Luke Kuechly Makes The Legend Case For Lavonte David
April 4th, 2025
Lavonte David
Joe would love to the see the Bucs break from tradition and put Lavonte David in the Buccaneers Ring of Honor this year.
What a cool move it would be for a player everyone loves to say has been criminally underappreciated.
It won’t happen, but one guy who would love seeing it is retired Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly.
Kuechly was a finalist for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class but didn’t make it. He’s also a 2012 draft classmate of David.
A guest on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast this seek, Kuechly was asked about the impressive stable of linebacker in that 2012 class. His most glowing words came for David.
“The guy that I never feel gets enough credit is Lavonte. I love Lavonte. Go look at his sacks, his forced fumbles and his fumble recoveries,” Kuechly said. “It’s unbelievable.”
Kuechly had a captive audience. Co-host Will Compton played with David at Nebraska and is always selling his former teammate. Compton talked about how David has more than 1,600 combined tackles and how historic that is.
Joe will add that David has 1,111 solo tackles, fifth-most in the modern era. That’s more than Hall of Famers Brian Urlacher, Zach Thomas, Junor Seau and Rondé Barber.
Kuechly noted how “the thing that hurts” David is how he was a 4-3 outside linebacker during his younger days and that put him in the Pro Bowl voting pool with 3-4 outside linebackers, guys that were racking up massive sack numbers and were household names.
Compton said it’s bulls** how disrespected David has been compared to Kuechly and linebacker Bobby Wagner, another member of that 2012 draft class.
April 4th, 2025 at 8:33 pm
The Glazer’s need to step up to the plate Joe !!!
April 4th, 2025 at 9:09 pm
3 awesome LB’s for sure.
April 4th, 2025 at 9:13 pm
Sounds like a job for………IRA
April 4th, 2025 at 9:38 pm
Screw that hack Kuechly – that piece of garbage was the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL and wasn’t even the best LB in the NFC South that season. Of course he’s going to try to be nice to David, he’s got a guilty consensus and knows he was never even in the same ballpark as David.
April 4th, 2025 at 9:45 pm
That’s a bit strong Rod. Luke is known for his incredible knowledge, instincts and his physical ability – but I wouldn’t say he’s better than Lavonte either.
April 4th, 2025 at 10:01 pm
Mike Evans wasn’t even being talked about as a sure thing HoFer a couple years ago. The consistency at an high level, year in and year out, as well as the longevity of both players, is what will get them there. Kuechly has already been out of the league for 5 years and David is still putting up strong numbers, year in and out.
April 4th, 2025 at 10:03 pm
Dominik really screwed the pooch by drafting Mark Barron in 2012 with Kuechly just sitting there….
Lavonte David was one of my favorite prospects that year so I was very glad Dom drafted him in the 2nd round – but we should have had BOTH Kuechly AND David.
Barron sucked – what a waste of a top 10 draft pick.
Kuechly was a very good player – but LD54 is absolutely more deserving of HOF honors…. mainly because Kuechly’s career was short and David has now been a Stud year in and year out for 13 straight years.
April 4th, 2025 at 10:43 pm
This guy, really to me…he’s our modern day version of Derrick Brooks. Not saying playing style-wise. Just mean that he will be terribly missed once he’s gone. So glad he got a ring, and hope he gets another. Every Christmas I get a new jersey, and this year’s will definitely be David’s. Can’t believe of all the Buc’s jerseys I have that I’ve never gotten this one. Trye legend, and I believe a first year HOF’er. GO BUCS!!!
April 4th, 2025 at 11:09 pm
74 Bucs Fan – I just posted this the other day, but I’m glad that piece of garbage Luke is in the news so I have a reason to post it again…
————
2013 Luke Kuechly
156 TKLS, 2 SACKS, 10 TFL, 4 INTs, 7 PDs, 2 QB Hits, 0 FF, 0 SAFETY
vs
2013 Lavonte David
145 TKLS, 7 SACKS, 21 TFL, 5 INTs, 10 PDs, 13 QB Hits, 2 FF, 1 SAFETY
Luke – NFL Defensive MVP
David – Doesn’t even make the Pro-Bowl
April 5th, 2025 at 1:57 am
JAMES WILDER #32 RB the best Buc RB in the history of the franchise, should have been in the Ring of Honor years ago already.
Its long past overdue to put J Dub in the ROH
No disrespect to any player, but WILDER should be going in before anyone else.
