Thomas Davis relocates finger before making tackle
By John Buhler
Thomas Davis of the Carolina Panthers dislocated his finger mid-play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, popping it back in place and then making the necessary tackle.
Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis is as tough as they come in the National Football League. After suffering an astonishing three ACL tears during his NFL career, a dislocated finger stands as no obstacle for the NFL veteran.
In the middle of a play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6, Davis dislocated his finger, popped it back into place, and then proceeded to complete the tackle on Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch.
What the camera caught was that Davis’ finger had been dislodged after attempting to shed Seattle guard J.R. Sweezy. Davis momentarily gathered himself and went through with bring down perennial Pro Bowler Marshawn Lynch.
Davis was last year’s Walter Payton Man of the Year and his competitiveness to fight on is a major reason for the Carolina Panther’s success the last two seasons, becoming the only team in NFC South history to repeat as division champions. Carolina is now 5-0 after beating Seattle at Century Link Field in the heels of the Panther’s Week 5 bye.
When Black and Blue Review‘s Bill Voth asked Thomas Davis about his dislocated finger, it was astonishing how non-chalant Davis was about the moment in the Seahawks’ game.
Davis said, “No big deal. My finger came out of place enough times…I’ve probably dislocated this finger this year probably five or six times…What am I going to do, go to the sideline and talk to the trainers about a finger? I can do the same thing they are going to do. Pop it back into place, tape it up and keep moving. Game on the line, I’ve got to stay on the field.”
Davis and the Carolina Panthers are looking like a sure-fired playoff team in the NFC, after beating the Seattle Seahawks, 27-23, to move to 5-0 on the season. It seems as though Carolina will battle with their biggest NFC South rival in the Atlanta Falcons for divisional supremacy in 2015. These rivals will not meet until Week 13 this fall. The Panthers will continue to play hard-nosed defense, regardless of if Thomas Davis’ digit will cooperate.