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BY IRA KAUFMAN
He’s seen it all in his 13 seasons as a Buccaneer — and now he craves another view from the top.
If it seems like Lavonte David has been a pewter marauder forever, you’re not far off. In NFL terms, 13 years is a very long haul. At times, it seemed like David was carrying Tampa Bay’s defense across his shoulder pads.
The Bucs posted only one winning season during David’s first eight years in the NFL as Greg Schiano, Lovie Smith and Dirk Koetter failed to right a listing pirate ship.
The breakthrough came in the 2020 championship season and David is still hungry at the age of 35.
Age may be just a number, and David has accumulated very impressive numbers along the way. He’s fifth all-time in career tackles, only 25 stops away from sitting at No. 4. He’s ninth in career tackles for loss, needing only eight more to vault past Aaron Donald at No. 4.
Six times he’s been named one of the league’s Top-100 players in voting by his peers, and David remains the unquestioned leader of the Buc defense.
“He’s got another 10 years,” Todd Bowles says, only half-kidding. “Lavonte’s knowledge of the game gives our young guys a comfort level.”
A second-round pick by Mark Dominik in 2012, David has played 188 games for the Bucs, ranking third behind only Rondé Barber and Derrick Brooks. Those are a couple of Hall of Famers, and David is building his own credible case for Canton.
“He’s a do-it-all linebacker,” says Demario Davis of the Saints, a fellow member of the 2012 draft class. “He’s been doing it a long time and continues to play at a high level.”
David’s first pro start came as a rookie in the 2012 season opener, a home victory against Carolina that marked Barber’s 200th consecutive start.
The 2013 season began on a devastating note for David, whose late hit out of bounds against rookie quarterback Geno Smith in the final seconds paved the way for a Nick Folk 48-yard field goal and a Jets victory.
Tears rolled down David’s face as he trudged off the field, but he answered every question at his locker while staring down at the floor.
That’s class. That’s Lavonte David. Teammates came by to encourage David to keep his head up.
“You’ve just got to learn from it and move on,” said David, who had starred in the game with 8 tackles, a sack and an interception before his late gaffe.
The Bucs knew they had something special when David rebounded from that crushing Game 1 setback to earn first-team All-Pro honors that season with 145 tackles, 5 interceptions and 7 sacks.
David keeps coming back for more on a series of one-year contracts. One primary reason he keeps putting off retirement?
“They wanted me back and that eased my mind,” he says. “This team’s real tight. It’s a family-oriented situation and they treat us like so. Off the field, we’re always hanging out, getting along with each other. It’s never an offense-defense type thing. It shows on the field, too. I’ve got the utmost confidence in this football team. I felt last year was our year, but we didn’t get the job done. We’ve got all our pieces back … and we’ve added more.”
In recent years, David has witnessed the rise of Calijah Kancey and the demise of Devin White. He’s seen a ferocious pass rush that won a Super Bowl and a leaky defense that undermined the 2024 season.
“Last year, we weren’t ourselves,” he says of his young unit. “We had a high-powered offense. That’s lovely to have, but a lot of times the game came down to us and we weren’t able to get the job done.”
David’s job this fall is to lead by example and help Todd Bowles mold this group into an aggressive force. Bowles doesn’t want to contemplate life at One Buc Place without No. 54.
As he enters his 14th season, Lavonte David has experienced the full range of football emotions. Through it all, he has represented this franchise with distinction. Buc fans appreciate his skills and leadership, knowing one day he will surely enter the franchise’s Ring of Honor.
That’s for another time.
In the here and now, Lavonte David has work to do. Soon enough, the pads will come on and David will lead Tampa Bay’s hunting party into the season opener at Atlanta.
Mr. Penix, meet Mr. David. Penix is 10 years younger, but make no mistake — David remains young at heart.