Countdown to Kickoff: No. 8

Demaryius Thomas

The countdown to kickoff is officially on as Georgia Tech‘s season-opening matchup at Colorado on Aug. 29 is less than 100 days away.

Until then JOL will be counting it down with one Jackets’ player daily that wore the corresponding number of days remaining until toe meets leather in Boulder.

With it now eight days until kickoff in Boulder, today’s focus is on No. 8 Demaryius Thomas, a wide receiver that made an incredible impact on the field at Georgia Tech and in the NFL but was also known for his infectious smile, kindness and personality off the field.

Before Georgia Tech

Thomas established himself as one of the top players in the state of Georgia on the high school level with his exploits at West Laurens High (Ga.) in Dexter and was named Class AA All-State by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a senior in 2005 when he recorded 82 receptions for 1,234 yards and 10 touchdowns. He ultimately chose to sign with Georgia Tech in the 2006 recruiting class, choosing the Jackets over several other offers, including one from the rival Georgia Bulldogs.

Career on The Flats

Thomas redshirted in 2006 before getting his first chance at significant playing time during the 2007 season under former Tech head coach Chan Gailey. Thomas played in 13 games that Fall and hauled in 35 catches for 558 yards with four touchdowns.

Despite Tech hiring Paul Johnson prior to the 2008 season and the Jackets’ offense going with his patented option attack, Thomas was still a big part of the equation during his redshirt-sophomore campaign as he caught 39 passes for 627 yards and three touchdowns.

Thomas’ best season on The Flats came in 2009 when he exploded for 1,154 yards on 46 catches with eight touchdowns to earn First-Team All-ACC honors and a Third-Team All-American nod during Tech’s run to an 11-3 record, ACC Championship and berth in the Orange Bowl. He is still the last Jacket to have a 1,000-plus yard season as the program heads into 2025 and the drought now at 15-plus years.

Making his way to the League

Thomas’ NFL Draft stock continued to rise during and after the 2009 season, and he eventually declared for the draft in early January 2010, forgoing his final season at Georgia Tech. The decision proved to be the right one as he was picked 22nd overall in the first round that by the Denver Broncos.

Thomas went on to play nine seasons in Denver and became a fan favorite before ending his career with stints with the Houston Texans and New York Jets in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In all during 10 full seasons in the NFL, Thomas played in 143 games with 128 starts and racked up 724 career receptions for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns. He had five straight 1,000-plus yard seasons from 2012 to 2016 and narrowly missed a sixth straight with 949 yards in 2017.

Thomas was a two-time Second-Team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and won a Super Bowl title when the Broncos took down the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 after the 2015 season. He holds (or is tied for) 16 Broncos’ franchise records.

The death and legacy of a legend

Thomas passed away at the age of 33 in December of 2021. His cause of death was ruled to likely be a seizure caused by CTE along with the effects of a car accident in 2019.

Posthumously, Thomas was inducted into the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2023, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 2023 and the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame in 2024. This past May it was announced that he will join the Broncos’ Ring of Fame as he will be officially inducted at halftime of Denver’s October 19th home game vs. the Giants.

Thomas went onto the ballot for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024 but has yet to be voted into that exclusive club.