Lavonte David returns to the Bucks for his 13th season. He has been through both the ups and downs that Tampa Bay has been through more than anyone else on the roster.
First, it was the bass. From 2012 to 2019, David was one of the best players on a bad team. Over those eight seasons, the Bucks had zero playoff appearances, one championship, and six last-place finishes.
Bucks LB Labonte David Photo Credit: USA Today
Since then, the last four seasons have been something of a golden era for Tampa Bay. David and some of his longtime teammates have seen (and helped propel) the team to new heights. From winning the Super Bowl in 2020 to winning the NFC South for the last three years since then, the lows feel like a long time ago.
Through it all, and to this day, Lavonte David’s type of player, leadership qualities and human qualities have made him a fan favorite and front office favorite in Tampa Bay. He’s a prime example of the type of player the Bucks are trying to find more of, though they may be rare.
That’s not an exaggeration either. Bucks general manager Jason Richt said as much on Friday, pointing to visual evidence of the idea that Lavonte David is what the Bucks want him to be.
“He’s literally an icon for us. We have silhouette pictures of backs in our draft room,” Richt said. “It says, ‘I’m the guy,’ and this is who we look for in a player, and some of those are the traits we mentioned earlier. You can’t see his face, but it’s Labonte. . He’s someone we look for every year. he is standard.”
Bucks ILB Labonte David – Photo Credit: USA Today
Richt arrived in Tampa in 2014, two years after Lavonte David was drafted. He said with a smile Friday that if he had been with the Bucs in 2012, his fellow Nebraska Cornhusker would have been the top draft pick. time. And that’s why we will continue to prioritize his legendary back when it comes time for him to become a free agent.
From Year 1 in 2012 to Year 13 in 2024, David rose to the ranks of the best players in Bucks history. He continues to take things one year at a time, as evidenced by the fact that he signed a one-year deal in the second straight offseason.
It’s safe to say that if he continues to play into his 30s, David will continue to sign a one-year contract. that’s the way Pro Football Hall of Famer and Bucks legend Rondo Barber took this photo at the end of his career.
And when you think about it, it’s no surprise that David’s rookie year coincided with Barber’s final season in 2012. Because that year, in a sense, signaled the passing of the torch from the “prototype” to the “masterpiece.”
standard. pic.twitter.com/ON7oYdsLtm
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 22, 2024
Lavonte David is key to Bucks’ Ring of Honor
Lavonte David has been a future Bucks Ring of Honor member for years now, and his claim has become more and more solidified with each passing year. But he’s gotten to the point where the organization should be ready to announce his induction on the same day he retires, so it’s not like he needs to solidify any further.
Bucks ILB Labonte David – Photo Credit: USA Today
David has solidified his status as a Buccaneer legend, and even though he doesn’t get the recognition he deserves league-wide and continues to get snubbed in the Pro Bowl every year, Tampa Bay fans are still impressed with the kind of player he is. I know what. . And they had no problem getting up to bat for him.
As for David himself, he has long maintained that he doesn’t care much about personal accolades or the lack of national recognition he receives. He knows he’s respected by the rest of the league, and he’s confident in the tape he’s put together over 12 years.
But as for the possibility of one day competing in the Bucks’ Ring of Honor, David said Friday that he only started thinking about it now. And he knows it will be a special feeling for him and his family to see some of the greats who came before him celebrate their Hall of Fame day.
“That’s great. I think that’s what everyone wants to see. I think that’s great,” David said. “I haven’t thought about it much until now, especially given the fact that my career is coming to an end. You’re the type to think about things like that.
“When you’re playing, all you care about is seeing the players. Like I’ve seen Rondo go out there, I’ve seen John Lynch go out there, It’s the same thing I’ve seen with Warren Sapp. Seeing all of their family and friends and seeing the crowd still cheering them on, I think it was a great feeling for them. So why me? Don’t you want to be a part of that?”
Yes, someday Lavonte David will be one of them. It would be a fitting tribute to a career he has wrapped up in red, white and pewter. But for now, it’s safe to assume that as long as Jason Richt is in charge in Tampa, David will remain the poster boy in the team’s draft room.
