Former Broncos wide receiver Demarius Thomas had stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) when he was found dead at his Georgia home on December 9.
Thomas, 33, was posthumously diagnosed with stage 2 CTE by doctors at Boston University’s CTE Center. Stage 2 CTE symptoms include paranoia and depression.
“Once I learned about CTE and became familiar with the symptoms, I realized Demarius was isolating himself and was seeing other changes in him,” Thomas’ mother, Katina Smith, said in a statement.
We were devastated and completely heartbroken.
Demarius’ humility, warmth, kindness and contagious smile will forever remain in the memories of those who knew and loved him. pic.twitter.com/0GLZIr6UP3
– Denver Broncos (@Broncos) December 10, 2021
“He’s still so young and it’s scary to see him struggling. We hope his father has made the whole family aware of the dangers of playing football. We do not want to lose the children of other parents like us.”
CTE is not a medically proven cause of death. Instead, the condition is associated with depression and other emotional and cognitive problems.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Demarius Thomas (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Thomas’ cause of death has not been officially disclosed.
The former Bronco wide receiver retired from the NFL less than six months before his death.
“Neurologist Dr. Ann McKee, who was part of the research team at Boston University, said Thomas probably died after a seizure, a condition not usually associated with CTE,” MLive reports.
Source: Breitbart
