Former Panthers RB Stephen Davis reflects on Pro Bowl career

Interview with former Carolina Panthers RB Stephen Davis: Part 1

Why did you decide to retire as a Carolina Panther even though were drafted by Washington and played most of your career there?

Washington was my home for seven years and they drafted me coming out of college. It will always be my home, I had a great experience in Washington. But I’m from Spartanburg, South Carolina where the Panthers (hold training camp) and I have a home in Columbia.

I (decided) to retire as a Carolina Panther because I had the opportunity to retire for a team that I played for in my hometown.

What made the Carolina Panthers an attractive destination for you when you became a free agent in 2003?

When I visited Carolina it felt like the team chemistry was there, everything was there. They had a great defense with the draft picks they had a couple of years before and a great defensive-minded coach (John Fox). He also wanted a running game, and (it was) the best fit for me and my running style, and the things I did in the running game.

Not only that, but they had a bunch of young guys on the team that were motivated and really wanted to work and go out and win games, no matter how you won them. I want to be a part of that and the rest is history.

When you joined the Panthers in 2003, you became a part of a team that changed a lot in the past two seasons. How did the team develop chemistry in order to be so good that year?

Well, everything starts in spring practice, mini camps, etc. And that’s where we got our chemistry, through meetings, working out and everybody got to be familiar with each other. When we were on the field, we always played for each other.

It wasn’t easy, but when you do all the work during camp, everything takes care of itself on the field.