Overlooked
January 5th, 2020
Sad lack of national recognition.
It is getting to the point Joe doesn’t know how Bucs linebacker Lavonte David can get any attention from national NFL media other than to play for a winning team or jump the fence at the White House.
Joe has long kvetched how David is shafted year after year by never getting named to the Pro Bowl, with the exception of one season. Joe doesn’t know what the guy has to do.
Interestingly, the only time David made the Pro Bowl was the year after the rather shy David bit the bullet and did a radio row car wash at Super Bowl XLIX. David, as nice of a guy as there is, would rather sit in the shadows than beat his chest in public. That is not the best way to get your name out there.
Consider how wronged David has been throughout his career.
The Bucs twittered out something yesterday that demonstrates how badly David has been screwed on postseason honors, including almost shut out of the Pro Bowl.
There are only two players with 1,000 tackles, 20.0 sacks and 10 interceptions through 8 seasons since sacks became an official stat in 1982:
• Lavonte David (TB)
• Ray Lewis (BAL)— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) December 29, 2019
Can you imagine?
This, along with David’s allergy to attention, just shows how TV and radio play a part in a guy’s career.
David has never played in a playoff game. The few national TV games David has played in his team has shat its pants. And David is very uncomfortable with the klieglights of national media, therefore he prefers to stay in the background.
Hard to get noticed when you stay in the background.
Joe cannot think of a more underrated player in the NFL.
January 5th, 2020 at 12:11 am
Doesn’t help when he’s been the best player on some pretty horrible defenses thanks to GM Licht.
January 5th, 2020 at 12:19 am
Maybe local talking heads and people in the know should become even louder, and maybe obnoxious advocates for L. David.
You know, the “squeaky wheel”
January 5th, 2020 at 12:22 am
The guy is amazing. Almost all the fumbles that are picked up are caused by David. He’s everywhere. I love watching him. Go Lavonte and Go Bucs!!! 2020 is our year!!!
January 5th, 2020 at 12:22 am
Maybe Uncle Ira could head up some form of a Lavonte David “all pro advocate committee”. …APAC
January 5th, 2020 at 12:28 am
He’s the next Ronde Barber. We see you Lavonte!
January 5th, 2020 at 12:29 am
Just to show my solidarity, I will change my name to Lavonte 1of1.
January 5th, 2020 at 12:32 am
Lavonte, unfairly has been an afterthought
…but I say, NOT ANYMORE!!!
#AllProHonors
January 5th, 2020 at 1:06 am
Mcicecream loved to talk to personalities and the media. that’s a big part of why he was a pro bowler so many years when lavonte gets snubbed year in and year out.
January 5th, 2020 at 1:35 am
If the Bucs win the South, next year…David still won’t get the recognition, it’ll go to the Offense & D.White.
If Bucs FO has the nods to pony up & keep Shaq/Nassib&Suh, while allowing JPP to walk…It would allow Licht to target PIT UFA OLB/Edge Bud Dupree in FA …Get Dupree & Bucs have the best 3-4 LB corp in the league!
Now, Dupree will cost JPP 2018 money($12.5M/yr min) on a 3-4yr deal…And that’s a lot of coin…But at 27, he’s much younger & more dependable/ likely to be available on SUN’s than JPP at this point in his career…Plus Dupree has ability to drop into coverage & play in space, which offers Bowles more scheme versatility.
Beyond that, I’d also love to see Bucs dump Gholston & take a flier on another UK product, that will likely end-up being a riser as the draft approaches..No, not UK’s SEC leading rusher – Slot WR/KR/PR/SLASH QB – Lynn Bowden Jr..No, but that would be AWESOME.
I’d like to see Licht go get RS Sr 3-4 DE Clavin Taylor Jr – UK #91 (6’9″ 310)..He is LONG & hard to handle, now that he’s finally grown into his monster frame…He’s solid against the Run & has Pass-rush capabilities…CTJ had better 2019 Sack/QB Pressure/Win Rate than USC’s Javon Kinlaw or AUB’s Marlon Davidson, finishing as #2 SEC Sack Leader & recieved little national recognition for his accomplishments (36 tackles/21 solo-15 assisted – 9 sacks/9.5 TFL/4 PD/3 FF & had over 40 QB pressures during 2019 season.)
January 5th, 2020 at 2:34 am
Maybe he needs a new agent- seriously, no disrespect to anybody but unfortunately there seems to be a promotional aspect to this stuff.
He needs a strong vocal advocate
January 5th, 2020 at 3:58 am
LaVonte is a LOSER!
He’s been here longer than Jaymiss WINTston and has never even been to the playoffs once.
His stats are meaningless as stats are for losers.
We should trade him to the Patriots for any of their backups that won a Super Bowl last year because that guy would be a WINNER and not just someone who gets stats.
January 5th, 2020 at 6:35 am
Can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or just plain stupid…
January 5th, 2020 at 7:23 am
LVD has Hall of Fame type numbers thus far. Overlooked like London Fletcher used to be.
