A Special Linebacker

Linebacker Lavonte David makes me want to watch more Tampa Bay Buccaneers games. He's a special football player. When I do see him play I see a player that looks like a ten-year veteran. The comparisons to 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Derrick Brooks are natural. Same team. Same position. Same ability to always be in the right place on defense. If you followed the ball, you'd always find Brooks. The same is true of David. The weakside linebacker position in the cover-2 seemed to be made for Derrick Brooks. Lovie Smith brings that defense back to Tampa Bay. David will make that weakside position his.

At 6'1" and about 233 lbs, Lavonte David might be considered small by some linebacker standards. Those standards have been changing as NFL offenses keep throwing the ball more. More defensive backs have been showing up on the football field. Often at the expense of linebackers. David is the special kind of linebacker that can do everything well. He can play the run. He can rush the passer. He can cover. He never has to leave the field because he can do everything on it. He's so good that it's difficult to believe that he's always been just a little bit under the football radar. He was regarded as a 2-star prospect coming out of Miami Northwestern. A high school team that was loaded with talent. USA Today even had them as #1 high school football team in the nation. He must have gotten lost in the shuffle. He had to go the Junior College route. He helped lead Fort Scott Community College to the Junior College National Championship Game against Cam Newton-led Blinn. Fort Scott lost that game but David found his way to Nebraska. Two years at Nebraska showed that he was a big time talent. Despite being a first-round talent, the Buccaneers were able to select David in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He's gotten many awards and honors in his three NFL seasons but somehow David wasn't even selected for the 2013 Pro Bowl. Despite that snub, he was named to the 2013 All-Pro team. Even though he's one of the best linebackers in the game, he's still sort of an unknown. That won't be for long. It's a real treat to watch Lavonte David play football.