Thomas Davis is one of the most popular players in Carolina Panthers history, as well as one of the toughest. 
The Panthers’ all-time leading tackler, Davis is also the only player in NFL history to successfully come back from three ACL surgeries on the very same knee. Not only that, he played in Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season after breaking his arm only two weeks before.
Now age 40, Davis was the Panthers’ first-round draft choice in 2005 and played the next 14 years for the Panthers as a heat-seeking linebacker who was also a community servant off the field. for much of that time, he was paired with Luke Kuechly to form perhaps the NFL's best linebacker tandem. But what he believes is his highest individual honor came in 2014, when he was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year for his community service.
Remarkably, Davis had his best seasons in the NFL late in his career, with all three of his Pro Bowl appearances coming after his three ACL surgeries. He played elsewhere in 2019 and 2020 before returning to Charlotte, where he and his family have long kept their permanent home. Davis signed a one-day contract in March 2021 so he could retire as a Panther and now owns and operates a sports bar and lounge called TEN58 in uptown Charlotte.
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