New details have emerged regarding the death of former NFL star Demaryius Thomas, who passed away in December from a seizure that led to cardiac arrest at his home in Roswell, GA. His mother, Katina Stuckey Smith, later revealed how the ex-Denver Broncos star confided in her about needing help after displaying erratic behavior, such as sudden mood changes and isolation in 2020.
Now, Boston University doctors, who had been studying the wide receiver’s brain following his death, have uncovered that Demaryius had stage 2 degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is often linked to repeated trauma NFL players endure to the head.
“I don’t feel like myself anymore.” – Demaryius Thomas, gone at age 33, one year after retirement.
The next time a young NFL player decides to walk away citing wanting to preserve their health and you think to call them soft, keep your fucking mouth shut.#RIPDT#BroncosCountry https://t.co/E2Q5yPpvry
— Ken H. (@milehighblkguy) July 5, 2022
He reportedly first began suffering from seizures following a car accident in 2019, but neuropathologist Dr. Ann McKee, who was part of the team researching the football star’s brain had ruled out that his cause of death could have been caused by CTE itself. From her findings, his violent seizures were blamed on injuries he had incurred outside of his profession, such as the aforementioned car accident and a fall down the stairs.
“CTE itself does not cause death,” she said. “You don’t die from CTE. What CTE does is it changes your behavior and your personality.”
In a previous interview with ABC, Demaryius’ mom recalled how she had noticed a shift in her son’s behavior which was brought on by his car accident. ”His mood would change, and he would also isolate himself sometimes. He was, like, Mom, I don’t know what’s going on with my body. You know, I gotta get myself together,’ and he said, I don’t feel like myself anymore.’”
Leading up to his sudden death, Demaryius had also dealt with paranoia, memory loss, and constant headaches, which had plagued his health up until his untimely passing last year. He had announced his retirement from the NFL in July 2021 after having played in 10 seasons — most of which time he spent as part of the Denver Broncos team.
He went on to help them win Super Bowl 50 but also shared stints playing with the Houston Texans and New York Jets. Throughout his career, he recorded 9,763 receiving yards, 63 touchdowns, and a whopping 724 receptions.