CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Carolina Panthers legend Thomas Davis retired from the NFL as a member of the team that drafted him in 2005, he ended a storied career.

He then opened up what he hopes will be another one, but as a franchise owner.

Davis has partnered up with fellow NFL star Ted Ginn, Jr. and retired alumni Jeff Reed and Frank Garcia (among others) as part of the Charlotte Thunder arena football team ownership group.

The franchise was set to debut in 2020, but those plans were put on hold by the coronavirus pandemic. One year later, the excitement is building once again.

"It's definitely exciting to do it for a second time around, because last year, when we made the announcement, people got excited," Davis says. "You could see the buzz that it was creating."

Reed played his high school football in Charlotte before going on to be part of a pair of Super Bowl winning teams with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bringing arena football back to Charlotte for the first time in nearly a decade was a draw for him.

"It's good to know that, even in an NFL off-season, that you still have football," Reed says. "That's a huge thing here in Charlotte."

The Thunder is a member of the American Arena League, which is made up of 16 franchises across the country. Charlotte will play in the East Division against teams from Pennsylvania, Florida, Mississippi and New Jersey. This team will also give players the chance to continue their pursuit of climbing the pro football ladder.

"Being able to give that opportunity to a kid is a blessing," Ginn, Jr., says. "For me and these guys to be able to give another kid an opportunity, we just take our hats off to them."

The season opener is set for March 27, kicking off a 10 game schedule.  Eight of Charlotte's games will be played at home, inside Bojangle's Coliseum.

Ticket information can be found at charlottethunder.com.