It didn’t take long for Thomas Davis to notice something about Carolina Panthers rookie linebacker Jeremy Cash. Having been in nearly the same situation before himself over a decade ago, perhaps no one better knows what Cash was in store for than Thomas Davis.

“I see a lot of myself in him.” Davis said. “He had a similar situation coming out of college. I was a safety, trying to move to linebacker. I came in hungry. I came in working hard. And that is what he has done. It is not easy to come in and make the transition from safety to linebacker playing in this league. But he has done a good job of it so far, and we are excited about what Cash is right now.”

Keep in mind that Jeremy Cash didn’t make the Cleveland Browns roster. He didn’t make the New Orleans Saints roster. He made the Carolina Panthers roster at the linebacker position. His peers are now Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis, and Shaq Thompson. For an undrafted free agent, it just does not get much better.

That fact has not lost on Jeremy Cash.

“Arguably the best linebacker core in the NFL.” Cash said of the Carolina Panthers starting linebackers. “They have been such great influences, with not only the position change, but really what it takes to be a professional linebacker.”

“Because of them I can just go out there, think less, and just have fun” Cash said.

Thomas Davis went on to describe what Jeremy Cash has done that has allowed him to make the talented roster of the Carolina Panthers.

“You know, I think the energy level he brings in day in and day out. He is a fiery guy, always on edge. He has a will and unbelievable ability to want to be good. He is putting everything in to this that you can possibly put in as a player. ”

When a NFL player reaches such a prestigious franchise veteran status as Thomas Davis, results are not solely measured on his own performance but on those around him. Veterans like Thomas Davis are tasked with a big brother role, helping to mold tomorrow’s players. Davis is without question excited about what he has seen from Cash so far.

“Definitely proud of the kid” Davis said. “He has come in, he has worked his butt off, he has earned his spot.”