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Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie linebacker Lavonte David nabbed NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month honors for November after amassing a league-leading 47 tackles in just four games.
David's 98 tackles (18 solo) lead the Buccaneers for the season, and have him eighth league-wide in the 2012 season. He also leads all NFL rookies in tackles. Stephen Holder of the Tampa Bay Times reports that it's the first time any Buccaneer has been named Defensive Rookie of the Month.
The big month for David was fueled by huge performances in Week 9 against the Oakland Raiders (16 tackles) and in Week 10 against the San Diego Chargers (14 tackles). David rolled up five tackles for loss in the month of November. The Buccaneers can count themselves fortunate to have the second-round pick out of Nebraska (and native of Miami) anchoring their defensive unit. Tampa Bay has the best rushing defense in the NFL at 81.5 yards per game.
Tampa Bay will look for David to shine again this Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High when the Buccaneers take on Peyton Manning and the prolific Denver Broncos offense.