DENVER — Demaryius Thomas' mother, Katina Smith, left Sports Authority Field at Mile High Sunday with two gifts. The first was the simple ability to watch her son play the game he loves for the first time in person. The second was the game ball, given to Thomas by quarterback Peyton Manning for that specific reason.
Sunday's game against the Steelers capped a whirlwind journey for Smith, who had been in prison serving a drug trafficking sentence since 1999. In July, President Barack Obama commuted Smith's sentence, along with 45 others whose sentences for nonviolent drug offenses were called "unduly harsh" by the White House.