Broncos legend Peyton Manning has an emotional message about his late friend Demaryius Thomas
Peyton Manning got choked up when asked about the special moment.
It was a day of celebration for the Denver Broncos organization on multiple fronts. First, the team honored the Super Bowl 50 team, as alumni showed up and out in Denver. Additionally — and more importantly — the team was honoring the late receiver Demaryius Thomas by inducting him into the Ring of Honor.
His teammate, quarterback Peyton Manning, was asked ahead of the thrilling comeback victory over the New York Giants about what it meant to have his friend’s name etched next to his on the stadium. An emotional Manning struggled to get through his words; the moment meant a lot to him.
“Well, it means a lot,” Manning said. “I don’t know, today up there, also, where’s it going to be? Did I get some bad information on where the name’s going to be today? The fact that it’s going to be up there on the stadium next to mine means a lot. We were close, and he was so close to my family as well, that means a great deal. Seeing that at halftime, I haven’t seen it yet, obviously. I’ll see it with everybody else, seeing his name next to mine at halftime that’ll be pretty special.”
Broncos rise to the occasion
Heading into the fourth quarter, it seemed the biggest point to celebrate was the alumni in attendance and the honoring of Thomas. That was until quarterback Bo Nix and the offense jumped into action, scoring 33 points and securing the victory in the fourth quarter.
Much like Manning and Thomas’ connection, Nix has his own version of Thomas in receiver Courtland Sutton, who proved instrumental in the team’s victory. The second-year signal caller was asked after the game about his connection with Sutton and how it compares to Manning’s with Thomas during their career in Denver.
Manning sometimes said he threw the ball out there because Thomas was in the area, something Nix said was similar to his connection to Sutton.
“Absolutely. The one throw I felt like I made the day that got me in rhythm, we threw an out route to Courtland,” Nix said. “There was a guy just kind of standing right in front of him, and I knew if I threw this high enough and threw this over this guy, Courtland is going to somehow end up getting there. And then the last play, to where I knew if I get a one-on-one with DB’s backs turned and I see Courtland go up and jump, I know he’s coming down with it.
“The vision I have, seeing Courtland against man to man, just thinking, man, this is going to be a no-brainer,” Nix added. “I’m going to put this up, he’s going to go get it, and as soon as he left the ground, I knew. We just had to get up there and spike the ball, and Lutz is going to have a chance. It was awesome, it was awesome, I love playing with a guy like him because there’s no prima donna, he works harder than everyone in the locker room. He’s one of the oldest vets in the locker room, and he works harder than everybody else. He runs more than everybody else, he trains more than everybody else, and he never complains.
“You never hear a word out of him, and the way he practices is how he plays, and I think that’s why it translates,” Nix said. “Super thankful to play with a teammate like that, they don’t make many like him, I’m just fortunate to have a guy like that.”
It was only fitting that on a night celebrating Thomas’ legacy, the Broncos found a little of that same magic he once brought to Denver. Manning’s words and Nix’s connection with Sutton served as a reminder that while players move on, Thomas’s impact still echoes through every touchdown in the Mile High air.
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