TAMPA -- Defensive teammates call him "Flash."
"The play begins, it's going and …
whoosh … it's 54," Bucs defensive lineman Gerald McCoy said.
It's 54.
"You know, I've never had a nickname," Lavonte David said.
He has never asked for one, either, or needed one.
"It all goes back to attention. I've never liked a lot of attention. That's just the way my family is, relaxed, chill, no negativity. I don't like negativity. I'm always positive, never negative."
He leads the Bucs in tackles for negative yardage.
For a guy who hates the spotlight, he sure is in the middle of things a lot. The Bucs rookie linebacker is all over games, a blur with a purpose. 54 is there,
whoosh . Then impact.
"That dude is on another level right now," McCoy said.
It's true. David had 14 tackles, 13 of them solo, in last Sunday's win over San Diego, including his team-leading 12th tackle for a loss. The week before, he had 16 tackles, 14 solo, in the victory in Oakland. The second-round pick leads the Bucs with 81 tackles. If you sort it by solo tackles, only one player in the NFL has more of those than rookie David.
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