What they wanted, more than anything, was to see their son’s smile. One last time.

On Sunday morning, surrounded by rows of fans in No. 88 jerseys packed along barriers outside the south end of Empower Field, Katina Smith and Bobby Thomas tugged at the blue sheet draped over the newest statue in the Broncos’ Ring of Fame Plaza. Gary Kubiak, the Super Bowl-winning coach who knew Demaryius Thomas as an unselfish young man in a world of selfishness, helped them pull it down. Former Denver edge star DeMarcus Ware assisted, too, the teammate who sang the national anthem with Thomas before every game as a moment of peace.

Thomas always talked about peace, Ware reflected. Dozens of former teammates in the crowd on Sunday, and Thomas’ parents, just wanted to see the late receiver at peace. And a

See Full Page