Lavonte David

At 34 years old, Lavonte David has this physical status:

Lavonte David (born January 23, 1990) is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL).

He played college football for the University of Nebraska and was drafted by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Personal life

David volunteered with the team, hospital visits, and the Husker Heroes program, while at Nebraska. David led students through football drills and stressed the importance of fitness for the opening of two local elementary schools in December 2012. The linebacker also visited youth at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg in the same month and performed holiday carols to residents at Westminster Palms retirement home in December 2012. In June 2012, David visited MacDill Air Force Base in downtown Tampa to tour a hurricane plane, attend a military dog demonstration, and thank civilian employees and active duty military for their service. David was selected as the Buccaneers' nominee for the 2020 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. David graduated from the University of Nebraska with a degree in Criminal Justice in May 2021, fulfilling his late mother's aspiration.

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High school career

David, a native of Miami, Florida, attended Northwestern High School, where he was a teammate of Marcus Forston, Anthony Gaitor, Jacory Harris, Tommy Streeter, and Brandon Washington. Northwestern captured back-to-back state championships in 2006 and 2007, and USA Today named them as national champions in 2007. David was not heavily recruited and thought of as only a two-star candidate by Rivals.com.

College career

David first attended Middle Tennessee State University but then decided to attend Fort Scott Community College in Fort Scott, Kansas. David led Fort Scott Community College to the Junior College National Championship Game, while others ranked among the top players and tackles for losses in the conference. He was also a first-time All-Jayhawk Conference pick and a Region VI All-American in 2009. David was the defensive most valuable player of the 2009 national championship match against Cam Newton-led Blinn. Before Fort Scott lost on a punt return for a touchdown, David sacked up 12 tackles, including sacking Newton on the game's last defensive play. David played for 93 yards in his first season at Fort Scott.

In his first year with the team, he moved to Nebraska, where he set the school's single-season record for tackles with 152. David made a career-high 19 tackles in a game against South Dakota State, his seventh-most in school history. As chosen by the coaches, David was named first-team All-American by Rivals.com and CBS, unanimous first-team Big 12 and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

Nebraska led Nebraska with 133 tackles and ranked third in the Big Ten in tackles per game as a senior. In 2011, Nebraska led Nebraska in tackles for loss (13.0), sacks (5.5), interceptions (2.2), fumbles (2), and fumble recoveries (2). Both the mentors and media announced him as the season's Best-Team All-Big Ten by the end of the season. He was also the recipient of the inaugural Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, which was given to the best linebacker in the Big Ten.

David played in all 27 games at Nebraska (2010–11), including 285 tackles, 28 tackles, two interceptions, 12 passes defense, three forts, three interceptions, 12 passes defense, three fumbles, and two fumbles were recovered. His 285 career tackles rank fourth in school history, and the majority by a two-year player.

In 2021, Lavonte returned to University of Nebraska to complete his degree, earning his B.S. In May, a researcher in Criminology and Criminal Justice received a degree of specialization.

Professional career

David joined the 2012 NFL Draft and gathered in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the NFL Scouting Combine. He completed all of the combine and positional drills. Teams discussed possibly moving him to safety because they felt he was too inexperienced to play linebacker in the NFL. Sports Illustrated and NFL draft analysts expected David to be a second or third round pick. By DraftScout.com, David was rated as the third best outside linebacker prospect in the draft and the tenth best outside linebacker in the draft. Sports Illustrated ranked him as the third best outside linebacker prospect in the draft.

With the 58th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected David in the second round. In order to advance to the second round and draft David, the Buccaneers traded their third (68th overall) and fourth round (126th overall) pick to the Houston Texans. In exchange, the Buccaneers were awarded the Texans' second and seventh round picks (233rd overall) picks in 2012. He was the ninth linebacker to be drafted in 2012 and also the most drafted linebacker from Nebraska since Barrett Ruud in 2005.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced him on May 19, 2012, worth $1.36 million in guaranteed and a $964,896 signing bonus.

David had the opportunity to face veteran Adam Hayward in the startling weakside linebacker during training camp. In the Buccaneers' pre-season opener against the Miami Dolphins, he made two solo tackles, a pass deflection, and his first career interception in the Buccaneers' 20–7 victory. In the second quarter, he intercepted a pass by Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore. David is the starting weakside linebacker for the start of the regular season, according to head coach Greg Schiano, Quincy Black and starting middle linebacker Mason Foster.

