Georgia Bulldogs in the NFL: Thomas Davis Defying Father Time
Thomas Davis arrived at the University of Georgia as a two-star recruit in the 2001 recruiting class. He hails from Shelman, a small city of fewer than 1000 people in Southwest Georgia. Though he wasn't a highly recruited player, Davis made a tremendous impact for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Thomas Davis compiled robust 272 tackles, 18 of those for a loss, 10.5 sacks, and three interceptions. He also forced six fumbles and recovered nine during his time in Athens. Davis earned Second Team All-SEC honors as a sophomore and by the end of his junior season, he achieved First Team All-SEC and All-American status. He teamed with Greg Blue to form one of the hardest hitting, most feared safety tandems in all of College Football.
The Los Angeles Chargers YouTube channel provides this great interview where Thomas Davis talks about his Georgia upbringing and desire to be a Dawg from day one.
Thomas Davis parlayed his stellar Georgia Bulldogs career into a 2005 first-round NFL Draft selection after forgoing his senior year in Athens. He started as a member for the Carolina Panthers for 13 seasons and has started all but one, his rookie season. He has made the transition down to linebacker flawlessly since his arrival in the NFL.
Thomas Davis was a great all-around defender in Carolina amassing 1111 tackles as a member of the Panthers. He also intercepted 13 passes and broke up another 52 potential pass completions. Davis additionally excelled as a blitzer, collecting 29 sacks while forcing 18 fumbles as a Panther.
The talented Thomas Davis is highly decorated making three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2015 through 2017. He is also a two time NFL All-Pro, with one of those selections being to the First Team. Most impressively, he's accomplished these things while recovering from multiple major knee injuries.
More than just a great player on the field Thomas Davis has been recognized for being a great person off of it. He was named the Walter Peyton NFL Man of the Year in 2014 for his excellent charity work and on-field performance. He was also presented with the Bart Star award for excellent character and leadership both in-game and in the community.
Many experts and analysts believed that the Thomas Davis era had come to an end after he was not resigned to the Carolina Panthers this last offseason. Especially since he has stated the previous season would possibly be his last. Instead, he latched on with the Los Angeles Chargers, signing a two year 10.5 mill dollar deal.
Thomas Davis continues to prove to the football world that he still has plenty left in the tank. He has started all 11 games for the Chargers and leads the team in tackles with 90. That's amazingly 40 more than any other teammate.
He continued his strong play in week 11 of the NFL season, in the Los Angeles Chargers 17-24 Monday Night Football loss at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs. He posted a team-high 12 tackles and broke up one pass. Wherever the ball was on a particular play, number 58 was surely in the vicinity. The game marked the second consecutive contest in which Mr. Davis racked up double-digit tackles.
Father Time is undefeated and eventually gets the best of us all. Yet Thomas Davis has won more rounds in the battle with Father Time than most athletes have. Proud Georgia Bulldogs fans have watched him grow from an exuberant young man to one of the best 4-3 linebackers of the last 15 years. Hopefully, UGA fans will get the privilege of enjoying a great Georgia Bulldog excel at his craft for at least two more years.
