When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense played its first snap against the Houston Texans on Monday night, Lavonte David was right at the heart of it. As always.
David's first snap of the game allowed him to join a very elite fraternity in Buccaneers franchise history, one that previously only included Pro Football Hall of Famers. The prime-time contest in Houston was both the 200th regular-season game that David has played for Tampa Bay and his 200th career start. Only David and Canton residents Rondé Barber and Derrick Brooks have reached either of those marks in Buccaneer annals.
Barber, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023, is the Buccaneers' all-time leader in both categories, with 241 games played and 232 starts. Brooks, a Hall of Fame Class of 2014 inductee, is next with 224 games played and 224 starts. Now David joins their ranks in the 200 Club, and those three are also the only players in franchise history to play 14 or more seasons with the team. David is in his 14th season, matching Brooks' total; Barber holds the record with 16 seasons played in Tampa.
David becomes just the 109th player in NFL history to start 200 or more games. He is one of seven active players in that club, along with Calais Campbell, Aaron Rodgers, Cameron Jordan, Matthew Stafford, Bobby Wagner and Russell Wilson.
Like Barber and Brooks, David has matched his longevity with incredible statistical production. David's career totals prior to Monday night's game included 1,610 tackles, 170 tackles for loss, 39.0 sacks, 13 interceptions, 70 passes defensed, 31 forced fumbles and 19 fumble recoveries. With one more sack, he would join Julius Peppers as the only NFL players since 200 to record 40 sacks, 10 interceptions and 30 forced fumbles.
