Demaryius Thomas, a four-time All-Pro receiver with the Denver Broncos, died of headaches from seizures, the clinical examiner in Fulton County, Ga., mentioned Sunday.
Thomas died Dec. 9 at his house in Roswell, Ga., not up to six months after he retired from the N.F.L. He used to be 33.
In July, medical doctors at Boston University who tested Thomas’s mind discovered that he had C.T.E., or power annoying encephalopathy, the degenerative mind illness related to repeated head hits. The illness, which will simplest be posthumously identified, does no longer motive demise. Doctors mentioned they believed Thomas’s seizures had been attributable to a 2019 automobile crash through which his head cracked the windshield and a hydraulic rescue software used to be wanted to take away him from the car.
Dr. Ann McKee, the neuropathologist who tested Thomas’s mind, mentioned it could were extremely not likely for C.T.E. to motive his seizures, and Thomas perhaps died of suffocation after a seizure.
While the reason for Thomas’s demise used to be formally made up our minds, Bertram Ennett, an investigator within the Fulton County clinical examiner’s place of business, mentioned the style through which he died used to be nonetheless undetermined.
Thomas’s driving force discovered him mendacity within the bathe in his house, in step with Bobby Thomas, Demaryius’s father.
Bobby Thomas and different members of the family and pals mentioned Demaryius Thomas’s seizures had transform extra a lot of and pronounced within the ultimate 12 months of his existence. 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 C.T.E., together with reminiscence loss, paranoia and isolation. His habits turned into more and more erratic, the ones closest to him mentioned, and he went lengthy stretches with out leaving his house or responding to calls and textual content messages.
Thomas handled complications all through his N.F.L. profession, which started in 2010 when he used to be drafted within the first spherical out of Georgia Tech. In Super Bowl 50, which concluded the 2015 season, Thomas used to be leveled via Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly all through 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 according to hour in a 30 m.p.h. zone in Denver when he misplaced keep an eye on and flipped his automobile 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 during the 12 months since the frequency of his seizures larger. He sat out that season and formally retired in June 2021.
Thomas performed 10 seasons within the N.F.L., 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 mentioned he used to be nonetheless deciding what to do subsequent and seemed to construct relationships with any individual who may assist.
“It ain’t easy leaving football,” he mentioned. “Because that’s my main thing, just trying to find self and put out love.”
