Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ linebacker Lavonte David has been around the league a long time. He hasn’t quite gotten the attention or accolades that others at his position have, but his numbers and Super Bowl ring tell enough of a story for him to be warranted a spot in Canton and a gold jacket.
David might not be the most notorious off-ball linebacker, but he is up there when it comes to historic greats.
Throughout his 13-year career in Tampa Bay, David has been reliable and exemplified the type of player that the franchise hopes to bring in. While productive, David’s start to his career didn’t come with much success from a team level, and it hasn’t been until recently that he started to receive the attention that he deserves.

Sep 22, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) is introduced before a game against the Denver Broncos at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Much of that has come down to the Bucs not having the particular right pieces in place to become successful, and one can point towards the Bucs’ revolving door of quarterbacks as the reason why.
David has played with a multitude of quarterbacks throughout his career in Tampa, with the three most recent ones being Baker Mayfield, Tom Brady, and Jameis Winston.
In a recent appearance on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football, David played a little game with the hosts where he had to pick which quarterbacks would be in charge of what if they were to go on a road trip. To no surprise, it pretty much aligned with how most would think, with Brady being the driver, Winston handling snack duties and Mayfield on the auxiliary cord bumping the tunes.
David made some good points, as Brady is likely the most reliable to operate the vehicle given his age and knowledge, while it makes a ton of sense that Winston was given snack duties given his ‘eat a W’ pregame speech that has since become notorious with the former Buccaneers’ quarterback.
Baker being on the aux also is a no-brainer, as he is known for his swagger and moxie — something that can easily carry over into one’s taste for music, especially on a long road trip.
David has respect for all of his quarterbacks. From Winston being the guy who kept things light in the locker room to winning his lone Super Bowl with Brady at the helm and to helping lead alongside Mayfield over the past few seasons, David has had the luxury of being himself and helping formulate a winning culture in Tampa Bay.
David will now enter year 14 of his career after re-signing with the Bucs and foregoing retirement. There is no telling how much longer David will continue to play in the league before hanging them up, so we will continue to cherish the moments that we have with the legend himself.