Peyton Manning makes incredible gesture in memory of Demaryius Thomas

Former NFL superstar Peyton Manning made an incredible gesture to further the legacy of former teammate Demaryius Thomas after his tragic death last year. Along with his wife Ashley, Manning announced the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment on Wednesday morning.

Established by the PeyBack Foundation, the endowment will provide academic scholarships to attend Georgia Tech for incoming freshmen from Laurens County, Georgia, where Thomas was born and raised.

“Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate, but more importantly, he was a special person and friend,” Peyton Manning said in a statement. “My family and I miss him dearly, and we wanted to honor D.T.’s memory by partnering the PeyBack Foundation with Georgia Tech to establish the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment.

“An important part of Demaryius’ legacy was the way he inspired the next generation to pursue their dreams with the same perseverance and determination that defined him. 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.”

Scholarships range in value based on a number of factors but remain valid through the completion of a degree, provided the student maintains the expected achievements in and out of the classroom.

“We are grateful to Peyton and Ashley Manning and the PeyBack Foundation for establishing the Demaryius Thomas Scholarship,” said athletic director Todd Stansbury. “Thanks to their generous contribution, Demaryius’ legacy will be carried on through Georgia Tech students from Laurens County and surrounding areas for years to come and his memory will be celebrated each year during our 8/8 Day recognitions.”

Georgia Tech will honor Demaryius Thomas

In addition to the announcement regarding the scholarship endowment, Georgia Tech revealed plans to honor the memory of Demaryius Thomas moving forward. The athletic department will remember one of its legends through multiple tributes this year and moving beyond.

In honor of his memory, Georgia Tech athletics announced that August 8 of each year will be recognized as Demaryius Thomas Day, beginning in 2022. The date was chosen in memory of the jersey No. 8 that he wore at Georgia Tech and No. 88 that he wore for the Denver Broncos.

Additionally, Georgia Tech football will honor Thomas’ memory throughout the 2022 season. The Yellow Jackets will wear a helmet decal, while a memorial is painted on the field during home games.