Manning created a scholarship fund at Georgia Tech to honor his friend and former teammate Demaryius Thomas.
Thomas was a former Georgia Tech wide receiver.
The Demaryius Thomas Scholarship Endowment will award academic scholarships to incoming freshmen from Laurens County, Ga., where Thomas was born and raised, or surrounding communities who demonstrate significant financial need and academic achievement. Students will receive scholarships until they graduate from Georgia Tech.
Manning said that Thomas was a special person and friend and that they wanted to honor him.
The way in which Demaryius inspired the next generation to pursue their dreams was an important part of his legacy. Through this scholarship to Georgia Tech, Demaryius will have a lasting impact on deserving youth from his hometown area who can follow in his footsteps and accomplish great things in life.
August 8 will be recognized as Demaryius Thomas Day at Georgia Tech each year. The recipient of the scholarship will be recognized that day as well.
The Yellow Jackets will have a No. 8 on their helmets.
Georgia Tech athletic director Todd Stansbury said they were grateful to the Mannings and the Pey Back Foundation for establishing the Demaryius Thomas Scholarship.
Thomas was a first-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2010 NFL draft and spent nine seasons with the team, including all four of Manning's seasons in Denver. He finished his career as the second-leading receiver in Broncos history, behind only Rod Smith, and is third in franchise history in catches.
With the arrival of Manning to the Broncos in 2012 Thomas had at least 90 receptions and 1,300 yards in four consecutive seasons, joining Hall of Famers Marvin Harrison and Jerry Rice as well as former Rams wide receiver Torry Holt as the only players to reach those totals over four consecutive seasons.
When the Broncos set a single-season record of 606 points in the 2013 season, Thomas had a career-best 14 touchdown catches. Thomas had a career-best 1,619 receiving yards in the following season.
Thomas set 16 Broncos franchise records, including his 1,619-yard season and his 33 career 100-yard games.
Thomas played for the Broncos, Houston Texans, and New York Jets and finished his career with 9,763 yards and 63 touchdown.
In three seasons at Georgia Tech, Thomas was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2009, and he recorded over two thousand yards and 13 touchdown.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