January 5th, 2020 at 7:25 am
David got NFL all decade at his position. Fairly significant
January 5th, 2020 at 8:49 am
Gotta win, lead a defense that doesn’t get used and abused on a regular basis and win some more.
Winning is all that anyone cares about. The whole woe is me BS is for losers, win and the love and accolades will come
January 5th, 2020 at 8:51 am
Get over joe just like brate and hump lvd is average to below at best…. you low standard fools confuse popularity with greatness as much as you confuse mediocrity with greatness…. lvd is hardly overlooked…. when people look they find a mentally weak player with 2 good years one with schiano and this year… that is it nuthuggers… once again you fools let your pathetic feelings get in the way of reality….. the reality is this bum was a captain of some of the worst defensive units in NFL history and disappears after big plays and bad calls… he admits it … wake up losers and accept lvd for what he is a mentally weak average player that will make a couple of plays every 5 years….
January 5th, 2020 at 9:25 am
Ill tell you what is not getting OVERLOOKED except by low standard bucfan and that is the 8 BASEMENT TITLES lvd Captained with Cancer93
January 5th, 2020 at 9:53 am
“He’s been here longer than Jaymiss WINTston and has never even been to the playoffs once”
Coincidence is not always the same as causation but in this case I believe they are absolutely connected.
NOBODY who has played in the NFL with JW as their leader at the most important position on the team. I constantly hear all the excuses for a guy who earned 20 million this year…OL…RB…no defense…how about an “excuse” for LVD…he was stuck with the ATM.
I hope LVD has another five years in the tank. With he and White roaming the middle our defense will be awesome….if we bring back everybody else on D
January 5th, 2020 at 1:04 pm
Agreed it is a damn shame. Get him into the playoffs!!
January 5th, 2020 at 2:50 pm
It’s very similar when they talk about the best defenses of all time and bring up the 85 Bears and other teams, not team had the long time consistency of the Bucs defense year after year
January 5th, 2020 at 3:17 pm
Continues to be my favorite defensive player since his rookie year. Lavonte is the Brady of LBs. He’ll be a great vet leader LB till 35+ years old. People think we have giant cap but don’t realize him and Godwin are UFA in 2021. Needs to be four- year, big money LB contracts in 2020 cus you’d be crazy to not get LVD and Shaq back with a young White.
January 5th, 2020 at 5:13 pm
I gotta hand it to you Joe, sometimes your story leads are brilliant! That first sentence was amazing! 😀
January 5th, 2020 at 5:26 pm
In today’s “instant world” & all news coming ar you from everywhere & fast, there’s no excuse for Labonte David to be unknown? As you stated only him and Ray Lewis have done what they’ve done. This team is screwed all the time. Losing shouldn’t be the excuse used either because RB Christian McCaffrey on a last place team got picked for two positions while Mike Evens & Chris Godwin got screwed (yes Chris’s made 2nd team with the 3rd most yards & tied in TDs all while missing last 3 games)? Hell the sack leader couldn’t even make 1st team, instead 2 guys who are behind him & on losing teams got picked for 1st team? Reminds me of our Super bowl when we had to open the season on the road in that nasty flea infested Philly & no there was no visit to the White House (the excuse was because of the war was going on, but haven’t we been in a war somewhere over the past 20 years & teams were invited)? Its always SOMETHING when it comes to our Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we’re put on the road for 49 days & over 18,000 mile, we got two apologies from the schedule maker? How about seeing that before it’s release? . It just baffles the mind the number of players missed over the years Is it because Fl. has “No State Tax” because many states have that, is it our “Awesome Weather” doesn’t Arizona & California have similar weather, so what is it? Even our unbelievable defensive run, with 10 years of Defensive dominance gets over looked by Chicago & Baltimore’s 1 or 2 years of dominance. Ive watched this team since its very 1st game in 1976 & it started then. Our Def was coming together in 1977, they ranked 12th, then in 1978, it ranked 7th followed by 1st in 1979, yet we were over looked for pro bowls or awards. Only 1 player in ’78, made the pro bowl DT Dave Pear & on the number 1 ranked defense, only the Def Player of the Year Lee Roy Selmon made the pro bowl? It has been a damn disgrace the way the NFL has over looked this team & its players. I know who deserved recognition over all those years & the NFL did too, they just choose to ignore them. It’s a damn shame the great players who have worn the orange & the pewter that have been over looked in Tampa Bay! So screw you NFL, in Tampa WE KNOW!!!
January 5th, 2020 at 5:33 pm
If he played for the Giants he’d be the second coming of Harry Carson. The jacka$$e$ up north will always put their guys over ours if it’s even remotely close. Perfect example of this bias is T.J. freaking Watt making all pro 1st team over Shaq. Those writers at the AP deserve to lose their jobs for their favoritism and ignorance. “Sigh”, I know that it will never change, but I’m still pi$$ed. 😉
January 5th, 2020 at 8:48 pm
Sorry T M A X I P A D your wrong again