Arguably the most decorated position group in team history is next.
Buccaneers fans may not have been consistently spoiled in much for the better part of the last 25 years, but one spot where everyone has been consistently indulged is linebacker play.
Boasting some of the greatest of all time at the off-ball position, let’s reminisce.
Outside Linebacker
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
First team: Derrick Brooks
No stanning necessary for Hall of Famer Mr. Derrick Brooks – of course I’m going to do it anyway.
Brooks is in the conversation for not only one of the greatest WILL linebackers of this millennium, but in all of history.
He collected all of the accolades that Lavonte David missed out on (we’ll touch on that soon), as Brooks finished as a nine-time All-Pro (first-team five times), 11-time Pro Bowler, and one-time Defensive Player of the Year. Brooks is one of only 29 players in history to have 11 Pro Bowl selections or more, and he’s one of only three off-ball linebackers to do it. He’s one of only 26 players with 9 total All-Pros or more.
He finished third all-time in solo tackles (1,300) and seventh in combined tackles (1,713). He scored seven defensive touchdowns, including six pick-6s (tied for the most all-time among off-ball linebackers). He tallied 84 passes defensed, which ties for third all-time among linebackers, and added 24 forced fumbles and 13.5 sacks.
He’s part of both the NFL’s 2000s All-Decade Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He entered the NFL Hall of Fame and the Bucs Ring of Honor in 2014, and he got his No. 55 jersey retired by the team.
It could be strongly argued no one represents the best of the Buccaneers better than Brooks, who spent his entire 14-year career in Tampa and started every game for 13 consecutive seasons. He’s the franchise’s shining star and an all-time Tampa sports great, regardless of sport.
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
Second team: Lavonte David
Perhaps the most criminally underrated player of any position in the last 25 years, Lavonte David stands out as one of the greatest playmaking linebackers in NFL history. I could use this section as a soapbox for my David stump speech, but the statistics can do the talking.
David is currently fifth all-time in solo tackles with 1,111, and he’s likely to move into fourth as he needs just 25 tackles to do so. With that, he’ll be behind only Ray Lewis, London Fletcher, and Brooks.
If he forces just one fumble this year, he’ll move into a tie for top 25 all time – one of only four non-pass rushers to reside on the list. His current number of 31 is fourth among active players, and he’s the only off-ball linebacker in the top five.
His most insane stat may be his tackles for loss. David has lived in the backfield for 13 years, as his 169 total is third among active players (behind only Calais Campbell and Von Miller) and far and away the highest total for off-ball linebackers (Demario Davis is next with 110). He’s ninth all-time, once again the only linebacker even close to the top 10 (Brian Urlacher is 14th with 138).
You can add 39 sacks, 13 interceptions, 19 fumble recoveries, and 70 passes defensed to his ledger as well – all of which lead or finish in the top three for off-ball linebackers of the last decade.
Inexplicably, all of this production has translated to just one Pro Bowl and three All-Pros for the long-respected veteran. As frustrating as it is, David continues to give full-tilt effort every week as a 35-year-old, and that should be expected to continue in his 14th season this fall.
Whether he gets into the Hall of Fame anytime soon will long be a matter of debate, but there’s no arguing his place among all-time greats in franchise history.
Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Honorable mention: Ryan Nece
When 21 of the last 25 years are highlighted by two of the best ever, the dropoff is going to be precipitous to the next guy.
So everyone give a hand to Ryan Nece!
An undrafted free agent and son of hard-hitting Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, Nece worked his way into a consistent role for the Bucs as both a starting linebacker as well as a special teams ace through the years.
He started at strongside linebacker in the 2002 championship year, logging 62 combined tackles and an interception in 10 starts. He continued to fill in as a starter for several years after that, providing solid but unspectacular play.
In six seasons with the Bucs, Nece played in 85 games (starting 35) and logged 239 combined tackles (12 for loss), 3.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He also adds to his Tampa legacy as a successful entrepreneur famous for his contributions to local charities and non-profits, and he still frequents Buccaneers games and events. All in all, a successful career.
