It was a warm morning at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The August heat radiated off the artificial turf on Grant Field and off the metal bleachers in the stands.
It was the sort of Georgia day that Demaryius Thomas had once persevered through as a football player, first in Laurens County and then at Georgia Tech. It was the furnace (figuratively speaking and almost literally) that forged a rare talent and a champion and provided him the means and platform to make an impact far beyond the limits of the field and the cheering thousands.
On this Monday, on the field where he had become an All-American and a Tech great, the late Thomas was remembered and his memory honored on a day that the institute has established as Demaryius Thomas Day. The numerical date (8/8) honored Thomas’ jersey number with the Yellow Jackets (8) as an All-American wide receiver and the No. 88 he wore with the Denver Broncos when he made four Pro Bowls and helped the team to the Super Bowl 50 championship in 2016. Thomas died Dec. 9 at the age of 33 at his home in Roswell. The cause of death has been reported to be complications from a seizure disorder.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, a teammate of Thomas’ with the Broncos, was the most notable guest at a ceremony that included Thomas’ family, Tech President Angel Cabrera, athletic director Todd Stansbury, coach Geoff Collins, Thomas’ Yellow Jackets teammates Morgan Burnett and Josh Nesbitt and state and local government officials. State and city proclamations honoring Thomas were read. Manning, who with wife Ashley endowed a scholarship in Thomas’ memory that will help students from Laurens County to attend Tech, delivered an address.
“Demaryius was the best teammate and an even better person,” Manning said. “With the Broncos, he was the most unselfish teammate I ever played with. He always put the team before himself. Off the field, he was a caring, giving and gentle old soul. He was a hero to my kids like he was for so many others, and he made a tremendous impact in communities here in Georgia and in Colorado.”
At the end of the ceremony, Manning, Burnett and Thomas’ parents Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas pulled back a tarp on the field to reveal a “DT8″ logo between the 20- and 30-yard lines on the north side of the field. Manning stood by Smith, admiring the design together.
“This is a bittersweet day,” Manning said. “We are so appreciative of Georgia Tech making this all happen, but we miss him, and we’ll never stop missing him.”
Credit: Photo by Danny Karnik Georgia Tech Athletics
Credit: Photo by Danny Karnik Georgia Tech Athletics
Prior to the on-field event, Burnett and Manning had spoken with Collins’ team, sharing memories of their lost teammate. They watched a video about Thomas that included images from his childhood and onto Tech and the Broncos with audio of Thomas overlaid.
“There were a lot of tears flowing in that team meeting room, a lot of tough football players (crying),” Manning said to media after the ceremony.
“This is a bittersweet day. We are so appreciative of Georgia Tech making this all happen, but we miss him, and we'll never stop missing him."
Burnett shared with the team that Thomas would not have liked the pomp directed toward him on this day.
“He never liked the spotlight on himself, but he was a guy that liked to go out and work behind the scenes,” Burnett said later. “He took pride in working behind the scenes but never wanted to take credit for anything. But that’s what you love about him, just the humbleness. He was never a ‘me’ guy, he was always team-first, and that’s what I respected about him.”
Two of the Jackets players will bear Thomas’ No. 8 this season, wide receiver Nate McCollum and defensive tackle Makius Scott. From this point forward, the jersey number will be assigned to players who exemplify Thomas’ character. Collins recalled watching McCollum as a prospect at Dutchtown High and making a hustle play to help block for a teammate and praised Scott’s selflessness as a defensive tackle, taking on blocks to allow teammates to make plays behind him.
“I’m proud those two are the ones that are going to be able to represent him in the white and gold,” Collins said.
This season, the team will also wear decals on their helmets honoring Thomas. It has yet to be determined if either tribute will carry forward into later seasons.
Thomas’ commitment to serving the community was also celebrated on this day. Three of the first five recipients to receive the Thomas scholarship were among the guests on hand.
“I’m not sure if there’s a better gift than the gift of education,” Manning said. “And the fact that all the scholarship recipients are from the same area he grew up in in Middle Georgia, his county, that’s important. That’s Demaryius. That’s who he was. He’s helping them. That scholarship will live in perpetuity.”
There was perhaps a serendipitous touch in Thomas’ No. 8. Forming two loops, the number has no beginning or end. At Tech, Aug. 8 will be Demaryius Thomas Day and students from his native Laurens County will be able to attend thanks to a scholarship in his name for as long as the institute stands. His memory and impact will endure.
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