Gone Too Soon

I always say being able to discuss football with you all is an honor. It’s also an honor to see certain guys come into the league from college and work their way to the NFL. I’ve always gone by the saying that it doesn’t matter what round you get drafted in, just get your foot in the door, work hard, play hard, handle yourself in a respectful manner and many good things will come your way. In 2010, the Denver Broncos drafted a young receiver out of Georgia Tech named Demaryius Thomas. He was the 22nd pick in the draft that year and the first receiver drafted. He became a well-known piece of a Denver offense that did some shuffling at quarterback early on in his career. Unfortunately, news came out that the former receiver was found dead in his Georgia home yesterday. He was 33 years old. That’s too young.

He was a lot bigger than people really understood. At 6’3 and 225 pounds, this was your typical possession receiver on the outside who always wanted to go up and get the football out of mid-air. I’ve always said there are two types of receivers. There are ones who are pure speedsters. They can beat you off the line of scrimmage with speed and nothing else. Then, you have the physical guys. The ones who could handle being jammed at the line of scrimmage and it wouldn’t affect them. That was the man nicknamed “DT”. He was the mix of those receivers I just described. I’m talking about the ones who appear to be the possession guys but could catch the short and quick passes then use his speed to get up the field. He would surprise defenders. To be the size he was, his movement after the catch was what stood out most. I’ve said this often, but he played small meaning he could run routes as if he were a smaller pass-catcher. His first few years in the league were hindered by inconsistent play and injuries. For the first two seasons of his career, Demariyus was catching passes from Tim Tebow. In his rookie years, he recorded 283 receiving yards and the next season, he recorded 551 yards receiving. 2012 was when everything changed when the Broncos signed Peyton Manning. He ended up having the best year of his career that season when he finished top ten in receptions, yards and touchdowns. The next season in 2013, he was a part of history when he caught 14 of the 55 touchdowns that Peyton threw en route to another league MVP. With 18, Demariyus eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark five times.

As I said up top, this was a key contributor to a Broncos offense that was one of the best in the league from 2012-2014. I still remember the tandem of Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. They each gave a legendary quarterback more reliable targets down the field. I still remember him catching Peyton’s 509th career touchdown pass which was a record at the time in 2014. Demariyus was a member of the Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. After Denver, he played for the Houston Texans, New England Patriots and New York Jets. I always heard nothing but positive things about him. He was the ideal teammate and was well respected. I send my condolences to the Thomas family, those who knew him and those who were able to play with him.