In their 16-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers, he made his professional debut and first appearance in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season opener. He made six combined tackles in their season-opener against the Carolina Panthers. As a rookie, he immediately performed well and displayed exceptional play recognition and instincts. Bill Sheridan, the defensive coordinator, decided to assign David the responsibility of carrying the green-dot helmet transmitter in order to collaborate with teaching staff and making defensive calls. During a 24–22 loss to the Washington Redskins, David had 14 combined tackles (12 solo) during Week 4. It was his first game in which he had double-digit tackles. In the Buccaneers' 42-32 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, he had a season-high 16 combined tackles (14 solo) on November 4, 2012. During a 34-24 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Week 10, David recorded 14 combined tackles (13 solo) during a 34–24 victory. In November, he was named Defensive Rookie of the Month and became the first Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the honor after amassing a record-breaking 47 combined tackles in four games. During a 32-23 loss to the Denver Broncos on December 2, 2012, David made ten combined tackles (seven solo), a season-high two pass deflections, and made his first career regular season interception. In the third quarter, he intercepted a pass by Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, which was originally intended for tight end Jacob Tamme, but then returned it for a 27-yard gain. During the third quarter of a 23–21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, he recorded nine combined tackles and made his first sack on quarterback Nick Foles. David played in all 16 games as a back-up linebacker in 2012 and led the Buccaneers with 139 combined tackles (112 solo), as well as five pass deflections, two sacks, and an intercept. Along with linebackers London Fletcher and Paul Posluszny, his 139 tackles ranked eighth in the league, ranking eighth in the league. David finished with 20 tackles-for-loss, the most by a rookie since Kendrell Bell in 2001.

Along with middle linebacker Mason Foster and Dekoda Watson, David was the starting weakside linebacker in 2013. During the 18–17 loss, he began playing in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season-opener, two sacks, and an intercept. During the fourth quarter, David delivered a late strike on quarterback Geno Smith as the Jets came out of bounds after a ten-yard deficit, putting the game to a halt with 15 seconds remaining. David received a 15-yard suspension for unnecessary roughness, giving the New York Jets the space needed for Nick Folk to make a 48-yard game-winning field goal. After the game, David Smith said he was going to stay in bounds before he gave the blow. David Smith was fined $7,875 for his late strike on Smith on September 12, 2013. In a 22-19 victory over the Miami Dolphins on November 11, 2013, David had seven combined tackles and his first safety of his career. He received the honor after attacking running back Daniel Thomas in the endzone for a one-yard loss in the second quarter. In the Buccaneers' 23–21 win over the Detroit Lions, he had a season-high 12 combined tackles (nine solo), a pass deflection, and an intercept. For his Week 12 appearance against the Lions, he was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week. During a 27–6 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 14, David made nine combined tackles, two pass deflections, two interceptions, and a sack on December 8, 2013. After intercepting two passes by E. J. Manuel, he played his first multi-interception game of his career. He appeared in all 16 games in 2013 and gained 145 total tackles (107 solo), ten pass deflections, a career-high seven sacks, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a safety.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired head coach Greg Schiano and general manager Mark Dominik after the Buccaneers did not qualify for the playoffs and ended with a 4–12 record. Lavonte David was named 2013 First-Team All-Pro on January 3, 2014. David received a overall rating of 93.5 in 2013. He was ranked 35th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.

David and Jonathan Casillas, as well as middle linebacker Mason Foster, were among the starting outside linebackers for the regular season. Leslie Frazier, the defensive coordinator, kept the base 4-3 defense and ran Lovie Smith's Tampa 2 scheme.

During a 37-31 loss to the New Orleans Saints on October 2, 2014, David had a season-high 14 combined tackles (ten solo) and a pass deflection. In the Buccaneers' 48–17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, he tied his season-high of 14 combined tackles (ten solo) for the Buccaneers' 48–17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. During a 19–13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, David collected 14 combined tackles (nine solo), his third straight game. David made 13 combined tackles (eight solo) before losing in the fourth quarter of a 27–7 victory at the Washington Redskins due to an injury on November 16, 2014. Due to his hamstring injury, he was inactive for the next two games (Week 12-13), snapping his 42-game streak of consecutive starts. David was selected as an alternate to the 2015 Pro Bowl on December 23, 2014, according to the website. David will not play again after all of the primary picks were released. He finished the 2014 season with 146 combined tackles (101 solo), four pass deflections, four forcible fumbles, four forced fumbles, and a sack in 14 games and 14 starts. He was ranked 56th out of his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed David to a five-year, $50.25 million contract extension with $25.55 million guarantee.