Inside Linebacker
First team: Shelton Quarles
The definition of quality, persistent linebacker play should be a picture of Shelton Quarles.
An undrafted free agent in 1994, Quarles did not make the Miami Dolphins roster before moving on to the Canadian Football League for two seasons. He then re-emerged with the Bucs, who played him as a backup and special teamer for two more years before he eventually stepped into the strongside linebacker role next to Jamie Duncan and Derrick Brooks to form a fearsome trio.
He took the reins at middle linebacker at the ripe age of 31 but played as well as several players his junior, proceeding to start the next five seasons as the defense’s keystone. In 70 starts at middle linebacker, Quarles earned a Pro Bowl nod and produced 537 combined tackles (20 for loss), 12 passes defensed, 7 forced fumbles, 2 interceptions (one returned for a TD), and 8 sacks.
In his 10 seasons total, he started 113 of 148 games and finished with 710 total tackles (30 for loss), 8 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions. He never dominated, but he was dependable at worst and very good at his best.
Quarles has continued to contribute steadily to the Bucs in an off-field capacity, as he’s been part of the front office since 2010 and is currently their senior director of football operations. In his current role, Quarles collaborates closely with the head coach and general manager to coordinate the team’s daily operations, supports roster management and contract negotiations, advises the pro personnel department on advance scouting, and oversees all aspects of player travel and transportation.
Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon SMI/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Second team: Barrett Ruud
Drafted as Shelton Quarles’s eventual replacement in 2005, Ruud came in with high expectations as a second-round pick and eventually took over the full-time role in 2007.
From there, Ruud suffered from “good but not good enough.” In pass coverage, Ruud was consistently one of the NFL’s better inside linebackers when it came to dropping back and reading offenses (as his 6 career interceptions and 24 passes defensed would indicate). In that sense, he demonstrated reliability and playmaking ability.
On the flip side, his ability to play good run defense fluctuated wildly from week to week. He played for some not very good teams with not very good defensive lines, which is partly to blame, but there were more than a few occasions where Ruud would end up making the tackle 10 yards downfield after getting juked out of his shoes at the line of scrimmage.
Overall, I’d say the net product was a solid football player. Ruud played six seasons for the Bucs and started 68 games, compiling 584 total tackles (fifth in team history) as well as those aforementioned pass defense stats.
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images
Honorable mention: Devin White
When the Bucs drafted Devin White in the top 5 of the 2019 NFL Draft, he generated plenty of excitement with what he could do playing next to an elite playmaker like Lavonte David on a defense that sorely lacked other impact talents. And at first, that seemed to be totally justified when White impressed with a big rookie year.
White generated turnovers in several big moments, as he finished with 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries (including 2 TDs), and an interception to go along with 91 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. If he did that relying primarily on insane athletic talent, everyone salivated over what he could do after learning from David and Todd Bowles for an entire offseason.
Well, his sophomore year was the Super Bowl season, and he played a massive role in that win. White started 15 games and notched 140 total tackles (15 for loss), 9 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery en route to a second-team All-Pro nod. But beyond that, he led the team in tackles during the playoffs (38 total), as well as adding two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
A 22-year-old with these playmaking chops? Tampa hit the lottery again! Well, so we all thought.
The reality became that White never improved beyond that – whether it was due to limited instincts, an inflated sense of ego, or both, we’ll never fully know. But White failed to improve as a pass defender, and run defense was also problematic.
Bowles practically treated White like his son for the longest time and refused to start benching him until late 2023, and from there his fate was sealed. White signed with the Eagles in 2024 but failed to play a snap for them, as he then made his way onto the Texans and played 7 games (1 start) with similarly mediocre results.
He’s on the Las Vegas Raiders now as he hopes to revitalize his career, but many of us will always be left wondering what he could’ve been after those first couple years in red and pewter.
Any memories to share, Bucs Nation? Cornerbacks will be next.