Fresh off of a new contract with the Bucs, linebacker Lavonte David joined Brandon Marshall, Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor and Ryan Clark on the I Am Athlete podcast where he talked about winning his first Super Bowl after facing defeat in Tampa Bay’s first match-up with the Chiefs.
“That played a huge part,” David said about being embarrassed by the Chiefs in Week 12. “Because we knew after that moment, we were going into the bye week and we knew that we weren’t losing another game. I’ll tell you no lie. Everybody knows Tom [Brady], Tom came and said, ‘I’m glad we got this out of the way. Trust me. We’re going to get this right, you guys are going to keep playing good and we’re not going to lose another game,’ and that was it.”
Brady told David that the Bucs wouldn’t lose another game after dropping a 31-27 contest against the Chiefs and that was a promise that Brady ultimately kept. After their bye week in Week 13, Tampa Bay rattled off four consecutive wins against Atlanta (two times), Detroit and Minnesota to finish the season 11-5 before defeating Washington, New Orleans, Green Bay and ultimately Kansas City en route to the Bucs’ second Super Bowl in franchise history.
“I think the attitude just shifted,” David said after that moment. “Everybody knew what they did to us, they were bragging and boasting, I think they had ‘running back’ on the back of their jerseys. Then they’re bragging and boasting about the first game and they only did that in the first quarter so we already knew. The second half they came out and I think they only scored 10 points in the second half and we had a chance to win the game and things didn’t go our way.
“We get there to the Super Bowl and you could tell, just the whole swagger was different. I’ve never been around a group of guys who just, ‘We’re here now. You guys are going to have to feel us.'”
You can watch the whole 23 minute-long interview with David here:
Share On Socials
About the Author: Taylor Jenkins
another correction : ….Bucs wouldn’t lose another game after dropping a 31-27 contest against the Chiefs….”.
The score was 27 – 24. I have no idea where 31- 27 came from LOL COMEON TAYLOR!!!!
That’s great. There are so many of those types of stories from just last season. Lore that will be cemented in our history forever. I can’t wait to see what happens the next 2 seasons. This year, if everyone stays healthy (enough at least) there’s a chance we do no worse than last year and a chance we don’t lose another game period. So great, and so glad David is here to stay.
Right! I can’t wait for America’s Game. The story of the 2020 Bucs. I think it’s going to be one of the better America’s Game’s yet. Just showing how Brady signed with us during a pandemic. How he had to organize throwing sessions in some high school field just to try and get reps in with his pass catchers. Learning a whole new system, that initially wouldn’t allow him to play the way he’s played QB for the last 20 years. All the doubts, and criticism for “not being able to beat the Saints”, or how they “couldn’t beat a… Read more »
Great interview with LVD! I believe we will run in back and be undefeated in the division!
When the GOAT speaks people tend to listen! That’s why he’s the GOAT!
50 wins in 3 years. That’s the goal. 3 Super Bowl wins in a row. It’s going to happen
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. One game at a time.
There was definitely a big shift once TB came on. After the Chicago game there was the first shift, then everything REALLY clicked after KC. TB had a huge part in this shift in mentality
I’ve always believed that, as Yogi said, “50 % of it is half mental.” Being at the game, the demeanor and body language of the players was very telling from pregame warm-ups until the confetti rained down. Chiefs went from posing a disrespectful, noses in the air, disdain for the Buccaneers team to start the game, to an E-Trade baby shocked face heading into the locker at the end of the half, to starting to really sweat when they took their best shot opening the second half and failed, to absolute fear when “Playoff Lenny” danced around the right side… Read more »
Accountability is his greatest strength. Owning the effort for only going after the 2.0, the example has been set for the young Buc fans.
One of my top 5 Bucs, like me some LVD on Sunday’s, but now I know a lil’ bit about the man.