Eric Decker Gives Emotional Speech At Demaryius Thomas Service

Eric Decker choked back tears as he remembered his friend and former teammate Demaryius Thomas on Monday ... giving a powerful speech at the former NFL star's celebration of life.

Past and present members of the Denver Broncos flew to Atlanta to pay tribute to Thomas ... with John Elway, Champ Bailey, Courtland Sutton, T.J. Ward and more attending the service.

Georgia Tech's McCamish Pavilion was filled with mementos of Thomas' career -- including game balls, jerseys, and a large #88 hanging behind the stage.

Decker and Bailey -- who both played with Thomas on the Broncos -- spoke to the crowd ... and it's pretty emotional.

"He was the brother I always wanted," Decker said, fighting tears.

Bailey added ... "I just hope that D.T. understands that I have tremendous love for him. And I hope he felt it, because I definitely felt the love he had for me. I was one of those people that he stopped and paid attention to."

"I don't know why he came into my life, but I'm sure glad he did. I'm going to miss him so dearly."