Ladies And Gentlemen, Lavonte David
May 6th, 2020
Time to shine.
Few NFL players in recent history, in Joe’s eyes, have gotten the shaft as much and as regularly as Bucs linebacker Lavonte David.
Year in and year out David plays damn good football — except a rare time going after a Jets quarterback late in a game along the right sideline. When you can only think of one bad play for a 30-year old veteran linebacker, that’s damn good.
David has stats that would make some coaches blush and general managers water at the mouth. He’s been consistently right up there with Luke Kuechly, who just retired from the Stinking Panthers, since the two entered the league in the 2012 draft.
Unlike Kuechly, who is likely going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible, poor David can’t even make a damn Pro Bowl as a starter.
David, a truly good dude who doesn’t like to sell himself or do many radio spots, a few years ago was so frustrated with getting clowned by no Pro Bowl appearances he showed up at the Super Bowl in Phoenix to work Radio Row in an effort to get his name known better.
If you know David, you would understand how out of character that was for him to fly across the country to do consecutive radio hits for two or three hours straight.
But it worked. The very next season, David was named as a Pro Bowl alternate, his only Pro Bowl selection.
Peter Schrager thinks that changes this year. Schrager, of “Good Morning Football,” seen weekday mornings on NFL Network, is convinced the Bucs will play many primetime games this fall. And the biggest benefactor will be David.
You can watch Schrager’s take below. Joe is certain he is a closet Bucs fan.
“When you sign Tom Brady, you become a primetime team. And with that, guys who haven’t been spotlight players become household names. America, after 8 years, it’s time to finally learn about Lavonte David, the best LB that gets the least love.” — @PSchrags | @Buccaneers pic.twitter.com/bq5xDwlq0O
— GMFB (@gmfb) May 6, 2020
Hopefully for David’s sake, he will be able to cash in on a Pro Bowl appearance based on quality play in primetime games. He deserves it.
Joe thinks Schrager is dead-on correct. In previous years since David was drafted by the Bucs, the team has been so awful, the few times they did play in nationally televised games in primetime, few outside the Tampa Bay market and whatever city was playing the Bucs wanted to watch.
You know, sort of like when the powers that be in the NFL shove a Jags-Titans game on otherwise innocent fans on a Thursday night.
May 6th, 2020 at 1:01 pm
LVD…….the most underrated LB in the NFL……….
May 6th, 2020 at 1:10 pm
That Jets play was a bad call by the refs, not a bad play by David. The same play got them a first down late in that same game because David pulled up that time instead of pushing the QB out of bounds so he wouldn’t be flagged.
May 6th, 2020 at 1:17 pm
LVD is a class act…Perfect example of the Old school type on the modern era…..Something very difficult to find today…..
Great player, low profile, good teammate….and he learns from his coaches, he doesn´t need google to be coached……
May 6th, 2020 at 1:19 pm
LVD has been my favorite player and leader on this team for a long time. He has gone through so many ugly players and coaches and uniforms, never reaching the playoffs along with Mike Evans. Those guys are gonna be pumped as hell this year.
Got my red LVD54 in the mail. They’re making authentic Gronk uni’s straight out the gate yet I can’t find any men’s authentic Mike Evans. How the hell is that possible?
SUPER BOWL RED”S!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 1:32 pm
That jets play was b.s….that same season clay matthews did the exact same thing in a primetime game and NO FLAG!!!!!!
May 6th, 2020 at 1:33 pm
My favorite defender – stud
Is Peter Schrager from Tampa or something? One of the few that talks about the bucs (pre Brady) on a regular basis
May 6th, 2020 at 1:37 pm
I would sign him to an extension before the season starts.
May 6th, 2020 at 1:43 pm
Joe said: Kuechly, who is likely going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible
Woah, that would be absolutely ridiculous. He’s gotten plenty of love from the press but if that happened he would be, by far!, the worst LB in The Hall by just about any measure. Thomas Davis, on the same team, was far more prolific and had a greater impact on the game even if he didn’t get all the awards. David has had a MUCH better career; his ability to take away the ball and get to the backfield is unreal, and that’s without a probowler like TD playing next to him. Kuechly was a little better in coverage and had a few more interceptions but still did less with them than David. But David has been better in every other category and really should have had those pro bowl and all pro awards over Kuechly every time. Kuechly doesn’t belong in the hall at all. He was an all around great player, but was never one of the best in the game.
May 6th, 2020 at 1:44 pm
LVD is like a Tom Brady LB he’s going to be crackin skulls till he’s 108 years old. Put him on paper for four more year’s Licht.
May 6th, 2020 at 1:46 pm
The only player to have worn the original pewter/skull uniforms. He is on his 3rd uniform, his 4th coach and has been a part of this franchise longer than and player or coach. Why can I not get a #54 pewter jersey without going to a Chinese knock off company? He was one of three to model the new unis and I can’t buy one.
May 6th, 2020 at 2:44 pm
Love this man and truly hope he is duly recognized. 100% effort on the field and 100% class as a human!
May 6th, 2020 at 2:54 pm
Still playing at an extremely high level. Next to Nickerson and D. Brooks – LVD has been one of the best LBs to bless this franchise.
May 6th, 2020 at 3:20 pm
Could it be because Kuechly is white, and LVD is Black ?
May 6th, 2020 at 3:26 pm
He never really showed it out of respect, but I bet he was frustrated with Winston and is now really excited that Brady is his QB. He will finally get that attention he so deserved.
May 6th, 2020 at 3:27 pm
Schanio new how to use him !
May 6th, 2020 at 4:07 pm
James Winston career record on 4th quarter game winning drives is 9-22. It is the 3rd worst record on such drives among quarterbacks with atleast 10 opportunities. Behind only Carson Wentz and Ryan Fitzpatrick. This is possibly the most important statistic you could have as a QB. It has nothing to do with the defense. It tells you how good the QB is when it matters most.
May 6th, 2020 at 4:27 pm
@ Chris
I don’t think race has anything to do with it. I believe the Bucs being a futile franchise for the past 15 years may have something to do with it.
May 6th, 2020 at 6:01 pm
C’mon man. Jags Titans was a low blow.
May 6th, 2020 at 6:51 pm
If David played in the Northeast, or if our team had been relevant over the last 10 years, he’d be vying for the HOF. Our team seems headed in the right direction, so hopefully the accolades will start coming for him.
May 6th, 2020 at 8:37 pm
The Bucs just need to avoid doing what they always do — crapping the bed in public on national TV.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:06 pm
“Luke Kueckley going into the hall of fame as soon as he is eligible” come on man! he is no damn derrick Brooks …now stop it Joe that is absolutely ridiculous! I doubt he will ever get in hall based on length of time played and amount of games not played.
May 6th, 2020 at 10:25 pm
Don’t believe Joe? Ask Ira. He’ll tell you. And Ira is both a Hall of Fame voter and knows the other voters.