Lavonte David is the Bucs’ quiet force
Rick Stroud
Times staff writer
Published: November 16, 2017 at 11:49 PM
TAMPA — Lavonte David is a private, almost shy man whose goal each week until game day is apparently to remain invisible by NFL standards.
Off the field, the Bucs linebacker doesn’t often raise his voice. But when he was called to do so by coach Dirk Koetter on the eve of Sunday’s game against the Jets, his teammates heard — and heeded — his words.
"It was basically an instance of being comfortable where you’re uncomfortable," David said. "I’m not a big talker, but at the moment, Coach felt like it was the right time, and honestly, I felt like it was the right time where something needed to be said.
"We were at a situation where we talk a lot about what we want to be, we talk about what type of football team we want to be. Right now, we set ourselves back a little bit, but we still have a chance. But it’s now or never. That’s what I said. We did all our talking in training camp. But the past is the past. We lost all those games (five straight heading into the Jets game), but now we have to focus on this second half of the season and try to finish it out the right way."
Then David went out and did what he is best at, leading by example. He had a team-best eight tackles, including two for a loss, and recovered his fourth fumble, the most in the league this season. Had the play not been erroneously whistled dead, he would’ve returned it for his second touchdown of the year.
Despite missing two games with a severe ankle sprain he suffered in Week 3 at Minnesota, David is having another Pro Bowl-worthy season. He made the NFL all-star game in 2015, though he merited the recognition much sooner.
What is missing from David’s resume — and what has moved other linebackers, such as the Panthers’ Luke Kuechly ahead of him in the public eye — is an appearance in the postseason. That David is playing for his third Bucs coach and as many defensive coordinators in six seasons may have a lot to do with that.
Being part of only one winning team with the Bucs has worn on him.
"But as a leader, I know I can’t get us to the playoffs by myself," David said. "So I just want to encourage everybody that once you get into the big tournament, anything can happen. We’ve seen the best of the worst teams in the regular season get into the playoffs and just tear it up and go to the Super Bowl. Right now we’re exactly in that position.
"This time of year, football gets tougher and tougher, but I think we’re a tough team."
It’s fair to say that 2016 was the toughest year in David’s life. In March, seven months after his mother, Lynette, sat beaming as her son signed a five-year, $50.25 million contract, she died suddenly. "My pride and joy," David describes her.
On the field, he battled a series of injuries and struggled adjusting to a new scheme under defensive coordinator Mike Smith.
"I wasn’t healthy at all last year, since Week 1, dealing with a bad shoulder," David said. "Then I ended up dealing with a hamstring and then with a hip. I was all over the place. But late in the season I was able to get a little healthy and just hit the ground running.
"I went into training camp feeling awesome, then the injury hit me against the Vikings. I had to talk to myself: ‘Follow the process. You’re going to get back out there and help your team win football games.’ "
The injury was one of the scariest moments he has had on the field. His left ankle rolled and got caught under a pile. He had to be carted off the field. "It was a moment where I thought everything in my ankle just shattered," he said.
X-rays were negative, but the prognosis was that David would miss maybe four weeks. He was back after two games.
Despite the injury, David leads the Bucs with 51 tackles. Smith trusts him so much with the defense that he chose David to wear the helmet communicator and call the defense.
"He’s one of the most humble guys I’ve ever been around," Smith said. "He’s become the tackle machine I remember when we were playing against him (as coach of the Falcons) twice a year."
David on Sunday returns to his hometown, Miami, to face the Dolphins for his first regular-season NFL game there, and he has purchased 104 tickets to the game.
A career often considered workmanlike is actually brilliant. And David’s Jets pregame speech hasn’t fallen on deaf ears.
"I think that you can’t fool the players on anything," Koetter said. "When (David) talks, people are usually paying attention."
