“I Still Feel Like [Mike Evans] Is Underrated”
May 25th, 2025
Speaks on Mike Evans.
So Chucky (or a Barstool Sports producer) is uploading snippets of Chucky’s sitdown with Lavonte David. Good stuff.
The two Bucs franchise icons recently broke down film and talked football in Chucky’s lair. Fun stuff.
David described how the Bucs were almost upset that Bucky Irving scored a touchdown from 11 yards out for what appeared to be the game-sealing score against the slimy Saints in the regular season finale.
Bucky scored with less than two minutes left. Problem: Mike Evans still needed five yards to hit 1,000 receiving yards to tie the great Jerry Rice for most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Whoops.
Of course, the leaky Bucs defense allowed three first downs but held on to get the ball back with the help of two timeouts. On the ensuing possession, on first down, every person at the stadium and watching on TV knew a pass was coming and exactly who Baker Mayfield would target.
Mayfield still connected with Evans (9 yards) as Evans tied Rice and the Bucs sideline erupted under a loud reaction from fans.
David spoke about that moment.
“It shows the way everybody reacted to that [touchdown], it shows what kind of person [Evans] is,” David said. “[Laughs] When we threw that touchdown to Bucky, nobody was really happy.
“It was a game that we really needed to win and that put us up. But at the same time, we were like, ‘Forget that, we have to get Mike this record. [Laughs].'”
How much does David respect Evans? He said people often ask him, “Who’s the most famous person you know?” His response is always, “Mike Evans.”
There may not be a better example of what being a Buccaneer means than Mike Evans.
Lavonte David and I sat down to discuss their relationship and much more in our full interview out NOW!pic.twitter.com/ZxZh8Shylp
— Jon Gruden (@BarstoolGruden) May 23, 2025
May 25th, 2025 at 6:52 am
He’s such a class act, I’m glad he came back this year. We have a shot at being top seed in the NFC. Outside of Philly I think our roster is ready to compete
May 25th, 2025 at 7:00 am
The Bucs and local media need to keep pushing LaVonte for HOF. This is likely LVD’s last year, the Bucs need to take advantage and make a deep run. Forget about settling for division champs of the weakest division in football, go deep and send LVD off with a great season.
May 25th, 2025 at 7:29 am
Great things to come this season. I feel it. I’m a diehard fan but I also am not a delusional fan. There are seasons when I go into it knowing I’m just going to enjoy the season for sake of fandom. I’m a realist, however, this season feels different. Last year’s playoff loss to a team we should have beat, I feel sparked something. The roster Jason has built over the past few years is taking shape with experience and to be honest, with love.We are ready to compete. The league knows it. Let’s get ready for this amazing freaking ride! Go BUCS!
May 25th, 2025 at 7:33 am
I recall watching the last couple of minutes of that game. i too was like, “Noooo!” when Bucky scored. First time I ever didn’t want a Bucs touchdown at that moment. Then seeing the Bucs formation and the slightly off coverage the Saints were in and I knew Mike would get ball tossed his way. Beautiful stuff.
May 25th, 2025 at 7:54 am
This is a really great interview, everyone should go check it out.
May 25th, 2025 at 8:11 am
Oh, THAT’s “that man!”
May 25th, 2025 at 8:19 am
We’re lucky to have two Buc legends playing. Would love to see them get another ring.
May 25th, 2025 at 8:20 am
Most of us will never forget that game. So much joy getting Mike the ball. I cried and probably watched the moment 20 plus times. Mike is underrated but everyone knows his potential and how great he is. So happy he stayed on with the Bucs and can’t wait to watch him play this season.
May 25th, 2025 at 8:28 am
Like Boston said.
Its more than a feeling
May 25th, 2025 at 8:39 am
At this point, I’m a little ( a lot) tired of this conversation. I’m past tired of it. I don’t care any more. Whether it’s on shout shows like first take, online forums, bleacher report, YouTube comments you have kids and fans using dumb terms like “disrespectful,” or “hating” etc. underrated, overrated blah blah, it’s same stupid recycled low T, low IQ, low brow, low income conversations every month, every year. Fans, athletes, people, crave validation like they need oxygen. It’s pathetic. An NBA player makes one game winning shot and the lull have. 20 min conversation debating if they’re “elite” yet. aRe tHeY a sUpErStAr??🥴 Dude whatever…
May 25th, 2025 at 9:05 am
Rich Eisen : It was a walk-off moment”
Clock runs out.
It was great to see the reaction from everybody on the sideline.
May 25th, 2025 at 9:59 am
This year, Evans will have the record by game 8.
