Sir Purr
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
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"I had a pretty big game, a breakout game," Thomas-Oliver said. "Throughout that whole season, I was playing well, doing everything I wanted to do. But that game, I excelled.
"I had four PBUs, an interception, about seven tackles, and I did well on special teams. So after that game, it kind of felt like I could do this for a living and play in the NFL."
As a seventh-round pick, Thomas-Oliver still has plenty of work to do before he makes the Panthers' initial 53-man roster. But Davis thinks the cornerback's work ethic will help propel him to success at the highest level.
"I know how he's going to work, and I know how he's going to take notes — he's going to sit in meetings and be coachable," Davis said. "I think all 32 teams came to our practices because we had a lot of guys who were potential free agents, draft choices and stuff. And they watched him and he was outstanding on special teams. He was probably the best gunner in all of Conference-USA, and he played on kickoff cover and did a lot of things on the punt pressure team."
Excelling on special teams is Thomas-Oliver's likeliest path to making the squad in 2020, and the demeanor Davis witnessed at FIU could also help decide Thomas-Oliver's potential in the league.
"He's very humble. He's a grinder," Davis said. "He's just going out — and I mean every single practice — and he's really trying to get better every day."