Linebacker Lavonte David has played for just one team throughout his entire career and that won’t change as he enters 2025.
David, 35, told reporters in his Monday press conference that he’s healthy after getting rolled up on in the postseason loss to Washington in January. And now that he’s returning for Year 14, David is approaching Derrick Brooks’ franchise record for tackles.
“I mean, all of the stats come in and out — there are so many stats out there — but I did kind of know about that one,” David said, noting it wasn’t a “big focus” for his desire to return. “I’m not competing with Derrick Brooks — Derrick Brooks is still lightyears ahead of where I want to be. To go back to what you said, it would be an incredible accomplishment, to be the leader for a franchise in tackles — that’s something that every kid dreams of, especially a kid in my position. I never thought I would be signing a contract to play my 14th season with the same organization. It’s incredible, man. It’s very humbling, it’s very amazing. It would be great to do that, but at the same time, I’m just blessed to be able to play this game.
“‘D.B’ is Mr. Franchise. Everybody wants to model what they do after Derrick Brooks, on the field and off the field. To be mentioned in the same breath is always incredible for me.”
One of the reasons David is in a position to break the record is that Tampa Bay has continued to re-sign him. It’s a trend for the Bucs, who have retained players like David, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin throughout their careers.
“[The Buccaneers] have been loyal to their guys — a lot of organizations aren’t like that,” David said. “For those guys to be transparent with us and have that back-and-forth communication about how important they feel we are to them and how much we want to be back and play for this city, I think that’s incredible. For everybody to just get on board and get on the same page and make things happen ASAP, that’s really underrated. I don’t think it’s talked about enough.
“That just goes to show how much they believe in the guys they bring in. I think is a testament from the ownership all the way down.”
A second-round pick in 2012, David started all 17 games for Tampa Bay last season, totaling 122 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and an interception.
