The mother of late Denver Broncos star Demaryius Thomas broke down in tears as her son was enshrined in the team’s Ring of Fame ahead of Sunday’s dramatic win over the New York Giants.
The Broncos were celebrating their Super Bowl 50 championship with the addition of Thomas’ bronze likeness fixed atop a stone pillar – a piece that was unveiled in front of his mother, Katina Smith, in a pre-game ceremony.
‘I’m wanting to touch his face again,’ Smith said to gathered media and fans. ‘This right here, it’s like he’s still here with us today and in our hearts. So, he lives on through all of us and through all the community and his fans.’
A two-time All-Pro, Thomas last played in the NFL in 2019, although he didn’t officially announce his retirement until June of 2021. He tragically suffered a fatal seizure six months later, which authorities ultimately blamed on a medical condition.
The Georgia native was an inspirational story to many after overcoming his mother and grandmothers’ convictions and subsequent incarcerations on drug charges. Ultimately President Barack Obama commuted both women’s sentences, allowing Katina to finally see her son play football for the first time in January of 2016. He’d win a Super Bowl with the Broncos the following month.
‘That smile took me through some very hard times,’ Smith told reporters Sunday.
Broncos owner Carrie Walton Penner clap during Demaryius Thomas’ posthumous induction
Thomas speaks to the media during the Broncos’ availability for Super Bowl 50 in 2016
Thomas was also remembered by former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, retired defensive end DeMarcus Ware and ex-Denver quarterback Peyton Manning, whose own pillar sits next to Thomas’.
‘When all of y’all asked me what’s the main reason you came to Denver, I’m not sure I gave you all of the honest answers back in 2012,’ Manning told the crowd. ‘But Demaryius Thomas was a big reason for it because I never played with a receiver quite like him.
‘I played with Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne [in Indianapolis], unbelievable receivers. But nobody was as big and as powerful as Demaryius was, and I was just kind of wondering what would that be like? And it was every bit as good as I thought it would be.’
Kubiak said it was Thomas’ smile he remembers most.
‘He put a smile on your face,’ Kubiak said. ‘The NFL’s tough. A lot of games, a lot of ups and downs, so you have some rough days. And D.T. could always catch you as a coach when you had a rough day and make you smile again and make you feel good. D.T.’s just a tremendous person, tremendous player.’
Former Denver Broncos players Juwan Thompson and Peyton Manning applaud during Demaryius Thomas’ posthumous introduction into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame
Ex-Broncos player Emmanuel Sanders speaks during Thomas’ posthumous induction
Denver Broncos fans hold up signs commemorating the late Demaryius Thomas
A fan holds up a sign for former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas
Impressed with Thomas’ likeness on his newly unveiled pillar, Ware said he could see his former teammate’s ‘angel-like mentality, that peace that everybody wants to have in their lives.
‘I just wanted to pray for everybody,’ Ware said, ‘because that´s what D.T. would have done.’
Thomas’ father, Bobby, said he’s still hopeful his son can be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
‘I’m hoping there’s more to come,’ Thomas said, adding, ‘especially the Hall of Fame. I can’t wait for that one.’
The current Broncos did their part on Sunday by overcoming an 18-point deficit against the Giants on Sunday to win on a last-second field goal from Wil Lutz.
Although Thomas was posthumously diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the condition is not blamed for his death. Rather, his family later said he’d suffered from recurring seizures since a 2019 car crash.
