Demaryius Thomas had the degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, which is linked to repeated blows to the head.
Thomas' family has released the findings of Boston University CTE Center's brain study through the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) to raise awareness of CTE. Stage 2 CTE is associated with progressive behavior, cognitive & mood abnormalities. Thomas developed depression, anxiety, panic attacks & memory troubles before his death.
Thomas was found dead in his Roswell, Georgia, home this past Dec. 9, just 15 days before his 34th birthday. At the time, his family believed seizures, which Thomas had battled since a 2019 car crash, might have led to his death. The coroner's office in Fulton County, Georgia, has not yet ruled on the cause of death.
Neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee, who was part of the Boston University research team, said Thomas most likely died after having a seizure -- a condition not generally associated with CTE.
"CTE itself does not cause death. You don't die from CTE," McKee told ABC News. "What CTE does is it changes your behavior & your personality."
"His mood would change, and he would also isolate himself sometimes," Thomas' mother, Katina Stuckey Smith, told ABC News. "He was, like, 'Mom, I don't know what's going on with my body. You know, I gotta get myself together,' & he said, 'I don't feel like myself anymore.'"
A first-round pick in 2010 out of Georgia Tech, Thomas played 10 seasons in the NFL. He spent 8½ seasons with the Denver Broncos, with whom he won two AFC championships and a Super Bowl. The 4-time Pro Bowl receiver also played with the Houston Texans & New York Jets, finishing his career with 724 catches for 9,763 yards & 63 touchdowns.
Thomas retired from the NFL in June 2021.
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Source: ESPN
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