Demaryius Thomas was suffering from the late effects of CTE at the time of his death. The former Denver Broncos wide receiver had died in December 2021

Munich – Demaryius Thomas suffered from the consequences of a CTE disease. This has now been confirmed by an examination by Boston University. The former wide receiver, who experienced his most successful time with the Denver Broncos, was found dead last December.

However, the CTE disease or the late effects were not the cause of death. Neurologist Dr Ann McKee, who was part of the Boston investigation team, told ABC News: “CTE itself does not cause death. You don’t die from CTE. What CTE does is it changes behaviour and personality.”

According to family members, Thomas showed the typical symptoms of a CTE disorder. These include memory loss, paranoia and other erratic behaviour. “His mood would change and sometimes he would isolate himself. He would say, ‘Mum, I don’t know what’s wrong with my body. I need to get myself together. I don’t feel like myself anymore,'” Thomas’ mother said.

Seizures as cause of death?

In addition to the usual symptoms, he also suffered from seizures since a car accident in 2019. The family to this day believes that such a seizure led to the death of Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas had ended his active career in June 2021. In a total of eleven years, he scored 63 touchdowns. He won the Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos in 2016.