Georgia Tech celebrates West Laurens' Demaryius Thomas with 8/8 DT Day
From Georgia Tech Sports Information
(edited)
Distinguished family and guests joined together on Monday morning at Bobby Dodd Stadium for the inaugural 8/8 Demaryius Thomas Day to honor the legacy of their friend, teammate and family member.
Speakers included Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera, Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury, Peyton Manning, Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan and Atlanta City Councilman Byron Amos at the event.
Manning posted a tribute on Instagram.
The Demaryius A. Thomas Scholarship Endowment will endow academic scholarships to attend Georgia Tech for incoming freshmen students from Laurens County, where Thomas was born and raised, or surrounding areas who demonstrate significant financial need.
Scholarship awards will range from full scholarships to partial scholarships that may be combined with other forms of aid and split to cover costs for multiple need-based students. Scholarships will follow recipients through the completion of their degree at Georgia Tech, provided they remain in good academic standing.
To initially qualify for the Thomas Scholarship, recipients must have a 3.2 or higher high school grade point average and should have demonstrated community service involvement.
“Demaryius Thomas was an incredibly talented and unselfish teammate, but more importantly, he was a special person and friend,” Peyton Manning said. “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 football will honor Thomas’ memory throughout the 2022 season with a No. 8 helmet decal and a No. 8 memorial painted on the field for home games at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Affectionately nicknamed “Bay Bay,” Thomas was born on Christmas Day, 1987, in Laurens County. He graduated from West Laurens H.S. in 2006. He was known at Georgia Tech and in the NFL for his work in the community, particularly with youth initiatives. He died suddenly on Dec. 9, 2021 at the age of 33. His memorial service was held on Dec. 18, 2021 at Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion.