The media in Tampa has been saying it for years. Bucs fans have been shouting it from the rooftops in the state of Florida and around the world. But finally, it’s nice to hear someone else acknowledge that the Bucs have two future Ring of Honor members who are often overlooked.
Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans and inside linebacker Lavonte David were both listed as some of the most underrated players in the NFL on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football program.
Mike Evans’ lack of ego has made him one of the best Bucs players
It started with Sarah Walsh praised Mike Evans for his career accolades. She pointed to his ongoing record of nine consecutive seasons to start a career with 1,000 yards receiving. Walsh also wondered why Evans is never brought into the same conversation as other elite receivers like Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson and Miami’s Tyreek Hill, just to name a few.
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
But the best compliment was probably the conversation about Evans as a person.
“(He’s) just a dog when it comes to going to work,” Walsh said. “He doesn’t care about the attention and that’s also part of what makes Mike Evans so special. This guy plays hurt, it was two seasons ago when he was limping all over the place to get touchdown catches. Last year there was a game at the end of the season in Week 17 – 207 in which yards were gained in that game.
“Mike is the last person to ever be like, look… receivers, there’s a certain stereotype there. Mike is the opposite of that. He’s never ‘Look at me’. He just goes to work and quietly collects numbers and I would stand on the table in my creamsicle jersey and be like Mike Evans is supposed to be there with the best of them.
Lavonte David is the hallmark of consistency at ILB
In a separate segment of Good Morning Football, NFL linebacker Jaylon Smith joined the panel and gave a shoutout to Lavonte David for his achievements throughout his career.
“If you talk about the hallmark of greatness is consistency, he embodies that,” Smith said of David. “I love him – number 54. I wear number 54, so I’m a big fan. When you talk about going through the water of not having team success and then turning it around by holding a Super Bowl championship with the addition of Tom Brady, I just love his leadership. He is a man who continues to grow. He is 33 years old and he does not stop. I love him. He’s a big brother of mine, let’s give him some love.”
Why are these Bucs so overlooked?
Bucs LB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Both Mike Evans and Lavonte David have been underrated for various reasons. A big part of that was because for years the Bucs had teams that struggled until 2020, which prevented them from getting much national attention.
That made it all that much more special as the Bucs won the Super Bowl in the 2020 season and continued to make the playoffs in subsequent seasons. They have endured many of the tough times, but have been able to experience the best kind of success you can achieve in this league.
Evans, as Walsh pointed out, unfairly isn’t brought up in the conversation as much as other top receivers in the league. Still, he made four Pro Bowls.
David on the other hand has been blatantly overlooked when it comes to individual awards. The star linebacker earned his first All-Pro in his sophomore season in 2013. Oddly enough, the only Pro Bowl he ever made came two seasons later, in 2015. The idea that he could go All-Pro for a year, but not making a Pro Bowl that same season and only making one in his entire career so far is mind-boggling to say the least.
On GMFB’s All-Underrated team, Evans placed fifth on offense, while David placed second on defense.
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