Lavonte David’s Crazy 2013 Season
June 20th, 2026
Lavonte David condensed into one season.
The mountain of evidence is such that only those with closed eyes and closed minds won’t see what was right in front of their faces.
Joe hears all the time how former Bucs great Lavonte David didn’t make enough Pro Bowls thus, shouldn’t be seriously considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Most of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors are or were journalists by trade. Joe would hope these same folks aren’t this lazy not to peel back the onion skin.
David noted recently one reason he only made just one Pro Bowl was because on the ballot, linebackers were all grouped together for a about half of his NFL seasons. And folks are going to choose outside linebackers who get sacks over off-ball linebackers. So in Joe’s mind, the Pro Bowl angle of the argument to keep David out of the Hall is irrelevant because the vote was rigged from the start for David to fail.
NFL.com senior researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno put David’s career in a nutshell using the 2013 season as a reason David was one of the greatest.
David had one of the all-time great seasons that year under then-Bucs commander Greg Schiano. You could make the argument Schiano knew how to use David better than lousy Lovie Smith and even Mike Smith.
So if anyone tries to tell you David shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame, please tell that person to their face they don’t know what the hell they are talking about.
Keeping David out of the Hall for being forced to wear those garish alarm clock uniforms is a more logical reason than citing the rigged Pro Bowl voting.
June 20th, 2026 at 12:07 am
10+ passes defenses and 20+ tackles for loss has got to be a short list too!
June 20th, 2026 at 12:07 am
Wow!
June 20th, 2026 at 12:36 am
Wow!
June 20th, 2026 at 1:17 am
Wow
June 20th, 2026 at 2:12 am
I’ve been posting this for over a decade now…
2013 Luke Kuechly
156 TKLS, 2 SACKS, 10 TFL, 4 INTs, 7 PDs, 2 QB Hits, 0 FF, 0 SAFETY
vs
2013 Lavonte David
145 TKLS, 7 SACKS, 21 TFL, 5 INTs, 10 PDs, 13 QB Hits, 2 FF, 1 SAFETY
Luke – NFL Defensive MVP
David – Doesn’t even make the Pro-Bowl
June 20th, 2026 at 4:32 am
I’ve been perplexed and pissed for 13 years about how they gave Luke DPOY over LD54 that season.
June 20th, 2026 at 4:38 am
Rod, your example says it ALL. The discrimination IS REAL!
And it WAS because we were KNOWN to be the WORST team in ALL of pro sports for so long that they actually did this to him as a DIRECT SLIGHT BECAUSE OF it, and have BLATANTLY attempted to DRAG US BACK THERE to that Deep, Dark Hole!
With that said, its quite “OBVIOUS” that the stigma continued Even Though at that point we had already dominated a Super Bowl win. Even WITH that franchise accomplishment and once the brilliant move to throw away that Super Bowl winning coach, the “shamers in charge” did their level best to reinstate the “Den of Depression” moniker, and the owners did a FANTASTIC JOB of helping that narrative out by hiring LOSER AFTER LOSER head coach.
As Jason Licht was on his way out, he had a brilliant idea. A “HAIL MARY” for a genuine and Well known STUD of a head coach. A “real to life” leader of “MEN”…
And By God he DID IT! Not only was the hopes and dreams of ALL FANS lifted with the rise of Bruce Arians tide, Bruce Arians then demonstrated WHY “HE” was a “Man among Men” and threw out a MAN SIZE, GUTSY, HAIL MARY HIMSELF and took an “unthinkable shot”! He declared on national TV that he had HIS TEAM primed for one inparticular Ball throwing, ULTIMATE FIELD GENERAL, AND LEADER OF MEN…. Tom Brady!
And during that three year span that Bruce Arians was with us and 4 years IN TOTAL of having Bruce Arians and Tom Brady we built a BIG TIME SOMETHING CALLED…. “CLOUT”…! We OWNED the RESPECT of the ENTIRE FOOTBALL WORLD of which included a DOMINANT Super Bowl win and coming within a frogs hair of winning it BACK to BACK! “CLOUT”!
And since Arians and Brady have been run, due to health or the BLATANT disrespect and misuse of Tom Brady by the UTTER EMBARRASSMENT, and the FURTHEST THING from being a leader of “MEN”,… Todd Bozo Bowles!
