Bucs linebacker Lavonte David is certainly no stranger to being a leader.

Entering his 13th NFL season, David has been one of Tampa Bay’s biggest leaders for more than a decade. In fact, he is by far the team’s longest-tenured captain, having been voted to wear a “C” on his chest in each of the last 10 seasons.

In 2024, he’ll make it 11 seasons in a row.

Early on, David was a leader just by virtue of being one of the Bucs’ best players. He’s never been the vocal, rah-rah type. His leadership style is much more from the lead-by-example mold. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t learn how to speak up when it’s necessary. In fact, the 34-year-old said Friday that he feels that he’s still improving as a leader.

“I’m getting better and better,” David said. “Sometimes I need to be more vocal than I want to. Sometimes I just kind of take a seat when I need to. One thing about me is I’m gonna speak when I need to speak, when it’s something that needs to be said, when guys don’t get it, when stuff’s not going right. I kind of fit that profile. That’s the type captain I am. When guys need advice, I’m kind of one of the first people they come to. Or if I see a guy not doing something right… Just being across the league, you kind of learn a lot of things.

“If a guy’s not doing something right and you’ve got the coaches on them all the time, that’s a sign. Like, ‘Hey, man, come on. You’ve got to pick it up, you ain’t gonna be here for long if you keep doing that.’ I never want to be a guy who just lets a guy go on… You work too hard to get to this point. So you want to take advantage of this opportunity when you get here. So I definitely try to be that big brother type of captain.”

But just because David has learned over the years that there is sometimes a need to speak up and take control as a leader, that doesn’t mean he isn’t still putting the work in and making sure he is setting the right example for those around him.

“I’m the type of guy, when I hold guys accountable, I gotta make sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do as well,” David said. “So whenever I do be outspoken or try to pull a guy to the side, I’m making sure I’m doing what I’m supposed to do as well. I’m being a guy who they can look at and see who’s doing it the right way. I’ve always been that type of guy and I think I’m gonna continue to be that type because for me, I feel like it’s been working.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got a lot of grown men in the locker room. Guys can do what they wanna do, but it’s the respect thing that goes a long way. Once I get guys’ respect by just being myself, getting my work in and put my best foot forward… Especially now, the young boys be like, ‘Man, Year 12 and you’re doing stuff like that? Yeah, so that kind of opens the door. For me, like, ‘Okay, this is how you should be doing it too.’”

So, when did it click for David that he needed to grow further into his leadership role within the Bucs’ locker room?

“Honestly, probably around the time, what, Year 8, maybe Year 9,” David said. “Gerald [McCoy] was coming toward the end, I felt like around that time it was a lot of negative going on across the locker room. We weren’t playing really good football as a team. I felt like I kind of had to step in that role and kind of put guys under my wing, try to talk to them, be more vocal when stuff’s not going right to let guys know ‘Ain’t now way this stuff is supposed to be done like this.’”

Lavonte David Praises Leadership From The Bucs’ Young Captains
Lavonte David certainly isn’t alone in terms of the Bucs’ leadership. Mike Evans is another longstanding captain, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is the type of natural leader that people are always drawn to. And beyond them, Tampa Bay has some younger leaders emerging, and they just happen to make up the next wave of franchise cornerstones.

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. were both first-time captains in 2023, and David had a lot of praise for both guys on Friday when reflecting on what they showed from a leadership standpoint.

“It was amazing from those guys,” David said. “Tristan is a guy who, kind of like me, who really don’t talk much. He just wants to go out and play football. He’s one of those guys who stepped up and talked a lot because Tristan is a really respected guy in the locker room.

“He’s an All-Pro football player, so you kind of expect him to talk. He’s not that type of guy to do it, but when he does, everybody listens and understands that if Tristan’s talking, something’s not right. So he definitely stepped up in that role.”

While Wirfs followed a leadership path similar to David’s, Winfield was a bit different. As the veteran linebacker recalls, Tampa Bay’s All-Pro safety was showing signs as early as his first practices with the team, Yes, all the way back in 2020 when the Bucs selected Winfield with their second-round pick.

“Antoine Winfield, I just knew that was gonna come out of him his first day here,” David said. “When we were practicing, just hearing him communicate, talking. When I heard him, I looked back like ‘That’s a rookie talking like that?’ It was kind of great to see.”

David went on to mention wide receiver Chris Godwin as another younger captain who has emerged as a key leader for Tampa Bay. Godwin was another first-time captain in 2023, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if he wears the “C” again this fall.

“For those guys to be voted as captain — Chris Godwin as well — it‘s kind of a testament to how much they’re respected from us as their peers,” David said. “Their voice needs to be heard.”

Nose tackle Vita Vea is another captain who shouldn’t be forgotten in all of this, too. He’s been a captain for the last two years and is still growing into that role himself. That makes it seven key players who serve as big-time leaders for the Bucs.

Guided by the timeless Lavonte David — the standard — that’s a great group. And having such strong leadership in place is yet another example of just how much the culture has changed in Tampa over the last five years.