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Lavonte David, the soft-spoken, sideline-to-sideline Bucs inside linebacker, was already three years into a quietly dominant NFL career when a raw but supremely talented wide receiver from Texas A&M arrived in Tampa Bay in 2014. Mike Evans came in with first-round expectations and a chip on his shoulder, while David had spent his early years chasing relevance on disappointing Bucs teams.

Together, they have spent over a decade rewriting the franchise’s identity as it enters its 50th season.

Now entering their 14th and 12th seasons respectively, David and Evans are not just elder statesmen — they are “The Standard.” The only constants through several head coaches and quarterbacks, while also pillars during the team’s unforgettable Super Bowl run. Along the way, they have forged an unmatched brotherhood.

Lavonte David: “I’m Genuinely, Genuinely Happy For Mike Evans”

Lavonte David’s recent interview with CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco and Jaclyn DeAugustino allowed him to go uninterrupted in telling his journey with the Bucs. For much of that journey, Mike Evans has been right by his side.

Even though they play on opposite sides, David has enjoyed seeing Evans grow as a player and person and getting a front row seat to watch him build his legacy over the past 11 seasons and counting.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It’s incredible,” David said about watching Evans up close after all these years. “I love talking about this story with Mike. I watched him grow; we have a great relationship. People always ask me — you know that viral thing that goes around, ‘Who’s the most famous person you can call right now and they answer the one?’ Mike Evans, because that’s just the relationship that we have.

“Mike is like my little brother, man. Off the field, just an incredible person, incredible human being. All the things that he does for the people around him with his foundation, with his wife, and with his kids is just incredible to see. How much he matured as far as like mentally and in the game of football.”

David has been around long enough to remember when Evans was not as developed. Before “M1K3” started breaking records and redefining consistency at the wide receiver position, he poked a little fun at how he entered his first camp out of shape.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David and WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

“I just remember when he first came in as a rookie, he was 6-5, probably 240 [pounds],” David said. “Coming in out of shape, pulling his hamstring, always throwing up. Now, he’s 6-5, solid guy always in shape, always coming in. Getting his catches, 11 consecutive seasons of 1,000 yards is just incredible. I’m so happy that I get a chance to see him every time. I’m genuinely, genuinely happy for Mike. He’s not just a great football player, but he’s a great person as well.”

Now, entering his 12th training camp, “M1K3” will be as physically imposing as ever as he embarks on a historic quest to have a record-setting 12th straight 1,000-yard season.

Lavonte David Has Also Learned To Love What Baker Mayfield Brings As A Passionate Leader

Outside of seeing Mike Evans blossom into a superstar wide receiver over the past decade, Lavonte David has seen two very different styles of quarterback in Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield. While Brady was one-of-one as an undisputed leader who got the best out of the guys around him, Mayfield is a different kind of general.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Being younger, he is more relatable but just as fiery in battle. His gritty, gunslinger playstyle has endeared him to fans and David alike.

“I remember when Baker came in,” David starts his story by saying. “I’m the older guy on the team, so everybody is going to reach out and ask me for my opinion. I’m like, ‘It’s cool, he’s a football player. We just got to see how he is in the locker room and how people will adjust to him.’ My thinking is, after all the other stuff, people kind of looked at him as a Prima Donna guy. A spoiled kid, whatever the case may be. We got him, and I just remember my first day there, I introduced myself to him and [we’re] having a conversation and I’m like, ‘This isn’t the dude I thought he was.’

This is a real genuine, cool guy. Watching him go out there and be the football player that he wants to be. He walked in the locker room that already had guys who were leaders, guys who could show him the way, and he didn’t have all that pressure on him. He fell right in, got in line. I got a lot of respect for Baker for doing that because he didn’t have to.”

Mayfield, like Evans, entered the NFL with a chip on his shoulder after being the first overall pick by the Browns in 2018. His play waned in Cleveland carrying that weight and playing with a partially torn labrum. That factored into him bouncing around to the Panthers and Rams in 2022.

Signing as a free agent with the Bucs in 2023, the veteran signal-caller has proved to be just what the team needed from the game’s most important position. While there have been comparisons made in the past of Mayfield playing the game like an offensive lineman, David believes he would also make quite the linebacker.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

“Now, he’s that leader that we need at quarterback, the way he plays the game is very fun to watch,” David added. “I always say, he plays the game like he’s a linebacker. I think that’s why I love him so much. His passion, he always wants to be great. Always be the best person on the field. He loves the game of football. I see it and know how much I love the game; I see him do that. This is a guy I can win football games with and a guy who I can battle with.”

Lavonte David has seen plenty of quarterbacks come and go in Tampa Bay. With Mayfield, David sees the swagger, work ethic, and command of the locker room. In his mind, that makes Mayfield different. He is someone who David and the rest of the team can rally behind this season.