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Former NFL starDemarius Thomas, who died last December at the age of 33, suffered from CTE, his family said Tuesday.
Researchers at the Boston University CTE Center have diagnosedfour ProBowl Wide Receiversas stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy as a result of brain studies by the Concussion Legacy Foundation. The Thomas family published the results of the study.
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In this September 16, 2018 file photo, Denver Broncos wide receiver Demarius Thomas (88) , Play against the Oakland Raiders in the second half of NFL football. In the game, Denver. Former NFL star Demarius Thomas, who died last December at the age of 33, suffered from CTE, his family said on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Photo / Jack Dempsey, file)
"When I noticed CTE and started to get used to the symptoms, I noticed that Demarius was isolated. , He has seen other changes, "Dempsey's mother, Katina Smith, said in a statement. .. "It was scary to see him struggling because he was so young. His father and I hope all families learn the risks of playing football. We. Other parents do not have to lose their children as in. ”
Stage 2 CTE is associated with“ progressive behavioral, cognitive and mood abnormalities ”. The family says they developed depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and memory problems in the years before Thomas died. Stage 4 is the most severe stage of CTE and is usually associated with dementia.
"Like many people in the past, I found a stage 2 CTE in Demaryius Thomas's mind. The question I keep asking myself is" when will it be enough? " When are athletes, parents and the general public? Would you like to stop ignoring the risks of American football and insist on changing the game to reduce subcontractive hits? "Dr. Ann McKee, Head of Neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and Director of the BUCTE Center and VA-BU-CLF / UNITE Brainbank, said.
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Demarius, a former Denver Broncos player after the match against the Detroit Lions at the Emperor Field at Mile Detailed view of the # 88 Tribute Logo Ball to Thomas December 12, 2021, best in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds / Getty Images)
CLF co-founder and CEO Dr. Chris Nowinski arranges a survey through the Thomas family. Did.
"Bobeat-mass and Katina Smith, and all I want to thank my family — for the trust of Dr. McKee and this team, ”said Harvard former soccer player Noinsky. "This is the awakening call to the prominent current and former NFL players that CTE is rampant in, and I hope they need to be involved in the creation of the actual solution. CTE is in their field. It should be the biggest problem outside. "
Thomas is one of the more than 300 former NFL players diagnosed with CTE by McKee and the BUCTE Center research team.
The cause of Thomas' death has not yet been identified. In 2021, Thomas began to experience seizures. McKee told ABC News that he attributed the seizures to serious injuries at the soccer field, such as a car accident and a fall on a stone staircase.
"CTE itself does not cause death. You do not die in CTE. What CTE does is change your behavior and personality," McKee said.
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Denver Broncos wide receiver Demarius Thomas (88) on September 9, 2018 in Seattle, Denver. Catch a pass before the NFL football match with the Seahawks. Former NFL star Demarius Thomas, who died last December at the age of 33, had a CTE, his family said on Tuesday, July 5, 2022. (AP Photo / Jack Dempsey, File)
Thomas at Denver Broncos,New York Jet, Houston Texans NFL I played for 10 seasons. He won the Super Bowl at Broncos and Peyton Manning following the 2015 season.
Thomas made 724 catches with 9,763 yards and 63 touchdowns.
