ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes is excited to be conducting a video series where she is interviewing some of her all-time favorite NFL players. The first one? None other than Buccaneers star linebacker Lavonte David.
Kimes kicked the show off with a very respectful introduction for David.
“Anybody who has been listening to this show will know that I will never shut up about how underrated Lavonte David is. Truly one of the greats. First person I reached out to, [I] could not be more excited,” she said.
David, who is rightfully considered by many to be one of the most underrated players over the past decade, was asked about why the Buccaneers are always overlooked as a team.
“I don’t know why. We’re a humble organization” he said. “We got a lot of great players. It’s good though, we like having that underdog mentality. We have a bunch of underdogs. A lot of guys with a tremendous amount of talent and a lot of heart that battle week in and week out for each other.”
Jan 5, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (78) and linebacker Lavonte David (54) celebrate after beating the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
When asked about which offensive coaches present the most challenges to him as a defensive player, David offered an interesting response.
“Liam Coen, going against him. Dave Canales.” Lavonte stated first, a response that could be interpreted as a display of loyalty to some of his former coaches.
“Sean McVay obviously. That whole tree. Shanahan, you know all those guys.”
David also described what it is that makes coaches like Coen, Canales, McVay and Shanahan so tough to play against.
“Having guys move in every place, so you’ve got to be able to get lined up when you’re in a certain defense so you don’t get outleveraged. You don’t want to get outflanked when going against those guys, because they can hurt you big time.”
David spoke on a number of interesting topics with Kimes, including nuances of the linebacker position, playing in different defensive schemes, which of his teammates are due to breakout this year and much more.
Not only is it great to hear Lavonte David breaking down his incredible career, all of which has been spent with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it’s also nice to see him getting his flowers from one of the most successful NFL analysts in the business.
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