Former Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, who was found dead last December at age 33, was suffering from stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy at the time of his death, his family said in a Tuesday statement. The diagnosis was announced concurrently with a team of Boston doctors through The New York Times. A degenerative brain disorder often caused by repeated blows to the head, CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously. Katina Smith, Thomas’ mother, said she had begun to notice Thomas isolating himself and displaying other symptoms associated with CTE in the months leading up to his death. “He was just so young, and it was horrible to see him struggle. His father and I hope all families learn the risks of playing football. We don’t want other parents to have to lose their children like we did.” Thomas’ family said they believe he had a seizure that led to cardiac arrest in the shower. Seizures are not commonly associated with CTE; the Times reported that Thomas had been struggling with a separate, parallel disorder that causes seizures, sparked by a 2019 car crash.
