Biography

Thomas Davis

Height: 6-1
Weight: 231   
College: Georgia
Position: Linebacker
Born: March 22, 1983
 
Davis, a native of Shellman, Georgia, was the first round pick (14th overall) of the Carolina Panthers in the 2005 NFL draft.  Thomas had another strong season in 2007, posting a career-high three sacks and collected his first career interception.  He looks to continue to play a solid part of the Panthers' defense in 2008.  Davis began to highlight his skills on the football field for Randolph-Clay High School in Cuthbert, Georgia, a small school of 471 students in southwestern Georgia.  He played several positions for the Red Devils football squad and led the region in points scored with 108 his senior year.  Davis was named All-State honorable mention by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for his exploits on the field.  He also played baseball and ran track for Randolph-Clay.  Thomas decided to stay in Georgia and become a Bulldog for the University of Georgia.  He continued to mature into a great player on the football field, helping the Bulldogs post three consecutive seasons of 10 wins or more, and three bowl victories.  Davis saw time as a linebacker and free safety for the Bulldogs, starting 25 of 39 games and compiling 272 tackles, 10.5 sacks and three interceptions in his three seasons for Georgia.  He decided to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft after his junior season.  He was a first-team All-SEC selection and first-team  All-America by The Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association his junior season.  Also in his junior season, he led the team in tackles with 81 and was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award, given to the nation's top defensive player.  Thomas was a Consumer Economics major at Georgia.  He enjoys spending time with his son Denim.
 
 
Career Highlights
 
Pro Career:
 
Check out video highlights for Thomas Davis on NFL.com.
 
College Career:
 
  • Davis redshirted as a freshman in 2001
  • He saw action in every game as a free safety and strongside outside linebacker in 2002.
  • He started four games during his freshman year, recording 61 tackles (39 solo) with three sacks, four stops for losses, 11 quarterback pressures, three fumble recoveries, three pass deflections and an interception.
  • In 2003, Davis earned All-America second-team honors from The Sporting News and was a consensus All-Southeastern Conference choice.
  • He entered fall camp as the starting strongside linebacker, but injuries in the secondary forced him to shift to free safety before the season opener.
  • Davis would go on to record a career-high and team-high 138 tackles (89 solo) with 4½ sacks, eight stops behind the line of scrimmage and 12 quarterback pressures. He recovered a fumble for a touchdown, caused two fumbles, returned a blocked punt for a score and intercepted a pass.
  • The consensus All-American and All-SEC pick became a regular free safety in 2004. 
  • He collected 81 hits (57 solo) with three sacks, five stops for losses, four pressures, three forced fumbles, an interception and four pass breakups in 2004. 
  • He finished his Georgia career with 39 games and 25 starts.
  • Thorpe and Nagurski Award candidate. 
  • Davis posted 272 tackles (179 solo) with 10½ sacks for minus-75 yards, 17 stops for losses of 101 yards and 27 quarterback pressures.
  • He recovered four fumbles for 23 yards in returns and a touchdown, and also caused six fumbles.
  • Davis gained 45 yards on three interceptions, 25 yards and a score on two blocked punts and deflected nine passes.

High School Career:
 
  • A Class AA All-State honorable mention selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sports Writers Association as a senior at Randolph-Clay (Shellman, Ga.) High.
  • Davis was also named team MVP.
  • Davis spent time on the field as a running back, quarterback, defensive end, defensive back, wide receiver, punter, kicker and kickoff returner at various times throughout his career.
  • He rushed for 1,032 yards as a senior and averaged 30 yards per reception as a junior.
  • Davis holds the school record for touchdowns scored in a game with five and also averaged 30 yards a punt.
  • He led the region in scoring as a senior with 108 points in the regular season and had two kickoff returns, one punt return and one fumble return for touchdowns.
  • Davis also played baseball and ran track, qualifying for the state meet in the 100 meters.