TAMPA, Fla. -- Buccaneers inside linebacker Lavonte David -- a 12-time captain, key member of their Super Bowl LV-winning team in 2020 and the longest-tenured player on the Bucs' current roster -- is retiring after 14 seasons.
David, who turned 36 in January, discussed his decision Tuesday at a news conference at the AdventHealth Training Center auditorium.
"I feel it's time to move on and find a different path in life, be a dad to that amazing little girl over there," David said, referring to his three-year-old daughter, Logan. "Having a girl helped me become a man, helped me understand what's important in life."
David said he came to the decision about a week ago.
"The first thing I thought about...is figure out my life, figure out my identity, figure out, 'Who is Lavonte David?'" said David, who had been playing football since the age of 6. "People see me as Lavonte David the football player but who is Lavonte David? The main thing is being a great father."
David said his decision was not influenced by the departure of franchise leading scorer Mike Evans, the team's second longest-tenured player, who signed with the San Francisco 49ers in free agency.
"Even though me and Mike have a really right relationship, man, but obviously we're two different people," David said. "To be honest with you - Mike already knew I was gonna make this decision before anybody honestly, before his situation was even going on so that's just how tight me and Mike is."
Coach Todd Bowles called it a "tough" and "emotional" phone call when David delivered the news.
"When I got it, I already knew. I kind of felt it," Bowles said. "It was emotional on both sides, but for him to spend time with his daughter now -- he deserves that right. I'm very happy for him that way. There's a big hole in everybody's heart, obviously. But in true fashion, the way he talks to and touches everybody, everybody will move on with his spirit, hopefully play just like he played."
General manager Jason Licht said he told David, "It's been awesome being around greatness. It always is. For the 12 years I've been here, I've been surrounded every day and I don't take any of that for granted."
Licht added, "But what's hard to say is I can't believe that he's an even better person than he is a player and that says a lot. And I told him that he's a role model, not just for what we look for in players, but I hope my kids grow up to be like him because he just touches everybody."
Since entering the league in 2012, David has ranked first in solo tackles (1,171) while his 177 tackles for a loss ranks second. He was selected to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade team. He is one of just three players to record 40-plus sacks and 35-plus takeaways, along with Pro Football Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher.
Since tackles became an officially tracked metric in 1994, David is one of just seven players to reach 1,700 career tackles, along with Derrick Brooks, Lewis, Junior Seau, Zach Thomas, London Fletcher and Bobby Wagner.
David has 41.5 sacks, 32 forced fumbles and 14 interceptions in his career. He is also one of just four players in league history to record 40 career sacks, 30 forced fumbles and 10 interceptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Julius Peppers, Mo Lewis and Greg Lloyd.
In David's final regular-season game with the Bucs, he tied Pro Football Hall of Famer and Buccaneer Ring of Honor member Derrick Brooks' franchise tackle record of 1,714, which is also sixth all-time since Statspass began recording tackles as a metric in 1994. His 215 games played are third most in team history behind Brooks (224) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rondé Barber (241).
David paid tribute to Barber in the Bucs' 38-35 victory at the eventual Super Bowl champion-Seattle Seahawks this past year, when he secured a late interception in the game and pointed to the name on the back of his jersey, which was Barber's signature celebration.
Another key moment for David in 2025 that exemplified not only his impact, but his leadership came in Week 7 at the Detroit Lions, when Evans suffered a concussion and a broken collarbone. David took the field alongside Bowles to be with Evans while their visibly shaken offensive teammates could go back to the huddle and attempt to resume play. David said of that moment, that he was simply trying to be there for his "brother."
Bowles lauded David for "always showing up," not just as the quarterback of the defense, but as a person.
A second-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 2012 (David also attended Fort Scott Community College from 2008-09), David became a Day 1 starter. But it took nine seasons before he ever tasted the postseason, which culminated in the team's 2020 Super Bowl LV victory, the first time a team had won a Lombardi Trophy on its home field. From there, David helped lead the Bucs to four consecutive NFC South titles from 2021-24.
During the ceremony, David choked up talking about his parents and the sacrifices they made for him and his siblings growing up in Liberty City, Florida.
His mother Lynette David, died from complications of diabetes in 2016, and his father Edward Nelson David, died of liver cancer in 2021, just five months after watching his son win a Super Bowl. One of their final memories together was when David returned to Nebraska to graduate with his bachelor's degree that spring.
David struggled to find a sense of purpose when his mother died. He credits his father, his siblings and McCoy, who played for the Bucs from 2010-2018, for helping him through it.
"I didn't care about football no more, I didn't want to play no more," David said. "I wanted to just give it up because honestly, I didn't have a reason no more. ... The day she passed away, I thought I lost it all."
From then on, he kept her picture in his locker.
"It's the first thing I look at time I look at my locker," David said. "I always look at that picture and say to myself, 'Just keep going. Keep trying, keep it out proud.'"
David had been noncommittal on a return this offseason and Licht said the team was giving him all the time he needed to make a decision. The team had just three inside linebackers under contract heading into 2026, so they signed veteran inside linebacker Alex Anzalone as a free agent two weeks ago, but his role had yet to be defined. Then on Monday, the team signed Christian Rozeboom, who started 15 games for the Panthers last season.
With David's retirement and Evans departing for the San Francisco 49ers in free agency after 12 seasons, wide Chris Godwin Jr., who will enter his 10th season this fall, becomes the longest-tenured Buccaneer in the locker room.
In addition to the tackle record, David retires as the franchise record holder in forced fumbles (33, Brooks is second with 25), fumble recoveries (20, Barber is second with 11) and tackles for loss.
David's impact on his team was reflected by the large number of current and former teammates who showed up for his retirement press conference: McCoy, tight end Cam Brate, safety Keith Tandy, left tackle Donovan Smith, left tackle Tristan Wirfs, right tackle Luke Goedeke, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., safety Tykee Smith, outside linebacker Anthony Nelson and Buccaneer Ring of Honor member Jimmie Giles.
"I felt like when I came in this league, when I came to this organization, I wanted to be the best football player I could be. But it turned into me just being the best person I could be," David said. "I feel like the football stuff speaks for itself, but for me to actually like come to an organization, be here for 14 years, to accept me and accept my family...to not only look at me as a football player, but look at me as a friend -- that's the thing that I'm most proud of for everybody in here. ... I'm so thankful for y'all. Y'all gave me a reason to come to this building and smile and be able to be happy. I know every time I come here, I was happy to be here."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
