Demaryius Thomas: 'I Wanted To Stay Here No Matter What'
DENVER (CBS4) - Last week was a great one for Denver Broncos star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. On Monday he learned his mother would be getting out of prison sometime this fall and then on Wednesday he received the biggest contract in Broncos history.
Thomas was still smiling when CBS4's Vic Lombardi caught up with him at his annual youth summer football camp. He said he was happy the 5-year, $70 million deal got done before he held his youth football camp.
"I was actually thinking about that and I was like, 'Man, if I didn't get my deal done I wonder how many parents would be here to bring their kids,' " Thomas said. "I'm very happy I got my deal done because I wanted to stay here no matter what. And then to come out here with the deal done, it's easy, no stress, I don't have to worry about people bothering me … now I'm ready to go to work."
And he'll have a lot of work to do to play catchup and learn the playbook.
"I don't really know (the plays) to a certain extent, but I worked out with DeAndre Hopkins who played in Houston, he played in the same offense; and I worked out with Marlon Brown, he played in the same offense with the Ravens … it's basically going to be like when I was with (Tim) Tebow, or when I was in college -- just run, run, play action deep, come back, end route."
Thomas has said he wants to break some records in yardage and touchdowns. But the new offense isn't like last year's offense that relied much more on the passing game.
"People don't understand … all you've got to do is connect on four or five of them and be over 60, 70 yards. I know our running game is going to be great and they're going to have to respect Peyton (Manning) still, I don't care what people say about him," Thomas said.
He said he has no worries about his 39-year-old quarterback being too old.
"I'm not worried about it at all … he wouldn't have come back if he had a problem. He's not coming back to just play and get a check, he's coming back to try to win a Super Bowl," Thomas said. "I'm not worried about it, he's going to be fine, everybody else is going to be fine, they're going to hold up their own just like I do. I want to win a Super Bowl, everybody else wants to win one, and of course we want to do it for Peyton before he's done."
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Last week President Barack Obama commuted the sentences for 46 prisoners currently being held behind bars, including Thomas' mother, Katina Smith, who was arrested on charges of planning to distribute cocaine when Thomas was only 11 years old. Smith was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. The news was a surprise to many, but Thomas said he knew something might be in the works.
"Like a month after the season we got some news saying maybe Nov. 1. But we didn't know for sure. I can still remember, it was Monday morning … I missed two calls that were 'unknown' … the third time she called again and told me, 'I got good news.' I said, 'What's wrong?' 'Obama's got 46 people he's going to let come home soon.' I was like, 'Are you one of them?'
"It was like joy and it was emotion at the same time. I really didn't know what to do. I was so happy," Thomas said. "And like relief … it's been 15 years and she's finally coming home and she's finally going to get to see me play a football game."
"She's never seen me play a live football game. I look forward to it, I'm happy and I'm excited," he said. "I never thought I'd be playing NFL football. I always wanted to play basketball."
The Broncos open training camp on July 31.
