Super Bowl champion, Buccaneers great Lavonte David retires after 14 seasons: 'God is amazing'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fable Lavonte David announced his status connected Tuesday astatine a property conference.

David, 36, spent 14 seasons pinch nan Buccaneers and was nan team’s longest-tenured player, including being a cardinal personnel of their Super Bowl-winning team. He spent 12 seasons arsenic a captain.

 "I conscionable want to commencement disconnected by saying, man, ‘God is amazing.’ 14 years of football, to travel to this moment, I ne'er thought I’d beryllium successful this situation. I ne'er thought I’d beryllium here," David said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) leaves nan section aft an NFL shot crippled against nan Miami Dolphins successful Miami Gardens, Florida, connected Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough, File)

Since David entered nan NFL successful 2012, he leads nan convention successful solo tackles (1,171) while having nan second-most tackles for nonaccomplishment (177) successful that span. He is 1 of 3 players to grounds 40-plus sacks and 35-plus takeaways successful his career. Pro Football Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher are nan different two.

David said he played shot for nan "fun of it, for nan emotion of it." He called his profession a journey.

"Every clip I stepped connected nan section I wanted to beryllium myself right, and each my doubters wrong."

David sewage affectional talking astir his precocious parents and nan sacrifices they made for him.

BROADCAST INDUSTRY CEO SAYS CONSOLIDATION IS 'ESSENTIAL' TO COMPETE FOR NFL SOARING MEDIA RIGHTS PRICES

FILE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) pinch his family earlier an NFL shot crippled against nan New Orleans Saints, Oct. 26, 2025, successful New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ella Hall, File)

"Growing up wherever I grew up, it ain’t easy. It ain’t easy but they recovered a measurement for maine and you don’t understand that until you get older and until you person kids of your own, nan sacrifices they made for you. The things they did for you," a tearful David said.

"It’s just, reasoning astir my dad, nan sacrifices he made. He was ne'er nan breadwinner successful our family, but for immoderate logic he and my mom made it activity and their narration lasted for truthful long. And erstwhile you saw really they was compatible pinch each different and really they made our lives easier. We had 1 car, my mom took nan car to activity and my dada utilized to return maine to believe connected his handlebars connected a bike. We utilized to locomotion sometimes, and arsenic a kid you’d beryllium like, ‘Dang man, that locomotion was a acold walk.’ You recognize it’s a sacrifice that you gotta make to thief your sons, kids dreams travel true. And they did it."

When David’s mom passed distant successful 2016, he said he didn’t attraction astir shot anymore because he wanted to thief her make her dreams travel existent aft she made his dreams travel true.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54) holds nan Vince Lombardi Trophy during a ceremony of nan team's Super Bowl LV triumph complete nan Kansas City Chiefs successful Tampa, Florida, connected Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

David’s begetter passed distant soon aft nan Buccaneers won nan Super Bowl successful 2021.

David tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks’ franchise tackle grounds of 1,714 successful his last regular-season game. He has played nan third-most games successful Buccaneers history down Brooks (224) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Rondé Barber (241).

The Buccaneers selected David pinch their second-round prime successful nan 2012 NFL Draft retired of Nebraska. He made nan Pro Bowl erstwhile successful his career, was named a first-team All-Pro erstwhile and a second-team All-Pro twice.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to nan Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.