To begin the 2015 season, head coach Lovie Smith selected David and Danny Lansanah, as well as rookie middle linebacker Kwon Alexander. During a 19–9 loss to the Houston Texans on September 27, 2015, David had a season-high 15 combined tackles (three solo) on the Houston Texans. During the Buccaneers' 45–17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, he made six solo tackles, two pass deflections, two interceptions, and two interceptions. In the fourth quarter, David intercepted quarterback Mark Sanchez' screen pass, which was originally intended for running back Darren Sproles, and returned it for a 20-yard touchdown. David was chosen as an alternate for the 2016 Pro Bowl on December 23, 2015. He finished the season with a career-best 147 combined tackles (85 solo), 13 pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a touchdown in 16 games and 16 starts. David had his third most tackles among all players in 2015, behind only NaVorro Bowman (154) and D'Qwell Jackson (150). On January 25, 2016, it was announced that David would play in the 2016 Pro Bowl and replace DeMarcus Ware, who was unable to attend due to his participation in Super Bowl 50 as part of the Denver Broncos. He was ranked 53rd on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

After finishing with a 6–10 record on January 6, 2016, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired head coach Lovie Smith. Dirk Koetter, the offensive coordinator, had been promoted to head coach. Ex Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith was drafted to replace defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier with former Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith. David and Daryl Smith, as well as middle linebacker Kwon Alexander, were among the first outside linebackers in 2016.

When the Buccaneers defeated the San Diego Chargers 28–21 on December 4, 2016, David had three combined tackles, a season-high two pass deflections, and returned an intercept for a touchdown. David intercepted a pass by Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers that was originally intended for wide receiver Tyrell Williams and returned it for a 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter. During a 26-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, he had a season-high nine combined tackles in Week 15. David played in all 16 games in 2016 and had a career-low 87 combined tackles (67 solo), five interceptions, four passes defensed, four forced fumbles, one interception, and a touchdown. David struggled in his first year under defensive coordinator Mike Smith's new plan, receiving a total rating of 78.6 from Pro Football Focus in 2016.

David and Kendell Beckwith, as well as middle linebacker Kwon Alexander, have officially named them as the starting outside linebackers. In Week 2, David made nine combined tackles and recovered a fumble by quarterback Mike Glennon, which put the Buccaneers on a tense touchdown scoring drive against the Chicago Bears. In the third quarter of the Buccaneers' 34–17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on September 24, 2017, David made seven combined tackles before being carted off the field. In a 30-27 loss to the Buffalo Bills, he had a season-high 14 combined tackles (12 solo) on Week 7. Due to a hamstring injury, David was inactive for the Buccaneers' Week 15 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He finished the 2017 season with 101 combined tackles (76 solo), five fumbles, and a pass deflection in 13 games and 13 starts. David received an overall rating of 94.2, which was second among all qualified linebackers in 2017.

David recovered a fumble caused by running back Wendell Smallwood on his last second lateral drive against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 in Week 2. During the 26-23 overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns, David made a team-high eight tackles and sparked a fumble on rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield. During the 24–17 victory over Cam Newton, David made his first full sack of the season on the Carolina Panthers on Week 13. David matched his season-high 12 tackles, sacked rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson twice, and recovered a fumble that Jackson lost during the 20-12 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15. David finished the season with 120 combined tackles (94 solo), 3.5 sacks, one-forced stumble, two fumble recoveries, and two pass deflections in 14 games began.

David had an interception against Jared Goff in Week 4 of Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, a 55-40 victory. This was David's first interception since the 2016 season. During the 27-23 loss to the Tennessee Titans, David posted a season high 12 tackles. During the 40-34 overtime loss, David Wilson recorded eight tackles, his first and only sack of the season on Russell Wilson. David was a team-high eight tackles and sparked a fumble on running back David Johnson, which he recovered in the 30–27 victory. David made nine tackles and sparked a fumble on running back Ty Johnson, which was recovered by Devin White during the 38-17 victory. David had a team high ten tackles and forced another fumble, this time on running back Duke Johnson, who was recovered by Devin White after the 23-20 loss. David finished the season with 122 combined tackles (81 solo), one pundit, three forks, one mock arrest, one touchdown fumble, seven pass deflections, and one interception in 16 games. He was ranked 100th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020.

During the 31–17 victory over the Carolina Panthers, David fumbled wide receiver Robby Anderson and recovered the ball after Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers. David had 4 total tackles and his first interception of the season in Week 3, defeating the Denver Broncos 28–10. David was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September for his effort (24 total tackles, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one intercept from Weeks 1 to3). During the 38-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers, David Hillard had nine tackles and sacked Aaron Rodgers 1.5 times. David made 117 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, 12 tackles for injury, three forced fumbles, one interceptor, and six blocked passes in the 2020 season.

David led the team with nine tackles and sacked Taylor Heinicke once during the 31-23 victory in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Washington Football Team. David had six tackles and helped the Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-69 to give David his first Super Bowl ring.

David Boss' two-year, $25 million contract extension with the Buccaneers ended on March 12, 2021, with $20 million guaranteed. During the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, David was fined $12,875 for spiking his helmet. In Week 15, he sustained a foot injury and was put on injured reserve on December 23, 2021. He was activated on January 15, 2022, just in time for the Wild Card game against the Eagles.

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