Suited and Booted
There has never been a bolder retirement press conference fit than what Thomas Davis rocked on Thursday
It’s that time of the NFL year when formal wear matters most. Free agents are photo-opping for their lucrative new contracts. The rooks are trying to make a good first impression. Everybody is getting suited and booted, even if the end results are sometimes questionable. But we may as well go ahead and shut down the runway early, because legendary Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis wrapped up best-dressed honors on Thursday with what has to be the single greatest retirement press conference fit in football history. Behold.
Just try to “auf wiedersehen” this, Heidi Klum. Can’t be done. Davis’ jersey suit (jersuit? Susey?) became the immediate talk of Charlotte on Thursday, as both he and Greg Olsen signed one-day contracts to retire as Carolina Panthers. Olsen opted for an understated gray ensemble, but Davis, while soft spoken as a player, did not go quietly. Here’s some more if you want it, which you do.
The shoulder stripes and giant “58” on the back are nice, but it’s the gold captain “C”—with four stars, indicating how many years Davis captained the Panthers—that really sets the whole thing over the top. He even paired it with a custom “58” mask, which is probably about to become the newest, hottest item in the Panthers pro shop.
It’s a shame this beauty is about to go right back in mothballs, but here’s hoping Davis hangs on to it. He won't ever get the chance to retire again, but he may need something to wear to his daughter’s wedding one day . . .