18 – 88 Football Scholarship

In honor of former Denver Bronco Demaryius Thomas, his teammate and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning is partnering with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to provide the 18-88 Football Scholarship–a $10,000 scholarship to a high school senior football player in the State of Colorado who has faced and overcome adversity in his or her life. Demaryius believed in paying it forward and this scholarship honors his life and legacy both on and off the football field. This scholarship will be selected each February, announced at the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame banquet each Spring, and will be used to continue the recipient’s education in college.

Key Information

• Applications for the 18-88 Football Scholarship must be submitted between October 1st and January 31st . The recipient selected will be notified the first week of March of each year.
• The recipient will then be recognized at the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Banquet in the Spring of each year.
• Candidates will be required to provide evidence to demonstrate financial need. This can be done by: (i) having a parent or guardian write a statement summarizing the candidate’s family’s financial condition including extraordinary expenses or factors that should be considered in determining the family’s financial need (i.e., employment conditions, medical expenses and/or support of other dependents.); and (ii) submitting copies of front pages of parent(s) 2020 and 2021 Federal tax returns (include Form 1040, do not include schedules and W-2 forms) along with parents’ most recent pay stub(s).
• Candidates will need to submit an essay (typed, two pages, double-spaced) that will enable the Scholarship Committee to become better acquainted with the candidate and learn what adversity the candidate has overcome theirlife. The candidate’s essay should include personal background, future goals, what the candidate expects from a college education and the candidate’s qualifications for the 18 – 88 Football Scholarship. Please include personal experiences and specific examples in your essay and how you have overcome adversity.
• Candidates will be required to provide academic and extracurricular information including:
  • Unofficial high school transcript (including overall grade point average, rank in class if available)
  • Test scores (AP, IB, PSAT, ACT, or SAT) – Optional
  • List of academic and extracurricular activities, awards, clubs, and other distinctions
• Candidates will be required to provide two letters of recommendation as follows:
  • One letter of recommendation must be from the candidate’s high school, must be on the high school’s letterhead, and must comment regarding the candidate’s overall record as a member of the candidate’s high school including (i) special recognition received and/or (ii) any adverse circumstances that may have affected the candidate’s schoolwork or the candidate had to overcome to succeed in the classroom or on the athletic field and should be taken into consideration in reviewing the application.
  • One letter of recommendation from a non-family member that knows the candidate well, and can write to the candidate’s overall qualification for the 18-88 Football Scholarship.

The 18 – 88 Football Scholarship applications will receive full consideration when the directions and materials are followed accurately and completely. Once submitted, all application information and supporting materials will become the exclusive property of the 18 – 88 Football Scholarship and cannot be returned.

All materials can be submitted via email [email protected] or can be submitted via mail to:

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame

Empower Field at Mile High, Gate 1

1701 Bryant Street, Suite 500

Denver, CO 80204

Any questions can be emailed to [email protected]