Lavonte David has played a lot of football.
As the longest serving pirate, Underrated The inside linebacker has been through it all.
From the Bucs’ dark days of playoff misses from 2012-2019 to their Super Bowl victory in 2020 and four consecutive postseason appearances, David is battle-tested and has seen firsthand what it takes to reach the highest level of success. That’s why his comments about the team’s culture on Friday at training camp should keep optimism high that the good times will continue in 2024.
Lavonte David: Friendship makes ‘everything easier’
Every year, 32 NFL teams head into training camp with the optimistic prospect of going 0-0.
Buccaneers ILB Lavonte David – Photo courtesy of USA Today
While that is true for the Buccaneers heading into this season, they also have reason to be optimistic. It’s already well-known that the team wasn’t expected to be as competitive as last season, and even after making the playoffs, there were big question marks about their future going into the offseason.
With quarterback Baker Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans and inside linebacker Lavonte David all free agents and left tackle Tristan Wirfs and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. needing to sign long-term deals, it was unclear where the team would go.
As Wirfs said in a press conference with general manager Jason Licht after agreeing to a new contract earlier this week, the Bucks “Close” group.
That explains not only why they all wanted to stay in Tampa Bay, but also the team’s heavy investment in a team culture that David acknowledges is the best he’s ever had.
Buccaneers DT Kariya Kansi and ILB Lavonte David – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“I agree,” David says. “Outside of football, [there] Friendships are made. People come and go in this game, but there are also some great people. [are] Coming in, you want to build those types of relationships with those types of people. That’s the team we have. I feel like they’ve drafted those types of people.
“The type of relationships we’re trying to get with people are going to be very lasting outside of football. When you have those relationships outside of football, it makes everything easier on the football field. You know how to talk to somebody, and if you talk to somebody in a different way, they don’t take it as disrespect, they don’t take it as criticism. It’s just constructive criticism. That’s the team we have.”
The Buccaneers have built a roster of leaders and “great people.”
It’s hard to argue with David about how the Bucks have constructed their roster in recent seasons.
Licht and the front office have done so by not only finding talented players, but identifying great character pieces that fit seamlessly into the puzzle. The team is hoping that trend will continue, and early impressions suggest that Tampa Bay’s 2024 draft class Adapt to the culture and build meaningful roles.
Buccaneers ILB Lavonte David – Photo by Cliff Welch/PR
Though David is just one of the leaders on the team, his desire to help his teammates is clear when he’s on the field. During training camp this year, he has often accompanied the third team as the only full-time starter on either side of the ball, making sure they’re working together and communicating.
That speaks to his leadership, but he also believes it will help head coach Todd Bowles and other leaders on the team strengthen team unity and camaraderie, all of which will translate on game day.
“I think Coach Bowles and the other guys are implementing that and it’s seeping through to the leaders and being implemented in the locker room,” David added. “I think we have a great group of guys on our team. We have great young guys. They come in and work hard and want to be great players, but they also want to be great people on and off the field.”
