Lavonte David joins Bucs legend Derrick Brooks in the most fitting way possible
The two franchise greats are now even in a major statistic.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended their four-game losing streak with a win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in a rain-soaked Raymond James Stadium.
While the offense plodded along on the sloppy field, the Bucs’ defense stood tall and delivered a strong performance to hold off the Panthers and remain alive for a playoff berth for at least one more day.
In fitting fashion, future Hall of Famer Lavonte David put his stamp on the game in multiple respects. He recovered a fumble on a slip by Carolina RB Rico Dowdle to thwart the Panthers on the edge of the red zone in the fourth quarter.
However, he had a bigger picture moment later in the contest. He notched his sixth tackle, which, according to the team, put him in a tie with franchise legend and Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks for the most in franchise history with 1714.
Bucs linebacker Lavonte David ties Derrick Brooks for franchise record in tackles
“It’s very fitting for me, I’m proud of it for sure,” David said after the game. “When I came and started playing this game, I never looked at the records, never looked at the accolades. Man, like I told the guys, I love the game of football, I just flat out love it. I love the way we just go out there and compete and just have that may the best man win mentality, and that’s what I like to be a part of and why I go out and do what I do.
“But for me to be in that category and be in the same breath as Derrick Brooks, me growing up watching Derrick Brooks and seeing what he did and how much he meant to this organization, and for me to follow in those exact footsteps, it’s an incredible feat. I give glory to God for allowing me to play this long and allowing me to be a part of this great organization, and to have the support that I have from my family and DB (Derrick Brooks) throughout this journey is definitely a blessing for me.”
David was non-committal when asked about his plans to play next season, saying he’ll pray on it and see where he’s at.
Looking ahead for David, as far as Hall of Fame resumes, he sits at sixth in all-time tackles with Brooks. Where Brooks was a first-team All-Pro five times and a Pro Bowler 11 times, David was a first-team All-Pro once (2013) and a Pro Bowler once.
David’s stats prove he deserved far more accolades than that. By way of comparison, David has 42.5 career sacks to Brooks’ 13.5. He has 177 tackles for loss to Brooks’ 68 (although Brooks’ first four years weren’t tracked for TFLs). Brooks does have the edge in career interceptions 25-14.
It’s fitting that David reached Brooks in his 14th season, which was Brooks’ last year. And if this is it for David, we should eventually expect to reach him in the not-too-distant future — in Canton, Ohio.
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