Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner Praises Bucs LB Lavonte David: 'Love & Respect'

In the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected linebacker Bobby Wagner. Just 11 picks later, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Lavonte David. Now, the pair have become the linebackers of a generation.

Now 11 years later, both teams are still playing at a high level for the team that drafted them (even if Wagner took a one-year detour with the Los Angeles Rams). Both linebackers have won a Super Bowl with their respective teams and continue to compete well into January.

This week, Wagner praised his draft classmate who's playing for a playoff berth on the other side of the country.

“Love watching Lavonte [David] play," Wagner said. "We kind of stay connected through one another because we understand like as you get older they start calling you old, all these different things, but you watch those guys, those guys are playing at an extremely high level and it’s really cool to watch what they’ve been able to do in their careers and what they’ve been able to do just this year, and so I pay attention to those guys and they always have my love and my respect.”

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Both Wagner and David are playing in must-win games this week to get a spot in the playoffs. David's Bucs need to beat the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South while Wagner's Seahawks need a win against the Arizona Cardinals and a little bit of help in order to return to the postseason.

Either way, before the season wraps up, both Wagner and David will make their mark and have some impact in leading their team to victory and the subsequent playoffs.