Nobody could overlook the off-the-field community work — bankrolling a college scholarship endowment, a Thanksgiving food drive, a Christmastime gift giveaway — that cast Thomas Davis of the Carolina Panthers as one of the true good guys around Charlotte and across the NFL.
But what really turned Davis into royalty in North Carolina was how tough he was. A legend was born when the linebacker who had already come back from a torn ACL in the same knee three times — and seemed to get better after each comeback — suited up and played in the 2016 Super Bowl despite a freshly broken arm.
