CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's is the off-season for the Carolina Panthers, but linebacker Thomas Davis is keeping busy.
Along with his wife and children, they're spending countless hours serving the community.
The Panther player and his wife, Kelly Davis, made a commitment to give back.
"In 2008, we launched The Thomas Davis Defending Dreams Foundation and we've been going strong ever since," Thomas Davis said.
The nonprofit helps underprivileged children develop life and social skills.
Now that their own four children are older, they're putting them to work, too.
Recently, brothers Denim and T.J. Davis set up the graduation ceremony for the foundation's youth leadership academy.
"It's all middle school kids and they talk about a lot of things they might not talk about in front of their parents because they feel comfortable with us," Kelly Davis said. "Skyy is involved and goes on all the field trips and is hands on with everything."
Skyy, 12, is their oldest child and she recalled helping one girl being bullied at school.
"So every week when she came to leadership academy and she would tell what happened, and my mom and Denada and Mr. Rob would talk to her and try to figure out how to resolve it. And now she's not bullied anymore, she's really outgoing now."
They've helped more than 10,000 families over the years through kids camps, food drives and giveaways.
"Any and everything that we do for the kids will always be free," Thomas Davis said.
Thomas Davis was recently honored with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his efforts.
"Even when he has extra time, he uses it to help anybody he can," Denim Davis said about his father.
"I think it's nice to be able to help other kids that don't have anything," T.J. Davis said.
Far beyond football, it's what Davis wants to leave for his family and community as his legacy.
"The more money we have the more we can do in the community and that's what it's all about," Thomas Davis said.
"Ultimately, we just try to raise as much money as we can to impact as many lives as we can."
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