Following the news of the passing of former Denver Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas, many of his former teammates and coaches spoke out about the former first-round pick.
Rest In Peace Demaryius Thomas, the former Denver Broncos wide receiver who led the team in receiving yards in six of his ten seasons with the team. Rest In Peace to Thomas himself, not just as the football player he was to a lot of people, but to the man he was. There are no words that could truly do this article justice. It’s just been extremely sad since news broke of Thomas’ passing.
Naturally, when a high-profile person or player has passed away, many of their coaches and teammates, as well as fans, speak out about the player. That’s exactly what happened here.
Take this, for instance, from Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who played with Thomas from 2012-2015.
"“D.T. was a better person than he was a player, and he was a Hall of Fame player. . . . He treated my kids like they were his own. He was there for every teammate’s charity event.”— Former Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning speaking on former wide receiver Demaryius Thomas."
Speaking of the impact Thomas had on kids, Broncos safety Justin Simmons tweeted that he will be donating $88 for every tackle the Broncos make on Sunday against the Lions, to the Boys and Girls club.
Most people saw what Demaryius Thomas could do on the field. Off the field, he was even more special.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) December 10, 2021
These are just some of the videos I still have on my phone that swore I never would delete. Being around little kids was when Demaryius seemed the happiest. pic.twitter.com/E1UIXigpIJ
The wild thing about death is that you never truly know when it’s your or someone else’s time. Manning said that the two shared texts about an audible they called against the Arizona Cardinals during the 2014 season. That exchange happened on Tuesday of this week. Unreal.
Thomas was traded to the Houston Texans in 2018, the second and final year of former head coach Vance Joseph’s tenure with the team. Joseph, now the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals, spoke about Thomas in a heartwarming way.
Speaking to Phoenix media, former #Broncos coach Vance Joseph on passing of Demaryius Thomas.
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran) December 10, 2021
"Anybody who knew DT knew he was a great person and obviously a great football player, but the person, that is what everybody talks about."
Everybody should remember the historic overtime throw from Tim Tebow to Demaryius Thomas in the 2011 playoffs, right? Speaking of that play, Tebow put out a tweet as well on Friday morning regarding the passing of his fellow first-round teammate from the 2010 NFL Draft:
Woke up and saw the really devastating news about my teammate and friend, Demaryius Thomas. So many are going to remember him for his athletic ability… but I’ll be remembering him for his kindness, his smile that would light up a room, and the love he had for those in his life. pic.twitter.com/gNVzmJ503X
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) December 10, 2021
I wish that I had the opportunity to meet Demaryius Thomas. Personally, I attended several training camps in which he was a part of. While I never did meet him, I have this picture from 2016. It’s hard to really explain the significance for me of this picture, but I think that it just was a cool capture.
RIP DT. Thanks for unintentionally posing for this picture for me. pic.twitter.com/IoUHQgl3CD
— Graham Tiedtke (@GrahamTiedtkePO) December 10, 2021
At the 2021 Hall of Fame ceremony, Thomas seemed to be very happy and outgoing. His death is just another thing that, like I said earlier, was not expected whatsoever.
Interview I had with Demaryius prior to Peyton’s HOF induction in Canton. He looked and sounded great. #9sports pic.twitter.com/5DwqDSzHN2
— Mike Klis (@mikeklis) December 10, 2021
Even players who played with Thomas for just a short period of time spoke about him following the news. This from former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady:
Im so sad to wake up this morning to hear about the passing of my friend Demariyus Thomas. We were all blessed with his humility and positive spirit, and we will all miss him. This photo is from the Hall of Fame this past August, a source of light as always. 🙏 RIP pic.twitter.com/o3hvQN0cRz
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) December 10, 2021
The Broncos will have a moment of silence this Sunday against the Detroit Lions, mourning the loss of Thomas. They will also have decals on the back of their helmets with the number 88.
Demaryius Thomas needs to be placed in the Broncos Ring of Fame when he is eligible. Hopefully, he will get strong consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day.
Lastly, I would like to share an article by fellow Predominantly Orange writer Cameron Parker regarding Thomas. Check it out here.
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Rest in Peace, Demaryius Thomas. Rest in Orange and Blue. You will be missed.