“I see him every Sunday” – Peyton Manning gets emotional about Demaryius Thomas, confesses late Broncos teammate is still in his thoughts
When Peyton Manning arrived at Denver, Demaryius Thomas was already in his second season with the team. The wide receiver was well-loved. His smiling face was one that many loved to see. However, in an extremely tragic turn of events, Thomas lost his life to a seizure in 2021.
Manning, who played a few seasons with Thomas, was emotional as he spoke about the Georgia native.
During an interview with ESPN, the 46-year-old star revealed that he visits Thomas every week.
"I see him every day. I see him every Sunday ... I think about him a lot," Peyton Manning said.
Apparently, even Manning's children were fond of Thomas. He recalled a few incidents, especially when they would run up to the WR in the locker room. Manning even shared a photo of the late star with one of his children.
He continued:
"You know on your iPhone, the pictures pop up ... 'five years ago today' type deal, and it seems like every day different pictures of Demaryius with Marshall and Mosley, he and I out at practice, just pictures that pop up,'' Manning said. "[We] miss him, makes me sad at the same time, but I know that people are thinking about him."
Manning admitted that he has a lot of pictures of DT, taken at various places like his office and the stadium.
This isn't the first time Peyton Manning has honored Demaryius Thomas
Earlier this year, Manning and his wife opened up a scholarship at Georgia Tech in Thomas' name. They used their foundation to set it up. The extremely heartfelt gesture had fans stunned and emotional over Manning's choice to honor his friend.
"Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate, but more importantly, he was a special person and friend," Manning said in his statement. "My family and I miss him dearly, and we wanted to honor D.T.'s memory".
Peyton Manning surprised Demaryius Thomas with a video message after he retired
His reaction is everything 🧡
https://t.co/Fcqs2GwwkT
He added that an important part of Thomas' legancy was the way he inspired younger generations to follow their dreams with the 'determination that defined him.' The scholarship only adds on to the impact Thomas will have, helping many more students in Georgia Tech achieve their dreams.
With Thomas being a Georgia Tech product, the college was an obvious choice for Manning and his foundation.
In fact, Thomas' 2013 season with Manning was probably the best in his career. Thomas put up an incredible performance, posting 92 receptions for 1,430 yards.