CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- No player outside of middle linebacker Sam Mills has embodied what Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson wants his organization to represent more than outside linebacker Thomas Davis.

From his work ethic and production on the field to his philanthropy off the field, Davis for years has been the best candidate to become the second Carolina player to have a statue of himself placed outside Bank of America Stadium since 1998, when Mills received his.

That shouldn’t change because the 2014 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year will be suspended the first four games of his final season after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

He made a mistake.

What Davis, 35, has done throughout the course of his career since the Panthers selected him with the 14th pick of the 2005 draft far outweighs a mistake many players have made, including teammate Julius Peppers.

Peppers was suspended the final four games of his rookie season after testing positive for PEDs. With 12 sacks, he fell 2½ short of breaking the rookie record set by Jevon Kearse. But that won’t keep Peppers, who ranks fourth on the NFL’s all-time sack list with 154.5, out of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

And a positive test for a substance Davis claims he has been taking for years won’t keep him from someday being recognized with a statue.

The way Davis handled the suspension spoke volumes about him. He immediately posted a video on social media, apologizing to the team and fans for what he called “by far one of the saddest days of my NFL career."

He talked about how he always has tried to do things the right way and this was in no way him trying to cheat the team.

“I've taken the same supplements for the last seven or eight years and never had any issues ... been tested numerous times over the years while taking the same stuff.

"Unfortunately, this is some of the things that happen when you take supplements. I've never tested positive for steroids or HGH. This is not one of those situations. It ended up being an estrogen blocker that triggered a positive test for me."

You can feel the pain in Davis’ voice as he speaks in the black-and-white video about what happened. You know it’s killing him to have to begin the end of what could be a Hall of Fame career on the outside looking in.

This is by far one of the saddest days of my NFL career. I never thought that this would happen to me. I've worked extremely hard to do things the right way on and off the field. Panther Nation please know that I am not a cheater. #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/zUppMfm6yk

— Thomas Davis (@ThomasDavisSDTM) April 6, 2018

Davis is a perennial team captain, unquestionably the “heart and soul" of a defense that consistently has ranked in the top 10 in the NFL since 2012.

He has played his best at the end of his career, nothing short of a miracle after overcoming ACL surgery on the same knee three times. No player had successfully done this before.

Davis played in Super Bowl 50 with a broken forearm swollen so badly after the loss to Denver that the picture he posted on social media made those with weak stomachs cringe.

Seldom during Davis’ career has he come off the field unless hurt, and even then, he tried to play through the pain.

His speech as he accepted the Man of the Year Award, talking of how he grew up without a father, how his mother didn’t have the money to send him to football camp or sometimes even to buy Christmas presents, was as heartfelt as you’ll hear.

Watching how his “Defending Dreams Foundation" over the years has helped underprivileged children avoid the hardships he had is inspiring.

“Thomas Davis lives his life the way that Walter Payton did -- family and community first," said Panthers coach Ron Rivera, a Chicago Bears teammate of Payton's from 1984-87.

Davis’ reputation always has been as important to him as his production. He took it personally this past season when he was fined $48,620 for what the NFL deemed an illegal hit on Tampa Bay wide receiver Adam Humphries.

“Not a single part of this play was dirty," Davis wrote on Instagram. “I love playing this game, but if this was illegal then it’s time for me to retire!"

Davis announced after the season that he was retiring after the 2018 campaign -- though not because of that play. He wants to spend more time with his wife and children, more time working with his foundation.

The suspension will shorten his last hurrah, but perhaps it will be a blessing in disguise. Davis already had accepted that his role would be less this year to give up-and-coming star Shaq Thompson more opportunities.

Now, if the Panthers make the playoffs for the fifth time in six years, Davis will be fresher in his last run at winning the Super Bowl, which always has been his priority.

That won’t make serving the suspension easier.

“I can honestly tell you guys that my conscience is clear in this situation," Davis said. "And as bad as it hurts me to sit here and tell you guys this, I know it's going to hurt a lot of people that have looked up and believed in Thomas Davis over the years.

"Just know that in no way -- in no way -- have I done anything intentionally to try to cheat this game. I'm going to serve this four-game suspension, and I'll be back ready to go back out there with my teammates."