April 5th, 2025 at 2:31 am
Nice that Kuechly and Wagner are blowing horns for Lavonte. Somebody needs to go medieval on the non-Ira stiffs who think they know everything. Lavonte is more deserving of HOF than many in the thing.
April 5th, 2025 at 4:37 am
Very happy to see this. Kuechley and Wagner are great players, that’s a HoF class of LBs from 2012. They know what Lavonte is. I’m less worried everyday about Lavonte getting the respect he deserves when his career is over.
The stats, a SB, his peers lifting him… not sure how he can be denied at this point but I will be so happy to solidify it with a 2nd SB in roughly 10 months.
April 5th, 2025 at 6:40 am
Thanks for the laugh Rod munchkin
April 5th, 2025 at 7:59 am
BUCDADDY, think I’ll do the same! You know though, outside of Tampa you wear a jersey with David on the back and people will probably say, who’s that! SAD. Of course I’ll reply, a future HOFer.
April 5th, 2025 at 8:08 am
Same thoughts here August 1976.
James Wilder was our “team” for many games he played in. Ring of Honor membership should have been a long time ago. Like year #2.
I wish we would draft another like Wilder 6’3″ 225 and very fast, great hands, long speed… yeah he would be difficult to stop in today’s NFL…
Come On Ira!!! Next time you speak with those
Owners. Give them a big dose of Wilder stats. Ask them why is Wilder not even in consideration of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor!
April 5th, 2025 at 9:29 am
Not throwing shade on poster, because I’m in the same boat here, but this comment is absolutely indicative of how much fans, the organization, & media take David for granted. We’ve all had 14, FOURTEEN, years to aquire a David jersey. I bet most have many one hit wonders’ jerseys (e.g. Shaq, Winfield, Brady, etc), yet a guy that has been a model of excellence for 14, FOURTEEN, years is a second thought.
So before going the Munch route and disparage an excellent player like Kuechly or point fingers at the media and cry what victims you are for living in paradise, Tampa, try looking in the mirror or your closet for that matter. If you don’t show the rock of this defense for the past FOURTEEN years, why should the media/HOF. So go out and buy that David jersey now, before tariffs jack the price up another 30%. In fact, the organization should have a David Day and offer 30% off the price of beer at the stadium to fans in a David jersey so fans can collectively toast and recognize the face of the defense for the past 14, FOURTEEN, years.
April 5th, 2025 at 11:48 am
Pickgrin: Been saying that for years
Rod M: Thanks for the stats, been saying that for years too.
David should go to HOF before Luke based on his body of work.
April 5th, 2025 at 11:49 am
I remember watching that draft and everyone was shocked when we took Barron instead of Kuechly
April 5th, 2025 at 2:42 pm
ballwasher61 Says:
April 5th, 2025 at 11:49 am
I remember watching that draft and everyone was shocked when we took Barron instead of Kuechly
——–
Not true at all. The Bucs had Mason Foster coming off a pretty good rookie year at MLB. Some people talked about taking Luke, but thankfully it didn’t happen since they’re unlikely to take another LB in the 2nd round, David, if the had taken that piece of garbage Luke.
However if you had just said people were surprised we took Barron, that is true. I never really got why he was such a high pick as he had no elite traits – and if you’re drafting that high, you should always have some elite traits (VH3 was another in that same category). Barron was a solid starter for a while so he was by no means a bust, but obviously a very disappointing pick because of the cost. However by trading him the Bucs ended up getting Kwon Alexander, who was an excellent MLB until he got hurt – and heck was still playing as of last year.
April 5th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
To be fair to Barron (who was awful as a safety, despite having a decent rookie year) when he finally got a coach that knew what he was doing on defense (Jeff Fisher) who moved him to linebacker, Barron played really good ball.
But here, Barron had lousy Lovie Smith his last two years here. The more you look at it, it is mindnumbing how piss poor Lovie was at talent evaluation. Really hard to believe a guy with that many years in the NFL couldn’t see or know how to use talent. Alterraun Verner > a healthy Darrelle Revis just freezes Joe’s brain.
April 5th, 2025 at 4:02 pm
This year is the most important year for the Bucs since 2020, just based on the fact that if we are to make a run and win a SB (knocks on head) the 2 men mentioned #13 & #54 could be viewed as first ballot HOFers. They both need that one more piece of hardware, and will be catapulted into the all time great categories. This is the year it can be done.