Bucs followers have lengthy dreaded the day they’ll need to say goodbye to franchise legend Lavonte David. However on Friday night time, that day was pushed off into the long run for one more yr.
The #Bucs are bringing again considered one of their franchise icons, as they’ve conform to phrases with star LB Lavonte David, sources say.
Lavonte David’s Legacy With The Bucs Continues
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels and Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Picture by: Cliff Welch/PR
David will stay the longest-tenured participant on the Bucs’ roster. Former basic Mark Dominik chosen him within the second spherical of the 2012 draft, and he has performed all 13 of his NFL seasons in Tampa Bay. Now, he will get a 14th in 2025.
He has lengthy been thought-about top-of-the-line linebackers of his era, usually mentioned as a part of a “Big Four” from the 2010s that included Demario Davis, Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner. Because it at present stands, David outpaces the opposite three for his or her careers in tackles, pressured fumbles and fumble recoveries. He trails solely Davis in sacks and his 13 interceptions are tied with Wagner for second behind Kuechly.
Regardless of his constant top-tier performances, David has usually been missed for league-wide reward and awards on account of Tampa Bay’s low market recognition and the Bucs’ lack of success from 2012-2019. He was a primary staff All-Professional in 2013 and second staff in 2016. He obtained a Professional Bowl nod in 2015 as nicely.
However that’s it. David would obtain one other second staff All Professional choice in 2020 through the staff’s second Tremendous Bowl run. However sadly, that’s the totality of David’s distinctions thus far.
Regardless of enjoying for 5 head coaches, David has remained a continuing on protection. His first 4 seasons made for one of many biggest linebacker stretches of all time. He posted 577 tackles, 68 TFL’s, 13.0 sacks, 31 PD, 9 INT’s, 8 FF and 4 FR. Even throughout Kuechly’s 2013 Defensive Participant of the Yr marketing campaign, David outperformed him in almost each statistical class.
Past the numbers on the paper, David has a legacy with the Bucs that features him being ‘The Standard’ the staff seems to be for in each participant they convey into the constructing. Common supervisor Jason Licht has described him as such.
“He is the poster child literally for us,” Licht mentioned. “We have a picture of a silhouette in our draft room that says, ‘I am that man.’ It is the person that we want in a player – the traits, or some of them that we just said – and it does not show his face, but it is Lavonte. He is the one that we look for every year. He is the standard.”
Yr-in, year-out, he has introduced a workman-like presence, a quiet management and a stage of play that challenged his teammates to match not simply each recreation, however each apply.
That quiet resolve paid off in 2020, as Licht would import somebody on the opposite aspect of the ball that might match his excellence. Quarterback Tom Brady helped David attain the top of the sport because the staff gained Tremendous Bowl LV. That season, he totaled 117 tackles, 12 TFL’s, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, 6 PD’s, 3 FF and a couple of FR.
Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Picture by: USA At the moment
David’s play has began to fall off lately. He missed 5 video games in 2021 and one other two in 2023. This previous season, his Professional Soccer Focus grade was south of 70.0 for the primary time in eight seasons and his protection grade was lower than 60.0 for the primary time ever.
However clearly, he and Tampa Bay each really feel that he nonetheless has one thing left to present on the age of 34.
As he has been contemplating retirement for a few years now, he and the staff have moved to a year-by-year mannequin with respects to his contracts.
For his profession, he ranks second in staff historical past in solo tackles (1,111), first in assisted tackles (491), first in tackles for loss (169), twelfth in interceptions (13), fifth in passes defensed (70), sixth in sacks (39.0), first in pressured fumbles (31) and first in fumble recoveries (19). He’s additionally eighth all-time within the NFL in mixed tackles (1,602) and tied for twenty seventh in pressured fumbles.
He’ll little doubt be a right away inductee into the Bucs Ring of Honor as soon as his profession reaches its finish. However for now, these plans will probably be placed on maintain as No. 54 will return for one more season in Tampa Bay.
