Demaryius Thomas, a former wide receiver for the Denver Broncos, was diagnosed on Tuesday with stage 2 CTE, a type of brain deterioration that has been observed in other sportsmen.
In December, Thomas, 33, was discovered dead in his Georgia home. Authorities had earlier stated that there was no suspicion of foul play, despite the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office stating that a copy of his autopsy report was not yet ready for distribution.
Thomas Smith’s mother, Katina Smith, claimed that before his passing, her son began exhibiting changes like isolation.
According to a news release from the Concussion Legacy Foundation on Tuesday, stage 2 of the disease is frequently accompanied with escalating behaviour in addition to mood and cognitive impairments. According to the foundation, Thomas had memory issues, anxiety, panic attacks, and sadness in the years prior to his death.
The head of the Boston University CTE Center, Dr. Ann McKee, expressed optimism that this will serve as a wake-up call. After Thomas’ family agreed to donate his brain, the facility determined that he had CTE.
According to Thomas’ relative, the family thinks that a seizure contributed to his death. The football player, according to LaTonya Bonseigneur, had been experiencing seizures for more than a year before to his passing.
