Lavonte David ~ Team MVP?
By Editorial Staff
Listening to the media before the season might have led you to believe that DT Jared Crick would be the best player on this Nebraska Cornhuskers team.
However, if you were listening to NFL Draft experts, you may have gotten the impression that CB Prince Amukamara would be the team’s best player.
But, if you had watched the first half of the season then surely you would believe that freshman QB Taylor Martinez had garnered best player on the team status.
Although, stop any Missouri fan on the street and ask them about the Huskers, and you’d probably only hear one name come out of their mouth, Roy Helu (Goodbye!) Jr.
But, I am here to tell you the best player on this team has been junior LB Lavonte David, a junior college transfer from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, orginally from Miami, Florida.
(More…………..)
Just know that David is on pace to fall just short of the school record for tackles in a season. Throughout 10 games, David has compiled 106 tackles (for you math wiz’s that’s 10.6 per game), while the school record sits at 149, set by Barrett Ruud in 2003.
If David continues his pace, he would reach 148.
David isn’t just a pure tackling machine though, evidenced by his ability to take down opposing quarterbacks. He has 5 sacks on the year, as well as 8.5 tackles for loss.
While David may be going unnoticed by some of the more casual Husker fans, the national media has showered him with accolades. His midseason All-American honors look like this:
- Rivals.com First-team All-American
- SI.com First-team All-American
- College Football News Second-Team All-American
- Phil Steele Third-Team All-American
These accolades are on top of his Big 12 player of the week honors earned for his game against Kansas St (October 11th), where he totaled 16 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack.
The previous week against South Dakota St, Lavonte racked up 19 tackles, the most by a Husker since Ruud posted 19 in 2004.
He really is a tackling machine! (Nickname in the works….)
And to think, linebacker was considered a position of weakness prior to the season, where uncertainty reigned supreme. Philip Dillard was lost to eligibility, while Sean Fisher and Will Compton were both lost to injuries in the preseason.
So remember when you’re watching the Huskers take on the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday night to keep an eye on the undersized linebacker wearing #4.
He might just be the best player on the field…