The Denver Broncos are set to honor a franchise icon this weekend as late wide receiver Demaryius Thomas will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame at halftime of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
The Broncos painted a special “88” logo on their practice field as a tribute to Thomas, who died with complications of seizure disorder at age 33 in 2021. It’s the same logo that the team used to honor DT after he passed away.
There are two Broncos left who played with Thomas in Denver: left tackle Garett Bolles and wide receiver Courtland Sutton. For Sutton, this game means a little bit more to him. As a rookie, Sutton only played with Thomas for eight games before Thomas was traded to the Houston Texans in 2018. But the impact Thomas had on Sutton was tremendous.
“‘DT’ means the world to me,” Sutton after Wednesday’s practice. “I have been waiting for this day of him getting his recognition from this organization because of all the things he has done for the Broncos organization. I know this guy loved Denver, he loved Broncos Country and he loved being able to call this place home for the eight seasons he was able to be here. The small amount of time I was able to spend with him was some of the most impactful time that I have had being a Denver Bronco. I know if I didn’t have the guidance of him and Emmanuel [Sanders] in the room for me as a young rookie, I don’t think I’m able to build the character and build the player that I became without the guidance.
“I think so highly of ‘DT.’ I can talk all day about him. I didn’t get to spend a whole bunch of time with him, but the time I did, he was so impactful that I can sit here all day and talk about the man that he was. Beyond the football player, just the man that he was. He carried himself in such a way that you can only aspire to be able to be talked about in the likes that he is talked about as a person.”
When Thomas died, the Broncos held a touching tribute for Thomas, with a “missing man” huddle, where they left Thomas’ former position open. Sutton was the missing man, taking a knee on Thomas’ 88, before taking Thomas’ place after a delay of game penalty against the Detroit Lions (see video below).
🙏 8️⃣8️⃣ 🙏#LLDT 🕊 pic.twitter.com/Y2U4MgUpQ1
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 12, 2021
Thomas was a beloved member of the team, in his community and in Broncos Country’s hearts. Long Live DT.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Broncos honor DT with ’88’ logo; Courtland Sutton pays tribute
