Former Bucs LB David Lewis Dies at 65

David Lewis, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker who played a key role in the team's first run of success, has died at the age of 65.

A second round pick in the 1977 NFL Draft out of USC, Lewis became one of many defensive playmakers for a Bucs team that quickly went from an NFL laughingstock to division champs and challenging for a Super Bowl run. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1980, and spent five of his seven NFL seasons in Tampa Bay, playing the best football of his career for the Bucs.

Most recently, Lewis was coaching high school football at Tampa Catholic, where he was beloved by players and fellow coaches alike.

David Lewis was a key piece in the Bucs dominant defense that went from “Worst to First” in 1979, but he made a greater impact mentoring high school football players at Tampa Catholic over the last 4 decades. Lewis will be greatly missed. Lewis past away at 65 on Tuesday #RIP pic.twitter.com/QOkOGysRjN
— Kevin ODonnell Fox13🟦 (@ODonnellFox13) July 15, 2020

Sad news that former Bucs linebacker David Lewis died Tuesday at age 65 in Tampa. He played for the Bucs from 1977-81, and when we wrote last year on the 1979 team, he spoke of how much the fan support meant to him in those early years: pic.twitter.com/3sVmg3lPjg
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) July 15, 2020