Thomas Davis Making the Community a Better Place

Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis certainly exemplifies what it means to lead both on the field and off the field. Davis’ teammates and coaches surely felt that way, as they nominated him for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this past season.

Jerry Richardson, Panthers’ owner, spoke on the commitment that Davis shows in all facets of his life. “He is a leader who is unselfish with his time and energy to help those around him, whether that is the younger players on the team or the youth in the Carolinas,” Richardson said. “He is committed to his profession, his family and his charity work. And that is why he has made our community a better place to live.”

“I have had the pleasure of watching Thomas Davis grow into the confident mature, caring man he is today,” he said. “No one takes his position of influence more seriously than Thomas on the field or in the community.”

Davis’s charity, the Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation, is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for children and their families. Whether it is through putting on their own functions or helping and sponsoring other fundraisers. Davis’s foundation works to improve lives. Their most recent function was Davis’s Moonlight Masquerade this May. Held in Charlotte, N.C., the evening featured food, special NFL guest appearances, as well as a number of special casino games. A number of Davis’s teammates made an appearance as well as players from other NFL teams including Giants LB Jon Beason and Ravens LB Elvis Dumervil. The event must have really been exciting as the TDDDF’s Twitter account tweeted a photo of QB Cam Newton dancing to the Cupid Shuffle.

Once Christmas time rolls around, Defending Dreams chooses a neighborhood they feel is deserving of gifts for children all under the ages of 17. Davis uses funds from his foundation to buy games, cell phones, mp3 players, and a number of other gadgets to donate to these families who don’t have the money to buy their children gifts. According to their foundations page on Facebook, it has always been Davis’s vision for all children to have a gift to open on Christmas day.

From the months of October through March, Davis and the Board of Defending Dreams go out to middle and high schools to teach everything from leadership skills, to manners, to the rules of social media. Davis and his foundation also help students in other ways, such as packing 300 book bags every August with, pens, pencils, calculators, and more to aid kids in the Charlotte area who may struggle to afford school supplies each year.

Davis’s HC Ron Rivera had some kind words to say about him after his nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. “The award is named after Walter Payton for a reason,” he said. “[He] was a very generous and giving person in his community of Chicago. For a player like Thomas Davis to be nominated, it means just as much because of what he does in this community of Charlotte. The very unselfish approach he has to the people in this community and to this team, and in my opinion what he has given us in the last few years. Even though he hasn’t played a lot of football, is really just a great example of somebody who just won’t quit. I think that rings true for who he is as a person more so than anything else.”

Davis was thrilled to be nominated for the award, as he places the value of the Walter Payton award over any other individual honor. “We don’t come out and do the stuff we do for the community, for the children in order to get recognition and receive awards. We do it because we want to make a difference and we want to help these kids. When we see the smiles on the moms’ faces, on the kids’ faces, that’s what it’s all about for us.” Davis has always valued the personal satisfaction he gets from helping those in need rather than any kind of special award or recognition. He symbolizes the idea of a team player both on the field for the Carolina Panthers and off the field for his community.

If you’re interested in joining Davis’s team, please go to www.defendingdreams.org/TDYLA.html and sign up to be a volunteer! You may also contact Nick D’Auria, TDDDF Coordinator, at (704)-975-8010 or nick@defendingdreams.org if you have any questions about volunteering or making a donation to the Defending Dreams Foundation