Lavonte David: Consummate Pro
August 8th, 2013
Joe has a hunch that outside linebacker Lavonte David is going to blow up this year. Last year, as a rookie, he not only called defensive plays for the Bucs, but led the NFL’s top run defense in tackles. Again, as a rookie.
Now with a year of experience, David should be as fearsome as ever.
“Oh, it’s a lot different,” David told reporters Tuesday after practice. “I have one year under my belt for this defense and I’m learning more about it. I’m learning not only my position, but other guys’ positions around me, so that’s helping me a lot, too. I took that approach coming into this year so I’m sticking with it.
“I mean I feel like I’m still a young guy learning, but if somebody needs guidance, if somebody needs help, I’m there for them. That’s what a teammate [does].”
David, a perfectionist, was troubled by goof ups he believes he had last season, and he sweated all offseason trying to make sure he doesn’t repeat the same mistakes.
“Yeah, just not getting calls to everybody and not being all locked in, you know, worrying about what everybody else is doing instead of doing my job and I end up messing something up,” David said. “So that’s one thing I wanted to focus on coming into this offseason, getting the calls out quicker [and] making sure everybody [is] understanding them and not just knowing their job, but knowing my job as well.”
David could be the next Derrick Brooks or perhaps better, as much as that sounds like heresy. David is a special, special player and man, what a steal by Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik in the second round.
To hear more of David, click the arrow below. Audio courtesy of WDAE-AM 620.
August 8th, 2013 at 7:34 am
btw, in this picture he’s flying
August 8th, 2013 at 7:49 am
Too bad David can’t be cloned. Dom really did well in the last year’s draft….lets hope this year is a repeat. So far, so good!!!
August 8th, 2013 at 7:57 am
@tampabaybucfan
He will, as long as he is still listening to Schiano. By the way, he likes his coffee black pop-star!
August 8th, 2013 at 8:04 am
LVD although an OLB may actually take more snaps at MLB in the nickel Defense.
August 8th, 2013 at 8:12 am
Let’s just hope with the Davids, Goldson’s, McCoys, and Revis’s as our vocal and inspirational leaders has a domino effect on the rest of the defensive club. Really good and special players tend to bring out the best in the other players around them. Go David! Go Bucs!
August 8th, 2013 at 9:10 am
LVD just sounds like a bad @$$ nick name
August 8th, 2013 at 9:52 am
Lavonte David in picture: “I think someone left their keys under here”.
August 8th, 2013 at 10:01 am
All the swats, would be sacks, and great coverage I read about makes me not doubt the possibilities that David would be better than Brooks. If he can can play at Brooks peak around year 2-4, then yes I would say he’s better than Brooks because David got the potential to keep learning and getting wiser a la Ray Lewis. And I would still like DB a lot.
But back to earth, I hope he have a great season. Another planet is David’s limit.