If you want a look under the hood of the Buccaneers’ championship defense — the same defense that put Patrick Mahomes in a bag and kept him there in Super Bowl LV — it’s best to ask the guy who’s running it. Not defensive coordinator Todd Bowles — though that would be huge fun (how about it, Coach?), but in this case, we’re talking about linebacker Lavonte David, selected in the second round of the 2012 draft out of Nebraska. David has been that defense’s shot-caller for years, when it was really, really, bad, and now, when it’s really, really good. David’s level of performance has never wavered, and he had one of his best seasons in 2020.
Off the field, David is highly interested in mentorship and giving opportunities to students who don’t have the resources they need, which is why he has formed the “Lavonte Legends” foundation, dedicated to “helping public education fulfill the promise of equal opportunity by assisting college bound students who are succeeding academically but are financially challenged.”
“The goal of my foundation is to give deserving youth a chance to achieve their academic goals,” David says on the foundation’s website.
In a recent interview, I asked David about his new foundation, and we then discussed his roles in Tampa Bay’s defense. Then, he went over five of his plays from the 2020 season, in which he played a major part of a defense that became exponentially tougher to deal with as the season went along.
Doug Farrar: Tell me about the foundation. Why you started it, and what you want to accomplish with it?
Lavonte David: The Lavonte Legends Foundation — I started it two years ago, but it’s not going to officially launch until this year. But it’s about helping youth — I’m all about helping the youth. I’m a brand ambassador for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and mentorship is a huge part of it. So, the whole thing is about helping kids with funds — helping them get scholarships, and funding kids who can’t get there on their own. I just want to give them the opportunity to go to school and reach their dreams. I feel like the more you preach to kids how important education is, the more seriously they’ll take it.
DF: You’re talking about a mentorship mindset, and that shows up for you when you’re on the field. Where does that mindset come from for you?
LD: I don’t know, man — it’s just… I just go out there, and I am myself. I feel like people just gravitate toward me. I try and take that and reach as many people as I can. It’s just always been that way — off the field, people have ideas or they want a second opinion on something, I get contacted by a lot of people. That’s just the kind of person I am, I guess. I take pride in being kind, and just do my best to be there for people. I would definitely credit that to my mom; she was a very kind person, and a lot of people reached out to her when they were in tough situations.
DF: Of course, as the shot-caller on the defense, you have to be a bit more direct at times. Were you calling the defense from your rookie season?
LD: Yeah, from my rookie season. We had a veteran [linebacker] in there — Mason Foster, he was calling the plays. And then, the night before the [first] game, the Saturday night meeting, the came to me and said, ‘Lavonte, you’re going to be calling the plays.’ I’m like, ‘What? I ain’t called the plays all camp! And you’re going to throw me in the fire on a 1:00 Sunday afternoon?’ This was the first time they were going to hear me talk and communicate. I took it as a challenge. I had my ups and downs with it, but I’m used to it now. I don’t call the plays anymore; they gave that job to Devin White. He’s the true ‘Mike’ linebacker. He does all that, and I just try to help him out like guys helped me out when I came up.
DF: Since your rookie season of 2012, you rank first among linebackers in starts (137). solo tackles (806), and tackles for loss (128). Your 24 forced fumbles ranks And you’ve been excellent in coverage. How is it, then, that you’ve only made one Pro Bowl and have just one All-Pro nod? Do you feel that you’re underrated? Because it sure looks like it.
LD: Yeah, of course I feel underrated, man. You know how the game goes. Been putting up all these numbers, but nobody was seeing it because I was on a team that wasn’t winning a lot of games, and we weren’t on national television. I still feel like I’m underrated, but times are changing. Now, we get the opportunity to play a lot of nationally televised games, and people get to see and appreciate the things I put out there. No matter what, though, I get to go out there and have the opportunity to play this game I love, and that’s what I’m going to to. People can decide if I’m top-notch or not, but me personally, I know what my peers think. This last year, I didn’t make the Pro Bowl, but I did make Second-Team All-Pro. So, it’s all good. But at the end of the day, I know my worth, and I know what I put out there on the field. I know I’m one of the best to play this position.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52EeLWTlTyI
DF: You’ve had quite a few defensive coordinators in your time with the Buccaneers — Bill Sheridan, Leslie Frazier, Mike Smith, Mark Duffner, and now, Todd Bowles. Bowles has been Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator since 2019, during which time the Buccaneers went from dead last in Defensive DVOA in 2018 to sixth in 2019 to fifth last season. What is it about Coach Bowles that makes his philosophies such a perfect match for your personnel?
LD: Yeah, not to go off-topic, but that’s another thing people don’t understand — I’ve done this through five different defenses. But that’s neither here nor there. Bowles, man, he simplified things. His whole philosophy is to make it easier for us, and harder for the offense. The main thing about his defense is, all you’ve got to do is to communicate. When everyone’s on the same page, everything works out just fine. After the ball’s hiked, it’s just going out there and playing and having fun. He wants to give guys the opportunity to go out there and have fun and play fast and play free. You look at the stuff we do on TV, it may look difficult, but it’s not that difficult at all. It does make it difficult on offenses, but from my standpoint, everybody’s got a job to do, and nobody’s job really changes that much. It’s a pleasure to be a part of it.
DF: There hasn’t been a repeat Super Bowl winner since the Patriots in 2003 and 2004, as I’m sure you’re aware. What could allow the Buccaneers to break that trend and “run it back?”
LD: I just feel like we have that underdog mentality. Even though we won the Super Bowl, that’s the 2020 Super Bowl, and that’s over with. It’s a whole new season. We’ve already talked about when we get back, we have to start the new season. From what I’ve heard, that’s where most [defending Super Bowl championship teams] get messed up. The great thing about it is, we’re bringing all 22 starters back, so there’s going to be some good chemistry and camaraderie. The main thing is, we just can’t shoot ourselves in the foot. We’ve got the team to do it. We’ve got the leaders in the locker room to do it. It’s just about keeping that underdog mentality and going out there and trying to dominate.
DF: That said, let’s look back a bit at your plays from the 2020 season.