New details surrounding the death of former Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas have emerged this week as the Fulton County, Georgia medical examiner’s office concluded that the All-Pro receiver died from complications from seizures.
There has been a number of new developments emerging from the untimely death of Thomas on December 9, 2021, just six months following his retirement from the NFL.
Last month, doctors from Boston University found that Thomas was dealing with advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after examining his brain. Although CTE is degenerative, it cannot cause death.
Doctors believe that Thomas’ seizures were rather a result of a 2019 car crash in which Thomas’ skull cracked the windshield, and he had to be removed from the vehicle with a hydraulic rescue tool.
He had been driving 70 m.p.h. in a 30 m.p.h. zone when he lost control and his car flipped.
Dr. Ann McKee found that it would be unlikely that C.T.E. was responsible for his seizures and said that Thomas most likely died of suffocation following a seizure after examining his brain. Although the cause of death has been officially determined, investigators say his manner of death has yet to be determined. Thomas was found in his shower by his driver.
Thomas’s family and friends said that he had increasing numbers of seizures in the months leading up to his death. These seizures would be in-home incidents and came on with little or no warning.
This paired with CTE symptoms such as memory loss, paranoia and isolation made Thomas erratic and reclusive in his final months. According to close friends and relatives, he would go long stretches without leaving his home or responding to texts and phone calls.
Thomas had been reportedly working out in 2020 to spur a comeback to the NFL but stopped midway through the year because the frequency of seizures increased. He officially retired in June 2021.
In his retirement announcement, Thomas expressed that he was still looking to build relationships with anyone around him. “It ain’t easy leaving football,” he said. “Because that’s my main thing, just trying to find self and put out love.”
