Thomas Davis was an honorable-mention all-state player with one major college offer, from Georgia, during his senior season in 2000, making this 16-year NFL veteran one of the most overlooked jewels in Georgia high school football history. Davis was an outstanding high school player and athlete, but hidden in the southwest corner of the state toiling for a Class AA team that had gone 0-19-1 in his freshman and sophomore seasons. As a senior, Davis rushed for 1,032 yards and 18 touchdowns on a 6-5 team. He rarely came off the field, playing running back, wide receiver, quarterback, defensive back, defensive end, punter and place-kicker in his high school career. He also played on three state semifinal basketball teams and was a member of Randolph-Clay’s baseball and track-and-field teams. Davis became a two-time first-team All-SEC player (2003, 2004) and consensus All-American (2004) at Georgia as a hard-hitting safety. The Carolina Panthers selected Davis in the first round, 14th overall, of the 2005 NFL Draft. Davis made the Pro Bowl three times as a Panthers linebacker. He made first-team All Pro on the Panthers’ 2015 Super Bowl team. In 2014, Davis was the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year for making a significant positive impact on his community and he won the NFL’s Bart Starr Character Award in 2016. Davis was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.
The Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame honors and celebrates the rich history, achievements, and contributions of high school football players, coaches, and supporters across the state.
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