I do enjoy watching football. Before the Broncos/Steelers game I heard the announcers talk about Demaryius Thomas’ mother who was going to be able to see him play in person for the first time in his career. Evidently she was incarcerated, recently released, and able to make the trip to Denver. I looked into the story further this is a recap from what I found from the Denver Post:

Katina Stuckey Smith gave birth to her only son, Demaryius Antwon Thomas, on Christmas Day in 1987 when she was 15. In 1999 Katina and her mother, Minnie Pearl Thomas, were charged and convicted of trafficking drugs. If Katina, who was accused of being the banker, had pleaded guilty and testified against her mother, she would have been out in two to four years. But she refused to do so and was sentenced to 20 years. When Katina and her mother were gone, Demaryius was shuffled around. One afternoon he went home with a cousin, asked if he could spend the night and stayed there for 11 years. His aunt and uncle raised him as their own son. His uncle who is a pastor at two rural churches baptized Demaryius. He later told him he wanted the young basketball player to go to Georgia Tech and major in engineering. That is where Demaryius became an all-state football player and an All-America receiver. In the mean time, his mother watched his college and professional football games on TV from federal prison in Tallahassee, Fla., where she was incarcerated. On game days she would fashion two 8s from duct tape and apply them to the back of her T-shirt. In July President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 46 federal prisoners, including Katina. She was released in November and spent time in a halfway house.

Today she was able to travel to Denver to watch her son play – and help win -the playoff game. At the end of the game, Peyton Manning gave the game ball to Demaryius to give to his mother.

I Found God today in so many ways in this wonderful story – In Demaryius’ ability to progress in a positive direction, his perseverance, and obvious forgiveness; in his uncle’s unconditional love and giving the boy a new chance at life; and in what I am sure was a great event for a son and his mother.