Bucs linebacker Lavonte David has been one of the best defensive players in the NFL for more than a decade. But has he ever been treated as such? Despite his 1,035 career solo tackles that rank him 11th among all players since solo tackles became an official stat in 1994, his 33.5 sacks, his 160 tackles for loss, his 28 forced fumbles and his general excellence for the last 12 seasons, the answer is no.

David could climb as high as the top-five among all-time solo tackles leaders in 2024, but through 12 incredible seasons in Tampa Bay, he still has just one Pro Bowl and one All-Pro to his name. Buccaneer fans know how good he is, but he’s largely gone underappreciated by the wider national football audience for the majority of his career. And the fact is, he’s still playing at a high level heading into his age-34 season.

David appeared on the debut episode of Ari Meirov’s “NFL Spotlight” podcast on Tuesday, and Meirov asked him whether he feels like he’s been the most underrated linebacker of his time. Even David — always the quiet, humble, “let my play do the talking” guy — had to agree.

“Now I can say it that I’m a little older, yeah, of course. I think so,” David said. “I feel like every time I’m on the field, I’m one of the best out there on the field. People always say numbers speak for themselves and you can bring up any type of stat or whatever and my name is in there. Back then, I didn’t really care much about it. I was just a young guy in the league coming in, trying to prove myself and just go out there playing the game that I love.

“But now as you get older, you get more wisdom and you’re hearing it a lot more and more and more, you’re like, ‘Yeah, you guys do got a point – I am underappreciated.’ My name should be talked a lot more in this game. But at the end of the day, I’m having fun, I’m happy, I love the game of football and I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving the game of football. Just out there having fun, building relationships with teammates and coaches and things like that. With the recognition coming down the line, if it comes, it comes. If it don’t, it don’t. I’m grateful for every time that I stepped out on the field.”

There was also some talk on the podcast about why Bucs players like David and fellow veteran Mike Evans often fly under the radar, and the longtime linebacker spoke about the pre-Tom Brady years, the benefit of the Brady years and the standard that they’ve looked to carry on post-Brady.

“Just going back to the old years, Tampa Bay wasn’t really a popular program, wasn’t a winning program. Back when Tony Dungy and those guys came along, they turned the program around and it was really hot for a while,” David said. “Then when those guys left, it kind of went downhill for a little bit, for a while. Got off a lot of people’s radar, just to be honest. And then we had some guys come through there in and out, but it wasn’t really a hot spot.

“And then, obviously, Tom (Brady) coming brought a lot of recognition to the organization. And him being there did give a lot of guys the exposure they needed. Guys like myself, Mike Evans, Devin White when he popped in, Antoine Winfield – that was his rookie year – guys like that. Tristan Wirfs, those type of guys. Carlton Davis, a whole bunch of guys, man. Jordan Whitehead. I can keep naming a lot of guys who was really good football players but wasn’t really talked about much.

“But now they are talked about because of that run we had with Tom. When Baker (Mayfield) came, Tom leaving, they were thinking ‘oh we’re gonna go back to being that poverty program’ or whatever, but it’s the standard that we set now. We’ve won our division (three) years in a row, and we’re trying to keep it going.”

Whether David gets the Pro Football Hall of Fame buzz down the line remains to be seen. His lack of recognition during his career could haunt him after it, and that’s a shame. But at the very least, his place in Bucs history is solidified. He’s one of the franchise’s all-time great players, and his day to be inducted into the Ring of Honor inside Raymond James Stadium will come soon enough. And the fact that he’s been a one-team guy and sure to retire as a Buc for life? That makes it even more special for the 2012 second-round pick.

Lavonte David: It’s “Incredible” To Be Among Bucs Legends

When the Bucs re-signed legendary linebacker Lavonte David this offseason, general manager Jason Licht explained a silhouette in the team’s draft room with the phrase “I am that man,” signifying the traits they look for in a player and person. Licht then went on to say that the silhouette is that of No. 54, Lavonte David.

During David’s appearance on Meirov’s “NFL Spotlight” podcast, Meirov played the clip of Licht’s comments at the top of the interview. The words and the sentiment behind the silhouette in the Bucs’ draft room clearly meant a lot to the 13th-year veteran.

“When you just played it, I got chills just listening to it all over again,” David said. “I probably watched it over 100 times. It’s just motivation. It just shows the respect I’ve gained from people in the organization and throughout the league. I’m very grateful to be able to be with that organization. They changed my life forever. So I’m definitely thankful and it’s one of the reasons why I go so hard on the field.

“For them to look for somebody similar to me, as far as being a person on the field and off the field, it’s incredible from a billion dollar organization, an NFL football team where a lot of people want to be at one day. For one of those teams to be talked about, saying I’m one of the guys who they want to have on their team player-wise… Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be one of those people. Growing up, where I come from, going through different walks of life not knowing if I’d ever make it to the league, but being able to be one of those guys is incredible.”

It makes sense that the Bucs would want more Lavonte Davids — as many as they can get for the rest of time. David has been the model of consistency over his first 12 years in Tampa Bay, exceling at the highest level as a player, as a leader and as a person off the field. It’s been a no-brainer for Licht and the Bucs to keep him around as long as he wants to keep coming back, and as he enters his 13th season at the age of 34, it sure would seem like he’s set to finish his storied career as a one-team man.

“I never looked at it like that. Growing up, coming into the league, all you want to do is just play football, play the best way you can and then let it go from there,” David told Meirov. “I never thought that I would be with one organization for my entire career. It’s incredible. It’s incredible. When people talk about it… Just looking at it, I don’t really think about it much, but when people bring it to my attention, yeah, that’s amazing.

“The guys in that organization, the Ronde Barbers, the Derrick Brooks, those guys, to play for the same team their whole career, those guys are legendary guys. So for me to even be brought up in the same breath as those same guys is incredible.”