THE FLATS – Georgia Tech legend Demaryius Thomas has been added to the upcoming induction class for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

Thomas, a two-time National Football League All-Pro whose 2,135 receiving yards in three collegiate seasons rank sixth in Georgia Tech soccer historical past, is considered one of 4 people that had been added to the category as a part of the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame’s annual “legends” honorees. They be a part of eight inductees that had been introduced in October, a bunch that features Georgia Tech nationwide championship quarterback Shawn Jones. The full 12-person class might be enshrined in the course of the Hall’s 67^th annual induction ceremony on Feb. 25 in Macon.

After redshirting as a real freshman out of Dexter, Ga. in 2006, Thomas performed three seasons at Georgia Tech (2007-09). He formally recorded 113 receptions (10^th in class historical past) for two,135 yards (sixth) and 13 touchdowns (t-seventh) in his three campaigns as a Yellow Jacket, and his whopping 25.1 yards per reception as a junior in 2009 stays the second-highest single-season receiving common in Tech’s all-time annals. After serving to lead Tech to consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championships in 2008 and 2009 and incomes All-America (third crew) and all-ACC (first crew) recognition in ‘09, he declared for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Thomas became only the 12^th first-round draft pick in Georgia Tech history when the Denver Broncos selected him with the 22^nd overall pick in the 2010 Draft. He went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, highlighted by eight-and-a-half campaigns with the Broncos. He caught 724 passes for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns as a pro, including 665 receptions for 9,055 yards and 60 touchdowns in 125 games with the Broncos (figures that rank third, second and second in team history, respectively). He owns 16 Broncos franchise records, including single-season receiving yards (1,619 – 2014) and career 100-yard receiving games (33). He earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2013 and 2014 and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection (2012-14, 2016).

As a pro, he is perhaps best remembered for being one of the most prolific postseason performers in the Broncos’ illustrious historical past. Making his NFL playoff debut within the divisional spherical of the 2011 playoffs versus the Pittsburgh Steelers, he caught 4 passes for a Denver postseason-record 204 yards, together with the game-winning 80-yard landing reception on the primary play of extra time that lifted the Broncos to a legendary 29-23 win. Two seasons later (2013), he made his first of two Super Bowl appearances with the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII and set a then-Super Bowl report with 13 receptions in Denver’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Two extra seasons later (2015), he received Super Bowl 50 with the Broncos (a 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers). After his eight-and-a-half seasons with the Broncos, he closed his NFL profession with the Houston Texans (2018) and New York Jets (2019). He formally introduced his retirement in June 2021.

Affectionately nicknamed “Bay Bay,” Thomas was born on Christmas Day, 1987, and died on Dec. 9, 2021 on the age of 33. He was identified at Georgia Tech and within the NFL for his work locally, significantly with youth initiatives.

In 2022, the PeyBack Foundation, the charitable group based and led by Thomas’ NFL teammate and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and his spouse, Ashley Manning, established the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment at Georgia Tech. The endowment offers tutorial scholarships to attend Georgia Tech for incoming freshmen from Laurens County, Ga., the place Thomas was born and raised, or surrounding areas, who show important monetary want.

Alexander-Tharpe Fund

The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, offering scholarship, operations and amenities assist for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be part of growing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and serving to the Yellow Jackets compete for championships on the highest ranges of faculty athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which straight offers scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To study extra about supporting the Yellow Jackets, go to atfund.org.

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