Former NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas' cause of death revealed seven months later: Report
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Former NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas' cause of death has been revealed.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner declared Thomas died from "complications of 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 Roswell, Georgia home in December, less than six months after he officially retired from the NFL.
He was 33.
Thomas' family announced last month that doctors at Boston University's Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center 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 is not clear, according to the official report.
"It is unknown whether Mr. Thomas’ seizure disorder is a result of natural causes or a sequela of head impacts incurred during his career as a professional football player and the reviewed medical records do not include an etiology for Mr. Thomas’ seizures."
OBIT: Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Demaryius Thomas dies at 33
DEMARYIUS THOMAS: Ex-NFL wide receiver had stage 2 CTE at the time of his death
WHO WAS DEMARYIUS THOMAS? Super Bowl winning receiver starred 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 prior to his death. She said the family believed Thomas had died after having a seizure.
According to a news release from the Concussion Legacy Foundation, which facilitated the testing of Thomas' brain, BU doctors believe the seizures were likely not associated with CTE. Family members and friends told the New York Times that Thomas started having seizures in the fall of 2020, about a year after he was involved in a serious car crash in Denver.
"He had two different conditions in parallel," Ann McKee, the director of the BU CTE Center, told the New York Times.
Thomas won a Super Bowl and earned five Pro Bowl nods over the course of 10 seasons in the NFL, 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. All told, he caught 724 passes for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns as a pro.
Contributing: Tom Schad
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas' cause of death revealed
