Peyton Manning partners with Georgia Tech for Demaryius Thomas scholarship

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning has created a scholarship fund at Georgia Tech to honor his friend and former teammate Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas, a former Georgia Tech wide receiver and Georgia native, died Dec. 9 at age 33.

The Demaryius Thomas Scholarship Endowment, created through Manning's PeyBack Foundation, will award academic scholarships to incoming freshmen from Laurens County, Ga., where Thomas was born and raised, or surrounding communities who demonstrate significant financial need and academic achievement. Full or partial scholarships will be awarded annually, and students will receive the scholarships until they graduate from Georgia Tech.

«Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate, but more importantly, he was a special person and friend,» Manning said Wednesday in a statement. «My family and I miss him dearly, and we wanted to honor D.T.'s memory by partnering the PeyBack Foundation with Georgia Tech to establish the Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment.

»An important part of Demaryius' legacy was the way he inspired the next generation to pursue their dreams with the same perseverance and determination that defined him. Through this scholarship to Georgia Tech, Demaryius will have a lasting impact on deserving youth from his hometown area who can follow in his footsteps and accomplish great things in life."

Georgia Tech also announced that Aug. 8 will be recognized as Demaryius Thomas Day each year; Thomas' uniform number at the school was No. 8. The recipient of the scholarship will be recognized that day as well.

Yellow Jackets players will also wear a No. 8 decal on their helmets in the 2022 season.

«We are grateful to Peyton and Ashley Manning