One of the saddest side effects of the last decade for Nebraska football has been that there simply aren’t all that many former Huskers making a big impact in the NFL. In this day and age, that is actually a pretty big selling point, or lack of a selling point.
However, there is one former Husker that stands out. He’s been standing out for a while because of just how good he’s been. And yet, despite being one of the best defenders in the NFL over the course of his career, there are few players that get less fanfare.
Looking up Luke Kuechly stats & I keep running into Lavonte David.
— Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV) August 3, 2024
Do you know David is 9th all-time in TFLs AS AN INSIDE BACKER. He doesn't start on the LOS!
I've been campaigning for Pro Bowls for Lavonte forever but if this man doesn't get into the HOF, we riot
Last week, it was pointed out again that Lavonte David has been nothing short of spectacular since leaving the Nebraska football program and joining the Tampa Bay Buccanneers. In fact, Fox Sports analyst Carmen Vitali made it clear that David needs to start getting more attention and he better be headed for the Hall of Fame when playing days are over.
Ex-Nebraska football star needs to go to the Hall or ‘we riot’
“Looking up Luke Kuechly stats & I keep running into Lavonte David,” Vitali wrote on Twitter last week. “Do you know David is 9th all-time in TFLs AS AN INSIDE BACKER. He doesn't start on the LOS!”
“I've been campaigning for Pro Bowls for Lavonte forever but if this man doesn't get into the HOF, we riot.”
The analyst has a point. In his rookie season, David logged 139 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception and 5 passes defended. Last year, his 12th in the NFL, David had 134 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 5 passes defended.
Over the course of his career, he has 1,479 tackles. He’s logged two seasons ever where he didn’t have 100 tackles. He’s logged 33.5 sacks, 12 interceptions, three touchdowns and 64 passes defended. He has two seasons where he had double-digit PDs. As an inside linebacker.
One has to wonder just what else the former Nebraska football star has to do to bolster his Hall of Fame career. You also have to wonder how he’s managed to be so unsung for so long. If he doesn’t eventually make the NFL Hall of Fame, we should indeed, riot.