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CHARLOTTE -- Showing up at training camp as a rookie sporting a tattoo from another NFL team is a recipe for constant harassment.

But when you're a third-round pick thrust immediately into the starting role at free safety, constantly ask questions, don't miss practices, and perform well in preseason games. Then the veterans might give you a break.

As a result, Charles Godfrey hasn't had to worry about that Houston Texans' logo on his right hand as he runs around Carolina Panther's practice.

"He's from Texas, so he's got to represent where he's from," linebacker Thomas Davis said Monday. "You can't be mad at him."

It also helps that Godfrey has quickly adapted to his new role. After moving from free safety to strong safety to cornerback at Iowa, the Panthers eyed him as the long-term answer at a position they've struggled to fill.

The Panthers plugged in veterans to play alongside stalwart free safety Mike Minter for years. Players such as Shaun Williams, Marlon McCree and Colin Branch have started for Carolina in recent years.

When Minter retired in training camp last year, the Panthers traded for strong safety Chris Harris and had journeyman Deke Cooper play free safety last season.

The Panthers didn't re-sign Cooper, and saw Godfrey as his immediate replacement.

"We needed some help," coach John Fox said. "We hadn't injected any new people in there in some time."

At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, the speedy Godfrey seemed to fit what the Panthers were looking for, even if he did have that enemy stamp.

Growing up about 25 miles from Houston in Baytown, Texas, Godfrey immediately became a Texans fan when they entered the league in 2002. To show his loyalty, Godfrey got a tattoo with the Texans' bull head logo on his hand.

Godfrey might have ended up with his hometown team. The Texans showed some interest and brought him in for an interview before the draft.

Godfrey acknowledged he dreamed about staying home, but wondered about the repercussions.

"I think it would have been a distraction going to the Texans," Godfrey said. "My family is there. A lot of my friends are right around the corner. Home is right around the corner. Coming out of high school, that's why I went to Iowa. I kind of wanted to get away from all that so I could stay focused.

"Coming to Carolina, it's a great place and I'm happy to be here."

Godfrey was handed the starting job in his first minicamp practice a week after the draft. He became obsessed with learning every aspect of the defense and is routinely seen quizzing veterans during practice.

"He's making tremendous strides. He's come in and grasped this scheme like no other," Davis said. "If you look at him back there and you listen to him make his checks, he's so confident. You just have a lot of confidence in him as a linebacker taking the call from him. He's been putting the work in and he knows what he's doing."

Godfrey claims he's still adjusting to the speed of the NFL and another position change after he recorded five interceptions and didn't allow a touchdown playing cornerback for the Hawkeyes last season. But Godfrey's debut at safety in the NFL included a half-sack and a quarterback hurry against Indianapolis.

"I had to slow down because I was used to going up against these fast receivers," Godfrey said. "Now I'm on tight ends where I have to slow down because I have more speed than those guys, so I can be there to make a play on the ball."

With Harris at safety and Ken Lucas, Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall at cornerback, the Panthers already had a deep, athletic secondary as one of their strengths.

Now with Godfrey quickly settling in as Carolina's starter, maybe it's time for him to get a matching Panthers' logo somewhere on his body.

"I'm a Carolina Panther and I'm going to play as hard as I can for the Carolina Panthers," Godfrey said. "If we do present ourselves to the Texans, they're going to get every bit of me."