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Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis played 15 games and recorded 105 tackles the season after returning from his third ACL surgery.

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Thomas Davis text-messaged Terrell Thomas weekly during the 2012 NFL season.

Davis, the Panthers linebacker, was doing exactly what Thomas, the Giants cornerback, was imagining: returning from a third ACL surgery on the same knee.

And not just returning. By the end of last season, Davis was a starting weak-side linebacker again, playing every defensive snap, racking up tackle totals that were impressive by any standard.

Davis knew his success would be inspiring and motivating to Thomas, who was rehabbing in California and New Jersey after losing yet another season. So, Davis sent weekly updates to his friend, whom he met last spring at the Pro Athletes Outreach conference for Christian athletes.

"I had 16 tackles this week against Tampa Bay," Davis would write. Or, "Each week that goes by, my leg is feeling stronger and stronger."

The Giants worked out a new, one-year deal with Thomas this week, giving him the chance to make the same remarkable comeback Davis achieved last year. Davis is believed to be the first NFL player to return from three ACL surgeries, and he hopes he's blazed a trail for Thomas, and others.

"I told him, ‘Don’t give up on your dream, believe in yourself and continue to fight,’ " Davis recalled in a phone interview this week. " ‘I’m living proof, and I’m going to do whatever I can each and every week to show you that it is possible. If you continue to work hard and believe in what you can do, then you’ll be in the same position that I was in.’ "

Davis called Thomas "immediately" after hearing that he had reinjured the ACL in his right knee, requiring a third surgery last September. Thomas’ first injury was in college at USC, and the second and third wiped out his 2011 and 2012 seasons with the Giants.

Davis, who had torn his ACL in 2009, 2010 and 2011, understood better than anyone else could. The two players had mostly talked about their faith and their families until that point, but after Thomas’ most recent injury, Davis could be Thomas’ Sherpa on a road rarely traveled.

Davis understood facing uncertainty about your football future. He knew the questions running through Thomas’ mind: Is there something structurally wrong with my knee, or is it bad luck? He knew how repetitive rehab can be, and vouches that the greatest indicator of Thomas’ progress is that he hasn’t experienced any swelling for the past month and a half.

Davis also knows the abrupt transition that will come when Thomas returns to the field.

"It’s one thing to have confidence when you’re not playing, and it’s a totally different thing to have confidence when you are out there and you’re in the fire," Davis said. "But play after play after play, you become comfortable with your surroundings and everything that’s going on, and you stop worrying about that knee."

Davis played 15 games for the Panthers last season, starting the final 12, and finished second on the team with 105 tackles, leading his teammates to stump for him as a Comeback Player of the Year candidate. He wore a brace on the knee all season, and recommends Thomas at least start out wearing one, as he regains confidence.

Davis believes the challenges he faced and overcame would be the same at any defensive position, though the Giants have discussed moving Thomas to safety, if he is no longer physically able to play cornerback in the NFL.

As Davis did after his third surgery, Thomas agreed to a new contract at the veterans' minimum salary this season but with the chance to earn back some money — in Thomas' case, $500,000 in playing-time incentives.

Davis hopes his story played a role in the Giants giving Thomas another chance, and moreover convinced players and teams that a career after three ACL surgeries is possible. He also hopes Thomas joins him as the next example.

"If you look at Thomas Davis, and the season that he had in 2012, the guy was written off. A lot of people said that I should have just retired and hung it up and my knees were bad," Davis said. "I think Terrell is going to be just fine."

Jenny Vrentas: jvrentas@starledger.com; twitter.com/JennyVrentas