Lavonte David is already among the best defenders to ever come through the Nebraska football program. On Tuesday afternoon, the linebacker is expected to begin his road to the NFL Hall of Fame officially.Â
The Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker is taking part in a 1 p.m. press conference on Tuesday, where most analysts expect him to announce his retirement. Should that indeed be the reason for the PC, it would bring to an end a career spent entirely in Tampa over 14 incredible seasons. Fox Sports analyst Greg Auman said there have been no specifics about the press conference, but David will almost certainly call it a career.
The timing of the former Nebraska linebacker's press conference would seem to be a way for the Bucs to clear the decks just ahead of next month's NFL Draft. Several analysts believe that even if David were returning, the team would need to get itself a couple of young linebackers. If he's not returning, it would allow Tampa to have a better idea of what direction its defense needs to go in 2026.
Bucs will have a press conference at 2 today involving linebacker Lavonte David. No specifics but all signs point to him announcing his retirement after 14 seasons in Tampa.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) March 24, 2026
Lavonte David’s Nebraska football legacy and NFL Hall of Fame case are undeniable
It's also possible that the Bucs have technically already replaced Lavonte David with the signings of two free agents who were starting inside linebackers for other teams last season, with former Carolina Panthers Christian Rozeboom and former Detroit Lions standout Alex Anzalone.
During his 14-year career in the NFL, David had just two seasons in which he logged less than 100 tackles. In total, the former Husker collected 1,715 tackles, 42.5 sacks, 33 forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries, 74 passes defended, and 14 interceptions. Every single one of those numbers should end up getting him into the NFL Hall of Fame pretty easily.
David transferred to Nebraska from Fort Scott Community College and had two incredible years. He was a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 choice and Defensive Newcomer of the Year by nearly every outlet that chooses a team, while The Kansas City Star tabbed him as its Defensive Player of the Year. David also earned recognition at the national level as Rivals.com and CBSSports.com both named him a first-team All-American, and the Associated Press and SI.com listed him as a second-team All-America pick.
Lavonte David totaled 285 career tackles to rank fourth on the Nebraska career tackles list. He also posted two of the top five single-season tackle totals in school history, including a school-record 152 tackles in 2010.