ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Facing a two-decade prison sentence, Demaryius Thomas' mother was battling depression. She was unable to experience the defining moments of parenthood: her son's first touchdown catch, his high school graduation and tearful goodbyes when he moved to college. All Katina Smith could do was speak with her children during occasional visits or on the phone; the extent of watching them grow up was limited to the changes she saw from one visit to the next.
When Thomas was 11 years old, his mother was sentenced to 20 years in prison and his grandmother to life, because it was her 'third strike.