active DNP | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2 | Sep 20 | CLE | L 19–23 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 3 | Sep 27 | MIN | L 16–23 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 24 |
| 4 | Oct 4 | GB | L 14–17 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 12 |
| 5 | Oct 8 | @DAL | W 24–16 | Starter | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 16 |
| 6 | Oct 18 | PIT | L 19–26 OT | Starter | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 17 |
| 7 | Oct 25 | @CAR | W 43–13 | IR | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 8 | Nov 1 | ATL | W 16–0 | IR | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2026 total | Through Nov 1 | Tampa Bay | — | 5 appearances | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 66 | 84 |
Week 1 was an active DNP (did not play), so it is not an appearance. Week 2 was a real reserve appearance with 15 special-teams snaps and no credited counting statistic. He played in Weeks 3–6, starting at Dallas and against Pittsburgh, then was on injured reserve for Weeks 7–8.
The five appearances total eight DEF tackles (three solo and five assisted) and three ST tackles, with one TFL and two passes defended. No sack, interception, forced fumble or recovery is credited. Unofficial playtime totals are 66 defensive snaps and 84 special-teams snaps.
Dashes mark statistics for games he did not play; actual zero-stat appearances retain zeroes. 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 final gamebooks and availability records: Week 1 · Week 2 · Week 3 · Week 4 · Week 5 · Week 6 · Week 7 · Week 8.
South Dakota State • 2016–2019
The South Dakota State record
Rozeboom redshirted in 2015 and played four seasons at South Dakota State, 2016–2019. The original final records total 53 appearances and 475 tackles. Actual FCS playoff games are already included in these annual and career totals.
| Season | G | GS | Solo | Ast | TKL | TFL | TFL YDS | Sacks | Sack YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 13 | 13 | 58 | 74 | 132 | 5.0 | 22 | 3.0 | 15 |
| 2017 | 14 | — | 67 | 60 | 127 | 7.5 | 18 | 1.0 | 1 |
| 2018 | 13 | — | 53 | 52 | 105 | 10.5 | 25 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 13 | — | 57 | 54 | 111 | 6.0 | 25 | 2.0 | 12 |
| SDSU career | 53 | — | 235 | 240 | 475 | 29.0 | 90 | 6.0 | 28 |
G = games played; GS = starts; Solo + Ast = TKL. TFL includes sacks; YDS = credited yards lost. The original 2018 final credits 53 solo tackles and 52 assists; a later migrated summary uses a different split. College tackle records do not provide an NFL-style defensive-versus-special-teams split.
Original annual records: 2016 final statistics · 2017 final statistics · 2018 final statistics · 2019 final statistics. The university biography explicitly verifies 13 starts in 2016. An em dash in GS means a complete annual or career start count was not established from the selected records; it does not mean zero starts.
| Season | QB hurries | PBU | INT | PD | FF | FR | BLK | SFTY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| SDSU career | 7 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
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; SFTY = safeties.
The original annual records credit eight forced fumbles, including three in 2018. The original 2018 semifinal records that season’s third forced fumble. Later summaries that list two for 2018 consequently undercount his career total. The 2019 safety is recorded separately from touchdowns.
| Season | INT | INT YDS | INT AVG | INT Long | INT TD | FR | FR YDS | FR TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 | 63 | 31.5 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 | 65 | 32.5 | 65 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| SDSU career | 8 | 168 | 21.0 | 65 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
INT YDS and FR YDS are return yards; AVG = yards per interception; Long = longest interception return; TD = touchdowns. The career interception average uses total return yards divided by total interceptions. The career longest return is the largest single return, not a sum. These categories follow the original annual records linked above.
FCS playoff appearances
| Season | Date | Round | Opponent | SDSU result | G | GS | TKL | TFL | Sacks | PBU | INT | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Dec 3, 2016 | FCS second round | Villanova | W 10–7 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Dec 10, 2016 | FCS quarterfinal | North Dakota State | L 10–36 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | Dec 2, 2017 | FCS second round | Northern Iowa | W 37–22 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | Dec 9, 2017 | FCS quarterfinal | New Hampshire | W 56–14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | Dec 16, 2017 | FCS semifinal | James Madison | L 16–51 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | Dec 1, 2018 | FCS second round | Duquesne | W 51–6 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | Dec 8, 2018 | FCS quarterfinal | Kennesaw State | W 27–17 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | Dec 14, 2018 | FCS semifinal | North Dakota State | L 21–44 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | Dec 7, 2019 | FCS second round | Northern Iowa | L 10–13 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Postseason subset | — | — | — | — | 9 | 9 | 87 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
These nine actual FCS playoff appearances, all starts, are a subset of the college record above. They are already counted in the annual totals and must not be added to the career total again. The 2015 redshirt year contributes no player playoff appearance.
His playoff interception came against James Madison in 2017 and was returned 65 yards. The playoff records credit no pass breakup, quarterback hurry, blocked kick, safety or defensive touchdown; his one playoff fumble recovery produced zero return yards.
Original playoff records: 2016 FCS second round vs. Villanova · 2016 FCS quarterfinal vs. North Dakota State · 2017 FCS second round vs. Northern Iowa · 2017 FCS quarterfinal vs. New Hampshire · 2017 FCS semifinal vs. James Madison · 2018 FCS second round vs. Duquesne · 2018 FCS quarterfinal vs. Kennesaw State · 2018 FCS semifinal vs. North Dakota State · 2019 FCS second round vs. Northern Iowa. Results are from South Dakota State’s perspective.
Sources & statistical notes
The records behind the spotlight
- Player background: Buccaneers biography, South Dakota State biography, school departure announcement and captain announcement.
- NFL path and current status: Rams role feature, Tampa Bay signing announcement, transaction log, injured-reserve announcement and current roster.
- Community activities: 2022 food distribution and 2024 My Cause My Cleats campaign.
- NFL statistics: Detailed Panthers and Buccaneers media-guide tables, eight actual playoff gamebooks, eight current team-week records and the original 2025 Seattle recovery record. Defensive and special-teams tackles and own-team versus opponent recoveries remain distinct.
- College statistics: Original South Dakota State final-season reports and nine actual FCS playoff records. The original 2018 tackle split and forced-fumble credits govern over conflicting migrated summaries.
- 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 appearances are shown separately. FCS playoff appearances are subsets already included in the school’s annual and career totals. Defensive and special-teams tackles are separated in the NFL records. College QB hurries and NFL QB hits are distinct statistical categories.