Demaryius Thomas, a four-time All-Pro receiver with the Denver Broncos, died of headaches from seizures, the scientific examiner in Fulton County, Ga., stated Sunday.
Thomas died Dec. 9 at his house in Roswell, Ga., not up to six months after he retired from the NFL He was once 33.
In July, docs at Boston University who tested Thomas’s mind discovered that he had CTE, or power aggravating encephalopathy, the degenerative mind illness related to repeated head hits. The illness, which will simplest be posthumously identified, does no longer motive loss of life. Doctors stated they believed Thomas’s seizures have been caused by a 2019 automotive crash during which his head cracked the windshield and a hydraulic rescue device was once wanted to take away him from the car.
Dr. Ann McKee, the neuropathologist who tested Thomas’s mind, stated it might were extremely not likely for CTE to motive his seizures, and Thomas in all probability died of suffocation after a seizure.
While the reason for Thomas’s loss of life was once formally decided, Bertram Ennett, an investigator within the Fulton County scientific examiner’s place of work, stated the way during which he died was once nonetheless undetermined.
Thomas’s motive force discovered him mendacity within the bathe in his house, consistent with Bobby Thomas, Demaryius’s father.
Bobby Thomas and different members of the family and buddies stated Demaryius Thomas’s seizures had grow to be extra a large number of and pronounced within the ultimate 12 months of his lifestyles. They attacked with very little caution and led Thomas to damage different automobiles and collapse steps.
At the similar time, he suffered from one of the vital prerequisites related to CTE, together with reminiscence loss, paranoia and isolation. His conduct changed into increasingly more erratic, the ones closest to him stated, and he went lengthy stretches with out leaving his house or responding to calls and textual content messages.
Thomas handled complications throughout his NFL profession, which started in 2010 when he was once drafted within the first spherical out of Georgia Tech. In Super Bowl 50, which concluded the 2015 season, Thomas was once leveled by way of Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly throughout the sport and had a headache so unhealthy that he overlooked many of the events after the Broncos’ victory.
In 2019, Thomas were using 70 miles in line with hour in a 30 mph zone in Denver when he misplaced keep watch over and flipped his automotive a couple of instances.
Thomas returned to play the 2019 season, his ultimate one, with the Jets, showing in 11 video games. He persisted understanding in 2020, however stopped coaching halfway in the course of the 12 months since the frequency of his seizures greater. He sat out that season and formally retired in June 2021.
Thomas performed 10 seasons within the NFL, with the Broncos, the Houston Texans and the Jets, catching 724 passes for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns.
In a video pronouncing his retirement, Thomas stated he was once nonetheless deciding what to do subsequent and appeared to construct relationships with any individual who may just assist.
“It ain’t easy leaving football,” he stated. “Because that’s my main thing, just trying to find self and put out love.”
