The legendary linebacker admits teammates called him out for "loafing," sparking a culture of accountability as rising star Yaya Diaby prepares to lead Tampa’s next defensive era.
Following his retirement from the NFL after 14 seasons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend linebacker Lavonte David has made appearance on multiple podcasts and talkshows, talking about what went into that decision.
On Friday, David joined Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby on The Rush Podcast where he gave a surprising admission.
"I got called out by a couple of my teammates for loafing," David said. "I loafed. I'll take full accountability for that. For them to call me out on that, me being the veteran of the team, that kind of stuck with me."
David was Tampa's defensive captain for 12 consecutive seasons, serving as the Bucs' vocal leader and all-time leading tackler.
But, last year, David and the Bucs' defense had a difficult time getting off the field in big moments, leading to Tampa losing its five-year reign as NFC South Champions.
For Tampa’s younger, less accomplished players to challenge David to be better is an intriguing sign for the Bucs’ defensive future, especially as multiple defenders have talked about embracing leadership roles in a potential post-David era.
Fourth-year defensive end Yaya Diaby is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and has his sights on being Tampa's next captain, as he told Kay Adams in late April.
"You're looking at him," Diaby said. "I'm definitely doing whatever I can to earn the trust of the guys. I come to work every day. I earn the trust of the coaches as well and I I do believe that I will take that next step to being the next captain."
Diaby was virtually unstoppable in one-on-one last season, finishing sixth in the NFL with 51 total pressures, beating out some of the highest paid edges in the league, such as Jaelan Phillips (49), who signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
General Manager Jason Licht, who recently said that David is the measuring stick for how they evaluate prospects, said that he and Diaby will continue to work towards locking down the Louisville edge rusher for years to come.
"I'd love to have YaYa here long term. He's a very good, young player that's probably a little bit underappreciated, I think, overall for what he's done," Licht said at the NFL owners meetings in early April. "He's a good, young player. We like him a lot."
While we don't know for certain if Diaby was involved in the calling out of the future Hall-of-Famer, these continued step forward and growth in accountability are promising signs.
Adding young defensive talent like Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. and Missouri's Josiah Trotter should help the Bucs get back to the stout defensive consistency that Tampa fans are used too.
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