Sports

Middle Georgia native Demaryius Thomas posthumously diagnosed with CTE. What that means

In this Sept. 16, 2018, file photo, Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas runs against the Oakland Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Denver.
In this Sept. 16, 2018, file photo, Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas runs against the Oakland Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game in Denver. Jack Dempsey AP

Middle Georgia native and NFL star Demaryius Thomas was posthumously diagnosed with CTE on Tuesday, according to his family and doctors at Boston University. The New York Times reported the diagnosis along with the harmful effects the condition had on Thomas at the end of his life.

Thomas, who died in December at age 33, dealt with debilitating headaches and sluggishness in addition to seizures caused by a separate condition, his family told the Times.

CTE is a progressive brain condition that is commonly associated with football, as it is thought to stem from repeated blows to the head. Its symptoms often resemble those of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Thomas’s death is only the latest in a sea of CTE concerns for the NFL over the years, a list that includes multiple players who were diagnosed with CTE after committing suicide. Thomas is one of more than 300 players diagnosed with CTE by doctors at Boston University.

Thomas was a native of Montrose and starred at West Laurens High School. He played football at Georgia Tech, earning numerous ACC honors as a wide receiver prior to his Pro Bowl NFL career.

Thomas’s most notable years in the NFL came with the Denver Broncos, where he won a Super Bowl while notching five straight seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards. He lived in Georgia for the majority of his life until he passed away in Roswell.

In this 2004 Telegraph file photo, West Laurens’ Demaryius Thomas draws a foul from Banneker’s Mychael Harris. Thomas would go on to play football for Georgia Tech and spend 10 seasons in the NFL with the Broncos, Texans and Jets. He died Thursday at age 33.
In this 2004 Telegraph file photo, West Laurens’ Demaryius Thomas draws a foul from Banneker’s Mychael Harris. Thomas would go on to play football for Georgia Tech and spend 10 seasons in the NFL with the Broncos, Texans and Jets. He died Thursday at age 33. Grant Blankenship Telegraph file photo
In this 2007 Telegraph file photo, then-Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas leaps for a pass that was over his head against the University of Georgia.
In this 2007 Telegraph file photo, then-Georgia Tech wide receiver Demaryius Thomas leaps for a pass that was over his head against the University of Georgia. Bob Snow Special to Telegraph

This story was originally published July 5, 2022 at 11:22 AM.

MJ
Micah Johnston
The Telegraph
Micah Johnston is a general assignment reporter for the Macon Telegraph. A Macon native and Mercer University graduate, he joined The Telegraph in 2022. When he’s not writing about anything under the sun, you can find him obsessively following baseball, reading or playing drums.
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