Lavonte David

BIOGRAPHY

Lavonte David was born on January 23, 1990, in Miami, Florida. He is a linebacker in the 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.

He attended Northwestern High School (Miami, Florida) and won back-to-back Florida state titles in 2006 and 2007 while finishing with undefeated records both years. David originally signed with Middle Tennessee State, but then decided to attend Fort Scott Community College. David led Fort Scott Community College to the Junior College National Championship Game while ranking among the conference's leaders in tackles and tackles for loss. He was also a two-time first-team All-Jayhawk Conference selection and a Region VI All-American in 2009. David was the defensive most valuable player of the 2009 national championship game against Cam Newton-led Blinn. David racked up 12 tackles, including sacking Newton on the game's final defensive play, before Fort Scott lost on a punt return for a touchdown. During his first season at Fort Scott, led the Jayhawk Conference with 93 tackles.  In 2010, he transferred to Nebraska, where he set the school's single-season record for tackles with 152, in his first year with the team. In a game against South Dakota State, David recorded a career-high 19 tackles, the seventh-most in school history. After the season, David was named first-team All-American by Rivals.com and CBS, unanimous first-team Big 12 and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, as selected by the coaches.

As a senior, he led Nebraska with 133 tackles and ranked third in the Big Ten in tackles per game. He also led Nebraska in tackles for loss (13.0), sacks (5.5), interceptions (2), forced fumbles (2) and fumble recoveries (2) in 2011. At the conclusion of the season, he was named First Team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media. He was also the winner of the inaugural Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, awarded to the best linebacker in the Big Ten. David started all 27 games he played in at Nebraska (2010–11), recording 285 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two interceptions, 12 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered. His 285 career tackles rank fourth in school history, and most by a two-year player. David entered the 2012 NFL Draft and attended the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. He completed all of the combine and positional drills. Teams spoke about possibly moving him to safety as they thought he was undersized to play linebacker in the NFL. David was projected to be a second or third-round pick by Sports Illustrated and NFL draft experts. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, David was ranked as the third best outside linebacker in the draft by DraftScout.com, was ranked the fourth-best outside linebacker prospect by NFL analyst Mike Mayock, and was ranked the tenth best outside linebacker in the draft by Sports Illustrated. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected David in the second round (58th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Lavonte has started all 105 games that he has played, totaling 884 tackles, including 106 for loss, 38 passes defensed, 21.5 sacks, 10 interceptions (2 return TDs), 18 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries (1 return TD) and one safety. He is one of two players in NFL history (the other one is Brian Urlacher) to record 800+ tackles, 20+ sacks, and 10+ interceptions in his first seven seasons. Since 2012, he ranks third among NFL linebackers in interceptions with 10 and tied for 5th among linebackers with two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Also during that span, ranks tied for sixth among all players with 18 forced fumbles and first with 13 opponent fumble recoveries. He has scored 20 points (3 TDs, 1 safety) since entering the league in 2012, the sixth-most among all front-seven players. Since the start of the 2015 season, is tied for seventh among all defensive players in return touchdowns with three. Lavonte ranks first in the NFL in solo tackles (641), third in total tackles (884), and tied for second in tackles for loss (106) among all NFL players since entering the league in 2012. In his first season, he led the Buccaneers in tackles as a rookie, posting 139 tackles, tied for the seventh-most in the NFL. Also posted 112 solo tackles, the second-most in the league. Davis was named to USA Today’s All-Joe Team in both 2012 & 2013, selected to PFW/PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2012, and earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month in November 2012. He is also the only linebacker in Buccaneers history with two multiple-interception games. He started in his NFL debut against Carolina (9/9/12), registered his first career interception (Peyton Manning) at Denver (12/2/12), and notched his first career sack vs. Philadelphia (12/9/12).

David was named Associated Press All-Pro First-Team following the 2013 season when he ranked 5th in the NFL in both tackles (143) tackles and interceptions (5). Added a safety, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and 10 passes defensed, tied for the league lead with 14.5 run stuffs in 2013, according to STATS, Inc., and ranked third in the NFL in tackles for loss (20), behind Robert Quinn and J.J. Watt, and ranked by Pro Football Focus as the No. 1 run-stuffing outside linebacker and finished with the third-most quarterback pressures (sacks, QB hits, hurries) at the position. He was the only NFL player with 125+ tackles and 6+ sacks in 2013, and one of only two players since 1982 to record at least 7.0 sacks and five interceptions in the same season (S Dave Duerson). David earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 12 of 2013. He has served as Buccaneers Captain from 2014-18. Since the start of the 2015 season, he’s the only NFL player to record 400+ tackles, 10+ sacks, and 4+ interceptions, while leading the NFL with 11 opponent fumble recoveries and ranking fourth with 12 forced fumbles. David was named to first Pro Bowl following the 2015 season when he ranked third in the league in tackles (147) and added three sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 13 passes defensed (most among NFL linebackers). He garnered Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro honors following the 2016 season and his five fumble recoveries in 2017 are a Buccaneers single-season franchise record.

Lavonte recorded his first fumble recovery return touchdown when he stripped Larry Fitzgerald, scooped the football, and continued 21 yards for the score, at Arizona (10/15/17). He leads all NFL players in fumble recoveries since 2012 (13), 2013 (13), 2014 (12), 2015 (11), 2016 (9), and 2017 (7). On the 2018 season, David was elected defensive captain by teammates for the fifth consecutive season, he started all 14 games that he played and led the team with 120 tackles, including 13 for loss, while adding 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two passes defensed.

Community involvement:

In October 2016, Lavonte joined teammates and the entire Buccaneers business operations staff for the team’s “Hometown Huddle”, helping to refurbish the Sulphur Springs K-8 School and Community Center and interact with students. In June 2016, was named a national ambassador and BIG Champion for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, with the mission of creating more matches between children and caring, adult mentors across the United States. In May 2016, he helped dedicate a Buccaneers Academy at Bevis Elementary School, which was awarded a Fitness Zone and also presented with a special assembly and P.E. equipment for winning the 2016 Play 60 Challenge. In November 2015 and 2016, he hosted a bowling event to bene t Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay. In July 2015, he hosted his inaugural free backpack and school supply donation to youth in his hometown of Miami, FL. In June 2015, David had his head shaved by children battling cancer as part of the Buccaneers Cut for a Cure to raise funds and awareness for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation. He paired up with United Way volunteers and students to install a “Learning Garden” at Edison Elementary in October 2013 and at Davis Elementary in September 2015. Lavonte led students through football drills and promoted the importance of health and fitness for the opening of Buccaneers Academy Fitness Zones at Foster Elementary in September 2012 and Sulphur Springs Elementary in December 2012. As a member of the Buccaneers Rookie Club in 2012, he visited youth at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg and sang holiday carols to residents at Westminster Palms retirement home, visited MacDill Air Force Base to thank civilian workers and active-duty military for their service, helped host a lunch for service members at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater and visited veterans recovering from injury and illness at Bay Pines VA Hospital, hosted an educational scavenger hunt for children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay at Busch Gardens Tampa, and greeted patients at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in May 2012. He also volunteered time while at Nebraska with team hospital visits and the Husker Heroes program.

Lavonte David is both endorsed and invested in X2 Performance.