Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
- 1,969
- 0
Before grabbing his things and heading onto the bus to the airport, Thompson spent a few minutes reflecting.
The former first-round pick had to be patient when he first arrived in 2015. Carolina’s linebacker room was already stacked with Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis leading the way.
Thompson was tasked with learning behind Davis while he worked his way into the mix. A lot of players would have pouted. Thompson never approached it that way.
“No doubt. At times, I was frustrated, like, ‘Man I want to play,’” Thompson said. “But I understood we had a veteran guy who was playing at a high level. I have nothing but respect for TD. I called him and let him know before this got out there. He was excited and happy for me. Same with Luke.
“This organization really waited to see what I could become,” Thompson continued. “They understood when I was a rookie that I could come in and learn behind TD and Luke and A.J. (Klein). That allowed me to learn the game and develop a lot more. From college to the NFL – those first two years for me everything was happening really fast. Now the game has slowed down for me. They allowed me to learn and develop. It’s a blessing.”