Demaryius Thomas created a lasting legacy during his time in Colorado, and now he’ll forever hold a place among the state’s greatest sports figures. The former Denver Broncos receiver is set to be posthumously inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening as part of the 2023 class.
Thomas played nine seasons in Denver, winning a Super Bowl with the Broncos in the 2015 season. He holds the franchise’s single-season record with 1,619 yards receiving in 2014 and ranks second all-time with 9,055 career yards. The receiver also holds the Broncos’ single-game record with 226 yards in a 2014 games against the Arizona Cardinals.
Thomas died in December 2021 at the age of 33. Doctors diagnosed him with CTE seven months after his death. His family said he suffered seizures over the last few years of his life.
Thomas arrived in Denver as a first-round pick out of Georgia Tech in 2010. He posted at least 1,000 yards every season from 2012-16 and made the Pro Bowl each of those five years. Thomas was also a member of the Broncos team that claimed the AFC Championship in 2013.
Adding to his legacy, Thomas caught Peyton Manning’s 509th career touchdown pass in 2014 to make the QB the NFL’s all-time leader. Tom Brady and Drew Brees later surpassed Manning, but the moment is still one Denver fans will remember forever.
Thomas joins former Nuggets head coach George Karl, former vice president of the U.S. Olympic Committee Evie Dennis, former University of Northern Colorado football star Vincent Jackson and former U.S. Olympic Skier Jimmie Heuga in the Class of 2023.
Peyton Manning teams up with Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to create scholarship honoring Demaryius Thomas
Demaryius Thomas’ Hall of Fame induction will also include the presentation of the first-ever “18 to 88” scholarship by Peyton Manning. The $10,000 scholarship is named after Thomas, who wore No. 88 with the Broncos.
Thomas’ mother, Katrina Smith, spoke on what the gesture means to her.
“Every time I think about it I ask myself, am I dreaming or is this real?’’ she said. “Because one of the things D.T. had said is, ‘when I’m done with the sport I don’t want to be forgotten. I don’t want to be just another football player.’ So Peyton and Ashley (Manning, Peyton’s wife) have given people a chance not to forget him and remember him in a very positive way. So it’s very special, very humbling.’’
Smith and Thomas’ father, Bobby, are set to give the acceptance speech at their son’s induction. There will also be a video presentation highlighting Thomas’ community work in Denver.
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