And now, phenom’s such as Lavonte David may just be FORCED once again to the back of the bus and the record breaking achievements of OUR SUPER STAR, may well be forgotten due to the COMPLETE DEPLETION of ALL of that CLOUT we fought SO HARD to FINALLY ACHIEVE. It IS Imperative to get rid of Todd Bowles and bring in another MAN to lead this team! We have ALREADY SUFFERED ENOUGH EMBARRASSMENT under him. WE MUST ACT ASAP!
And THAT “Clout”, and Respect, and being able to get a FAIR SHAKE, “IS” the REASON I fight SO HARD and “without apology” to bring in the Next Man among Men so that we STOP being EMBARRASSINGLY DRUG BACK into the Nightmare known as the Horrible “Den of Depression”!
Isn’t it TIME we TOOK BACK OUR MANHOOD!?????
GO BUCS! @bringbackthesunshine
June 20th, 2026 at 5:35 am
Only player in a 25 year span to record those numbers truly says enough right there. But Lavonte also has a Super Bowl ring and the way his defense played all through the playoffs was outstanding as well. LD had many good years and as Joe points out, played for numerous sub par Defensive Coordinators. LD is also a great guy, super humble and a gentleman. He makes me think of Pete Rose, aka Charlie Hustle. Lavonte was the glue that held the defense together for so many years. I don’t want to legacy players because it’s not their fault they were born unto NFL players with all the tools, teaching and financial means. LD took a hard unpaved road to the NFL. He is one of the greatest Bucs to ever dawn a jersey. He will be missed in many ways but that’s life.
June 20th, 2026 at 6:33 am
Rod, I think Ira’s at risk of losing the “make the case” job to get David into Canton. Let’s realize that David won’t be eligible until after the 2030 season.–Joe
I can hear your short and sweet speech now:
“2013 Luke Kuechly
156 TKLS, 2 SACKS, 10 TFL, 4 INTs, 7 PDs, 2 QB Hits, 0 FF, 0 SAFETY
vs
2013 Lavonte David
145 TKLS, 7 SACKS, 21 TFL, 5 INTs, 10 PDs, 13 QB Hits, 2 FF, 1 SAFETY
One has been inducted, one hasn’t.
Do the right thing.
Or, if you don’t, never sleep well again the rest of your miserable, stupid-a$$ lives you giant POS!
Thank you”
June 20th, 2026 at 8:12 am
Even though Lavonte lost a few steps this last couple years, the guy would make a game changing play. Winfield has that same skill. If you get 2 or 3 defenders who can do that, you can win 2 or 3 more games a year. And that’s big. Hope out of this new bunch of defenders we get a playmaker.
June 20th, 2026 at 9:53 am
LVD is a hall of famer, in part because he accomplished his feats while suffering under some of the most brutal coaching in NFL history.
June 20th, 2026 at 9:58 am
I think it’s criminal the way LaVonte has been ignored by the national media.
Thankfully, Ira is on the HOF case although he’ll have his work cut out for him. Five years is an eternity in this case.
For his part, LaVonte needs to keep making those appearances on podcasts, national shows, etc. It’s not really his style, but it will keep his name out there and keep him fresh in the minds of the HOF voters.
June 20th, 2026 at 12:52 pm
Agreed Joe. I will add that the voting is joke for a acouple of other reasons as well. Neither one is the clown show uniforms. It makes the whole thing suspect and nothing more than a poorly executed popularity contest. Those so called journalists? Don’t get me started. That is why i have a growing respect and admiration for Mr Ira Kaufman going toe to toe with these guys every year. We are so lucky to have him.
Go Bucs!
June 20th, 2026 at 12:54 pm
Luke Kuechly does not have any Super Bowl rings, as his Carolina Panthers fell to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
June 20th, 2026 at 2:12 pm
Please Lavonte, stop doing media and if you don’t stop doing media, for the love of god don’t advertise that you were loafing.
Talking about loafing should hurt him more than lack of pro bowl hardware.
If I am Bobby Wagner, when I do my retirement press tours, I will be saying I never took a play or day off in my life. Make them search the tape (they won’t). Don’t put your warts on a platter.