Remembering Demaryius Thomas' best moments with the Broncos

USA Today

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Remembering Demaryius Thomas' best moments with the Broncos
After the Denver Broncos announced Demaryius Thomas' election to the team's Ring of Fame on Tuesday, we take a look back at five of the best moments (plus two personal honorable mentions!) from the career and life of DT.
5. 4th and 1 (@ Detroit; Week 3, 2015)
This play against the Detroit Lions showed Thomas' ability to go one-on-one against great cornerbacks. Hall of Famer Peyton Manning threw the ball up on 4th-and-1, and Thomas went to go up and get it and then had the wherewithal to turn and go the rest of the way, en route to a Broncos win.
4. Revenge (DT hauls in two TDs; 2013 season opener)
After one of the most heartbreaking losses in the history of the Broncos against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012 playoffs, Denver wanted revenge on the defending Super Bowl champions. The Broncos began their historic offensive campaign in 2013 with a bang. Manning threw (and tied an NFL record with) seven touchdown passes in a 49-27 smackdown of the Ravens. Thomas was on the receiving end of two of those scores, vanquishing the demons from the year prior.
3. Thomas' one-handed grab vs. Chiefs
OBJ or DT? Against the Kansas City Chiefs, Manning lobbed a pass high into the back of the end zone, where Thomas made a one-handed stab before tapping both his feet for a touchdown.
2. Thomas and history
After Thomas's heroic effort in the 2011 playoffs, the "changing of the guard" happened in Denver, and the quarterback reins were handed to Manning. In Manning's Broncos debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Thomas caught Manning's first Denver touchdown pass, a bubble screen that exhibited Thomas's speed and breakaway ability in traffic (see 10:16 mark of the second video).
Before Tom Brady and Drew Brees were breaking the all-time touchdown record every week, there was Manning. In Week 7 of the 2014 season, Manning broke the all-time passing touchdown record, stealing the record from Hall of Famer Brett Favre; Touchdown Nos. 509 (the record-breaker) and 510 went to Demaryius Thomas against the San Francisco 49ers.
1. Overtime
This list wouldn't be complete without Thomas's signature moment, which came during the AFC wild card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Overtime rules changed prior to the 2011 playoffs, where before, if a team kicked a field goal, it was a sudden-death win. Under the new rules, if the first team to possess the ball kicked a field goal, the opponent would have a chance to tie or win the game. However, if the first team to possess the ball scored a touchdown, the game would end.
The Broncos won the overtime coin toss, and Denver took possession on their own 20. On the first play of overtime, quarterback Tim Tebow faked a handoff and threw to a streaking Thomas downfield, where he stiff-armed two Steelers on his 80-yard gallop. This would be Thomas's signature career moment.
Honorable mention 1: Denver's heartfelt tribute to DT
It's always strange to write about players like this, deceased players who you grow up rooting for. Demaryius Thomas is one of those players for me; someone I cheered for, celebrated and ultimately, remembered when he died.
As many Broncos fans may remember, we lost Thomas way too soon, at the age of 33. I was newly married at the time when DT passed at his home in Georgia. The Broncos' next home game after Thomas' death was against the Detroit Lions. My wife, who had just begun her journey in life married to a rabid Denver Broncos fan, had no idea why this game was so emotional to me. The Broncos and the city of Denver showed up in an incredible way to honor Thomas; his number was painted on the sideline, the team (and several players across the league, such as DeAndre Hopkins) wore 88 stickers on their helmets, and 88 jerseys were everywhere throughout Mile High. At the beginning of the game, Denver took a delay of game penalty, where wide receiver Courtland Sutton stayed on the sideline. Detroit declined the penalty, and Sutton took his place where Thomas was supposed to line up. Late in the game, then-safety Justin Simmons intercepted a Lions pass and went right to the 88 on the sideline. It was just one of many heartfelt tributes to a man that meant so much more than football in the eyes of a city that loved him as much as he loved us.
Honorable mention 2: Thomas' competitive side
I was 13 years old during the miraculous autumn of 2011 that Broncos fans came to know as "Tebowmania." The Broncos came from behind in nearly every game, no matter how big the deficit. Then-quarterback Tim Tebow had probably his toughest test yet against the Chicago Bears that fall. Early in the game, Thomas had dropped what was sure to be a wide-open touchdown, and the Broncos went to the sideline without scoring. I remember Thomas on the sideline, where he was distraught. Not known to us during the game, Tebow was mic'd up. Tebow came over, put his arm around DT, and encouraged him: "Hey, guess what," said Tebow to Thomas, "you're about to go out there and catch the game-winner here in a minute."
Later in the game, with 2:08 on the clock, Thomas caught a touchdown that pulled the Broncos to within three at 10-7. Through a miraculous turn of events, the Broncos tied the game, went into overtime, got the Bears to turn the ball over, and won the game, 13-10. That always spoke to me, as the type of competitor DT was. Thomas came back from dropping a potential go-ahead touchdown to catching a touchdown that got Denver back in the game.
Thomas was a beloved athlete and community leader in the Denver area. We will not soon forget his always-smiling face, and the impact he had on and off the field.
Related: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.