Demaryius Thomas's mother will be in attendance at SB 50

Just two weeks after being able to see him play for the first time in 16 years in the AFC Championship, Katina Stuckey Smith will be in attendance at Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, CA to watch her son Demaryius Thomas get his second shot at a title.

“My mom will be here today,” Thomas said yesterday. “I’m excited about that. She’s excited. Get to hang out before games after practice. Just leading up to it, it’s still a business trip, but we’re going to enjoy it as well.”

Smith was arrested when Thomas was just 11-years old and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2000 on a drug trafficking charge.

In July 2015, President Barack Obama reduced the sentences of 46 federal prisoners serving for non-violent offenses, including Smith.

Now, she can be in the stands for the second game in a row cheering on her son.

16 years is a long time for Thomas to play without one of his biggest supporters in the stands.

“It didn’t seem like16 years, it actually went by quick because she came out here just as fast,” Thomas said. “You know she kind of got used to everything kind of quick, she flew for the first time. So it wasn’t too bad. She’s been excited about it, and now she’s coming to the Super Bowl.”

It certainly will be different than the last time Thomas played in a Super Bowl two years ago, in which the Broncos fell to the Seattle Seahawks 43-8.

“It’s totally different,” Thomas said. “Up towards the Super Bowl my mom and granny were able to call me, I talked to them I don’t know how many times, they were excited for me. They were saying this is going to happen, that is going to happen, but you know we didn’t come out on top last time and now we get another chance, and it’s special as well to also have her here,”

“I don’t have to talk to her on the phone anymore,” Thomas added. “I can be in the same room, we can play together about it. It’s just special, and I will know she’ll be sitting at the seat, know she’s there and it’s just like a dream come true.”