Buccaneer defensive tackle David Logan was selected in the 12th round of the 1979 draft. He would go on to play for the Buccaneers for 8 seasons appearing in 112 games recording 39 sacks, 624 tackles and in 1984 would be voted to the Pro Bowl, as well as the All Pro team.
Photo credit: Ronald Leon
After retiring from professional football in 1987 Logan would turn his skills to professional media. With an infectious smile and a matter of fact style, David Logan would come into our homes with Gene Deckerhoff each week for 8 years on the Buccaneer radio game broadcasts. For so many years, when the NFL blackout rule was enforced and Buccaneer home games would rarely sellout, David and Gene would allow Bucs fans who couldn’t attend the game to see it the only way possible, through Deckerhoff’s play-by-play announcing and Logan’s on point color analysis.
Also as the original anchor of Sports Connection on Bay News 9, Logan brought it. Making such a mark and legacy that the network would honor the broadcaster posthumously with the Dave Logan Scholarship Fund In 1999. The fund would allow scholarships to four Orlando/Central Florida high school seniors who excel in both academics and sports.
Always exercising, running and eating healthy, the sudden death of the Tampa Bay sports icon at 42 in 1999 was a heartbreak. It was discovered during an autopsy that Logan had blood clots in his left leg that had moved into his lungs, resulting in respiratory failure.
2019 is the 40th year since David Logan was drafted. It’s the 20th year since his passing. It is not hard to imagine that he would have still been in the press box next to Deckerhoff today.
The overachieving 12th round Pittsburgh native with the slight gap in his front teeth and teddy bear persona will live on in Buccaneer and Bay area lore. Those who were fortunate enough to have seen him play, listened to his analysis or meet him in person were truly lucky and better off for it.
