At age 34, Buccaneers' legendary inside linebacker Lavonte David was the lone NFL player in 2024 with 100-plus tackles, 5.0-plus sacks and three-or-more forced fumbles. Over the past 10 seasons, only four players have recorded those numbers in a single season: David (2024), Antoine Winfield Jr. (2023), Shaquille Leonard (2018) and Thomas Davis (2015).
Per the Associated Press, since 1991, David is just the eighth player in league annals to record 40-plus sacks and 30-plus takeaways, including playoffs, joining Karlos Dansby, Ray Lewis, London Fletcher, Julius Peppers, Junior Seau, Jason Taylor and Brian Urlacher. Five of the aforementioned seven players in this group are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It remains to be seen what David's decision will be for the 2025 season, but one thing permeates with a resounding punctuation mark – David possesses the credentials for a bust in Canton.
David is one of four players since tackles began being tracked in 1994 with 1,500-plus tackles, 35.0-plus sacks and 10-plus interceptions, along with London Fletcher, Ray Lewis and Bobby Wagner. He has been named a team captain for Tampa Bay in 11 consecutive seasons and is the longest-tenured player on the Bucs' roster. He is second among active players in career tackles at 1,600, coming in behind Wagner at 1,832.
David is first among all active players in career solo tackles at 1,109, is first in career interceptions among active linebackers with 13 and is first in career fumble recoveries among active players with 19. David is second to only Wagner in career passes defensed among active linebackers at 70 and he is Tampa Bay's all-time fumble recovery leader. Over his illustrious career in Tampa Bay, David has accumulated 13 interceptions, 70 passes defensed, 31 forced fumbles, 19 fumble recoveries, 39.0 sacks, 1,602 combined tackles, 169 tackles for loss and 73 quarterback hits in 198 game starts. His 31 forced fumbles are the third most among active players, and David is the only player in the top 10 who is not an edge rusher. In addition, David's 11 seasons with 100-plus tackles are third-most since 1994, behind London Fletcher and Bobby Wagner.
He ranks third in franchise history in both games played (198) and games started (198). Only 107 players in the history of the NFL have started 200 games and David falls in the fraternity. David led the Bucs' defense with 122 tackles and added 5.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, six passes defensed, an interception and three forced fumbles in his 13th NFL season in 2024. He has been the heart and soul of Tampa Bay's squad since he was selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
David has achieved both longevity and consistency throughout his career, an often coveted yet elusive feat. In 2024, David led the club in defensive snaps (1,158) and recorded his highest sack total (5.5) since 2013. The former Cornhusker is regarded as one of the best off-ball linebackers of the last decade-plus and commands the middle of the field with technique tackling, elite play recognition, quick diagnosis, coverage prowess and mastery of the 'Peanut Punch' maneuver. David has garnered Hall of Fame endorsement from peers around the league with a résumé befitting an upper echelon star. His production puts him atop the leader boards, but yet David goes underrated with just an egregious single Pro Bowl appearance and one First-Team All-Pro nod.
"Arguably, he is probably the best cover linebacker to have ever played the game," said Bucs' Inside Linebackers Coach/Pass Game Coordinator Larry Foote. "You just mentioned the forced fumbles, then he has the most tackles for loss also for any off the ball linebackers. That alone, he can also play the run, he can play the pass, he can blitz. He can do it all on the field."
