Demaryius Thomas

Fans remember Demaryius Thomas as a talented wide receiver with a truly inspiring story. He was able to pull himself up by his bootstraps despite a tumultuous and chaotic upbringing that caused him to live with his aunt and uncle. Thomas’s mother and grandmother, who were his main caretakers, were sent to prison for distributing illegal substances.

The arrest of his mother and grandmother, who got 20 years and life in prison, respectively, turned Thomas’s world upside down. He was shuffled between family members throughout his childhood. Former President Barack Obama commuted both his mother’s and grandmother’s prison sentences in 2015 and 2016. His mom got to see him play in 2016 during a Denver Broncos game. Sadly, Thomas unexpectedly passed away in 2021 from CTE, a condition caused by repeated head trauma.