TAMPA, Fla. – If Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David and Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater cross paths on Sunday – which they almost certainly will – it won’t be the first time.

When David was a senior at Miami’s Northwestern High, Bridgewater was a freshman there. With David playing a significant role, the school won a mythical national title. Bridgewater didn’t get to start until the next year, but David said he saw something special in the quarterback.

“From the time he was there we always knew he was going to be a superstar in the making," David said. “Great kid. Quiet, humble and a hard worker. I knew him quite a bit.

“I saw him my senior year when I was leaving out and got a chance to watch the spring game. All the old guys came back and we knew he was going to be the next starter at our high school."

David said he’s been impressed with the film he’s seen of Bridgewater this year.

“He’s trying to manage the game, trying to be careful with the football," David said. “He’s making his right reads. He’s just still trying to fit in. He’s doing good so far."

But David and his teammates will be looking to make Bridgewater look bad on Sunday. The defense has been taking a lot of criticism and is ranked last in the league. David, a team captain, said it’s time for the Bucs to get things right on defense.

“We’ve got to fix what we need to fix and that number will go down," David said. “We’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of skill. It’s about putting it all together and that’s what we’re trying to do coming off the bye week."