Patriots Cornerback Brings Super Bowl Belief to New England

When Tom Brady walked into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locker room in 2020, everything changed before he even threw a pass. Carlton Davis III watched a 7-9 team transform into Super Bowl champions because one person showed up with unshakable belief.

Davis was just 23 years old then, but he learned a lesson that would reshape his career. "When he first came to Tampa, he immediately brought the belief that we could do it," Davis said.

Now the Patriots cornerback is paying that lesson forward. After New England endured back-to-back 4-13 seasons, Davis signed as a free agent with one goal: help the young team believe they could win again.

The Patriots didn't just get Davis. They rebuilt their entire roster around veterans who knew how to win, including defensive lineman Milton Williams, who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles last year.

"They did a great job of bringing in the right people," Davis said. "Every free agent that we got came with leadership, came with experience. The stuff that you need to win a championship."

Rookie safety Craig Woodson soaks up every word from his veteran mentor. "He's been in the game a long time. He's seen a lot of ball. He knows what it takes to win," Woodson said.

The Ripple Effect

Davis's influence extends beyond the practice field. When young players see someone who's held a Lombardi Trophy, it changes what they believe is possible for themselves.

The strategy worked. New England fought its way to Santa Clara for Sunday's Super Bowl, proving that culture and belief can turn a struggling franchise around in just two seasons.

Davis sees something familiar in Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. "He's a competitor. He's so natural. You can just feel it on him," Davis said, noting that Maye wants to create his own legacy rather than copy Brady's path.

Coming full circle to Brady's former team adds extra meaning for Davis. "To be able to come to his old stomping grounds, a place that has so much history and so many legendary moments through the years," he said. "To be able to bring them back to where they once were in the glory days has been amazing for me."

The lesson from Tampa Bay is clear: winning starts with believing you can win, and sometimes all it takes is one person who's done it before to show everyone else the way.