May 25th, 2025 at 10:27 am
So glad that Gruden is all about the Buccaneers these days and the Bucs are loving him up. The worst decision in Glazer history was forcing the great purge of 2009 and the subsequent lost decade, with Mark Dominik bumbling his way to 28-52, drafting horribly and hiring coaches like Raheehaw and Schiamorono. And then Catatonic Lovie came on the scene…..another Glazer mistake……but he at least brought us Jason Licht, who ironically fired the dude who hired him, only to be fooled by Big Head Mike Smith, whose defense resembled 2024 Bucs defense after 2016.
Now, Jason is firmly at the top of his profession and has built a sustaining culture and a highly entertaining offense.
We all hope the 2025 defense looks more like 2020 than 2024.
Go Bucs.
May 25th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Just watched the whole thing on YouTube. Fantastic!!
Gruden is so good at this stuff.
Make me wish LVD can play till 40!
May 25th, 2025 at 10:58 am
I find it ironic or perhaps sad that this is the ONLY place I attend where virtually every thread contains posts with…
“division champs of the weakest division in football,”
There are NO asterisks on the Bucs Championships except here at JBF…maybe other Buc fan sites which I do not attend.
If you visit PFF you will find THEY do not view the NFC South as the weakest division for the upcoming season!!! 6th is not awesome but it’s TWO SPOTS ABOVE THE WEAKEST. Does this mean if the Bucs win the Division it will actually be an accomplishment. Of course not people will then yammer “one of the worst” Divisions.
I get reality checks but did the Bucs last Lombardi have a little tag on it that said…Brady had the luck of the Irish because the Bucs LOST THE WEAKEST Division in the NFL to New Orleans yet still won the SB?
Wins are freaking wins and titles and Championships are just that..TITLES AND CHAMPIONSHIPS!
Why the obsessive need to diminish Bucs success. I get those who are simply hating on Bowles but it’s well beyond that. Virtually every thread has some reference to the “worst division”!!
May 25th, 2025 at 12:06 pm
Man this interview was pure gold. JBF, thanks for linking this. Lavonte is so well spoken one of the all time best LBs.
May 25th, 2025 at 12:17 pm
Lavonte is #5 in all time solo tackles. He will take the 4 spot this year. Right under DB55.
May 25th, 2025 at 1:05 pm
Love the end of that clip.
Evans underrated, I think you’re underrated (Lavonte), the Bucs are underrated … yep, Chucky of course gets it. He knows how special some of these players and this team is right now.
We are a very fortunate fanbase at this point in time. Cheering for a winning franchise, watching HoF legends contend for another SB. Soak it in Bucs fans.
May 25th, 2025 at 1:15 pm
Fair enough St Pete, fair enough. I do feel like that changed a bit last year. New head coaches, new vision, new heights for the division last year and I’m pretty sure we will have to fight harder than we have in quite a few years now just to make it to the post reg season.
Yeah, this year we’ll Have To Earn it. Going forward. I’m More Than hopeful that it’s not the skin of our teeth once again, against low quality opponents mainly from our division.
With that said. And with the blatantly poor decision making concerning the middle of the field that EVERY TEAM had No Problem exposing game after game with NO answers from us to stop it….. Well our luck came Very Close to running out last season. In fact, if the foul birds “didn’t lose” those couple.of games we were TOAST!
We had to beg for the other team to lose for us to go further…. Needless to say that got my attention and THAT IS NOT the way a team gets to the WHOLE REASON THE GAMES ARE PLAYED! They are played for ONE PURPOSE! ONE! And THAT PURPOSE IS TO BEAT EVERY OTHER TEAM THAT DARES STAND IN FRONT OF US AND TO HOLD THE LOMBARDI HIGH IN THE AIR AT THE END OF THAT SUPER BOWL!
The division IS NOW STRONGER and will be even harder to navigate this season because the guys that Beat the Brakes off of us TWICE last year have lime us, Gotten Stronger! The panthers are starting to get talked up quite a bit… There’s Always the Nasty saints team and WE Have Us a Legitimate Fight to make it to the Dance this year!
Pete’s right. The division is No Longer the weak little brother… He Grew Up!
May 25th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
And yes. Lavante David DESERVES another Super Bowl BEFORE he hangs up his cleats. With that man in the middle of the field…..
I can’t even imagine how much WORSE our beatings would have been for A LOT of years! He deserves One More! I only wish there was someone there he could train to take his place before he goes. A little sad about that…. Well unless Dennis can somehow stop breaking himself. Too bad to because he gives it 110% on every play! Maybe he’ll toughen up….