The cause of death of former NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has been revealed.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner said Thomas died of “complications of a seizure disorder,” according to an official report obtained by the Denver Post.
The Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning wide receiver was found dead in his home in Roswell, Georgia, in December, less than six months after officially retiring from the NFL.
He was 33 years old.
Thomas’ family announced last month that doctors at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center had posthumously diagnosed the football star with stage 2 CTE, which has been associated with symptoms like paranoia and depression. Stage 4 is the most severe.
Fulton County Medical Examiner Karen Sullivan said the cause of Thomas’ seizure disorder was unclear, according to the official report.
“It is unclear whether Mr Thomas’ seizure disorder is the result of natural causes or a sequel to head impacts sustained during his professional football career and the medical records reviewed do not include an etiology for Mr. Thomas’ fits.”
Obituary: Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Demaryius Thomas dies at 33
DEMARYIUS THOMAS: The former NFL wide receiver had a stage 2 CTE at the time of his death
WHO WAS DEMARYIUS THOMAS? Super Bowl-winning receiver played for Broncos, made five Pro Bowls
Thomas’ cousin, LaTonya Bonseigneur, told The Associated Press late last year that the former wide receiver had been suffering from seizures for more than a year before his death. She said the family believed Thomas died after having a seizure.
According to a press release from the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which facilitated testing of Thomas’s brain, doctors at UB believe the seizures were probably not associated with CTE. Family and friends told The New York Times that Thomas began having seizures in the fall of 2020, about a year after he was involved in a serious car accident in Denver.
“He had two different conditions running concurrently,” Ann McKee, director of the BU CTE Center, told The New York Times.
Thomas won a Super Bowl and earned five Pro Bowl nominations during 10 NFL seasons, the majority of which were spent with the Denver Broncos. He also had brief stints with the Houston Texans, New England Patriots and New York Jets. In total, he caught 724 passes for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns as a pro.
Contributor: Tom Schad
USA Today