Demaryius Thomas

American football player, Demaryius Antwon Thomas, hails from Montrose, GA. Born on December 25, 1987 to Bobby Thomas and Katina Smith, the 29 year old wide receiver plays for the Denver Broncos, who drafted him in the first round of the 2010 draft. He stands 6'3" and weighs 229 pounds.

Childhood and High School

Thomas attended high school in Dexter, GA at West Laurens High School where he lettered in football, basketball and track. As a wide receiver for famed coach Andrew Slome, he recorded 32 receptions in his 2004 junior year for 330 yards and three touchdowns. During his senior year, he caught 82 receptions for 1,234 yards and ten touchdowns. During his junior and senior years he was selected as an all-region and all-Heart of Georgia player. During his senior year, he was also chosen for the North-South All-Star game and for the Atlanta Journal Constitution's Class AA all-state first team and as PrepStar to its All-Region team. Scout.com ranked him 22nd among GA's college prospects, while Rivals.com placed him at 34th. Duke University, University of Georgia, and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) offered him scholarships.

College

He attended Georgia Tech, majoring in management. He redshirted his 2006 season. In 2007, he started in 10 games and played in all 13. He caught 35 receptions for 558 yards. During that year's Humanitarian Bowl, he caught four receptions for 69 yards and made a touchdown. He received two freshman honors from The Sporting News: a spot on its freshman All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) first team and an All-American honorable mention. In 2008, led the team in receiving with 39 receptions for 627 yards and three touchdowns. Both years produced respectable numbers, but it was his junior year in 2009 that became his breakout year. He made 46 receptions for an impressive 1,154 yards with 8 touchdowns. He was honored that year with a spot on the All-ACC first team. In his 2010 senior year he recorded 120 catches for 2,339 yards and 14 touchdowns. Depending on the NFL scout, he either ranked number one or two as wide receiver going into the 2010 NFL draft with Dez Bryant as his closest competition.

NFL Draft

Thomas has no combine results from the draft. He broke his foot and could not participate in the 40 time or vertical drills. His Wonderlic test score was 34, the second highest of wide receivers. Regardless of his inability to drill, his college performances made him a first round draft pick by the Denver Broncos, 22nd overall. He signed with the Broncos as a wide receiver on July 31, 2010, accepting a five-year, $12.155 million contract with $9.35 million salary. The Broncos assigned him jersey number 88.

NFL Career

Thomas began his NFL 2010 rookie season with eight receptions for 97 yards with one touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks. It was the second most catches by a rookie in a single game in franchise history. During his rookie season he suffered a forearm injury, a concussion, and an ankle injury that caused him to miss five games. He was able to play 10 games for the season. He made 22 receptions for 283 yards and two touchdowns.

The following season also began with injuries for Thomas. He tore his achilles tendon while working out, but responded well to rehab. Just before the start of the 2011 season the Broncos moved him from the Physically Unable to the Perform List. During his first practice back he broke his left pinkie finger. The injury caused him to miss the first five games of the season. Despite being plagued with injuries a second season, in the games he did play he emerged as quarterback Tim Tebow's go to receiver. He ended the regular season with 32 receptions for 551 yards and four touchdowns. He burned up the playoffs with show stopping plays like the game-winning 80-yard touchdown pass he caught from Tebow in overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The AFC Wild Card game ended with a 29 - 23 score. His playoff debut ended with four receptions for 204 yards and one touchdown. It was the most receiving yards by a wide receiver in Broncos history.

In 2012, he set a regular-season career highs for receptions and yards. Against New England, he caught nine throws for 180 yards. He tied his personal best catches in a game against the Cleveland Browns and the Carolina Panthers. Healthy for the 2012 season, it became his breakout pro year with 94 receptions for 1,434 yards and ten touchdowns. He led the Broncos in receptions, yards, and targets. Thomas ranked eighth in the league in receptions, fourth in yards and seventh in touchdowns. He was selected for the 2012 Pro Bowl.

During week ten of the 2013 season, Thomas received the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance against the San Diego Chargers. During that game he made seven receptions for 108 yards and three touchdowns. He finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1430 yards and a career high 14 touchdowns. He ranked second in the league for touchdowns, fourth in yards, and ninth in the league. He led the Broncos in receiving touchdowns, targets, receptions and yards. Thomas played in the 2013 Pro Bowl and the Associated Press named him to its All-Pro team. During that season's playoffs he scored at least one touchdown per game. Although he played in Super Bowl XLVIII with a separated shoulder, he recorded the most catches by a player in a Super Bowl. He made 13 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.

In his 2014 season, Thomas broke the franchise record for receiving yards in a single game when he made eight receptions for 226 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. He finished the season ranked second in the NFL in receiving yards with 1,619 from 111 catches. He set career highs in catches and yards.

2015 NFL Season

On March 3, 2015, the Denver Broncos placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Thomas. In interviews Thomas indicated he wanted to remain with the Broncos and hoped to work out a deal. On July 15, 2015, he got his wish when he signed a five-year, $70 million contract extension. Thomas made 105 receptions for 1,304 yards and six touchdowns. Thomas was again named to the Pro Bowl, but did not get to play because of his team's playoff schedule. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 to win the Super Bowl.

2016 NFL Season

Thomas made the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 list, ranking 62nd. He played his fifth consecutive 1,000-plus yard season. For the fifth straight year he was selected for 2017 Pro Bowl. He finished the season with 90 receptions for 1,083 yards and five touchdowns.

Personal Life

As a child he witnessed a police raid on his home in which his mother and grandmother were arrested for crack distribution. Both were convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Thomas lived with his aunt and uncle after his mother's arrest. On July 13, 2015, President Obama commuted his mother's sentence. Released from prison in November 2015, she saw her son play football for the first time on January 17, 2016. August 2, 2016, President Obama commuted his grandmother's sentence, as well. Thomas, an Evangelical Christian openly shares his faith on his Twitter. His Instagram features football highlights.