WR was 5-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champ
ATLANTA — Demaryius Thomas overcame a troubled childhood. He shined as a receiver in Georgia Tech’s runoriented offense. By the time his NFL career was over, he had earned five straight Pro Bowl honors and a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos.
The football world mourned Friday for Thomas, who died in his suburban Atlanta home at 33 — less than six months after officially announcing his retirement from the NFL.
Tim Tebow, who delivered perhaps the most famous pass of Thomas’ career, tweeted that he “woke up and saw the really devastating news about my teammate and friend.”
“So many are going to remember him for his athletic ability,” Tebow said, “but I’ll be remembering him for his kindness, his smile that would light up a room, and the love he had for those in his life.”
Thomas was found dead in his home Thursday night, Roswell, Ga., police spokesman Tim Lupo said.
“Preliminary information is that his death stems from a medical issue, and our investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise,” Lupo said early Friday.
Latonya Bonseigneur, a first cousin who grew up with Thomas, said the family believes he died from a seizure.
“He had been suffering from seizures for over a year, and we believe he had a seizure when he was showering,“Bonseigneur said by phone. “He was alone and a friend couldn’t get hold of him, so he called his driver, who has a key because of these seizures, and he went into his home and found him in the shower.”
Thomas last played in the NFL in 2019, appearing in 11 games with 10 starts for the New York Jets. He announced his retirement this past June in a video posted to the Broncos’ Twitter account.
“I’m just happy to say I’m done and it did me well,” Thomas said.
The Broncos said they were “devastated and completely heartbroken” at the death of one of their greatest players, who helped lead them to two Super Bowls and the 2015 title.
His contributions to the Denver community went beyond the playing field, the team said, noting his work with the Broncos Boys and Girls Club, hospital visits, and his annual football camp.
“We were very much looking forward to celebrating Demaryius for years to come as one of the greatest players in franchise history,” the team said in a statement. “Demaryius’ humility, warmth, kindness and infectious smile will always be remembered by those who knew him and loved him.“
A native of the tiny town of Montrose in southeast Georgia, Thomas thrived even after his mother and grandmother were sent to prison for selling drugs.
Officers burst into the family home when Thomas was 11, allowing his mother to walk her son and his two younger sisters to the school bus before taking her away.
While he put up huge numbers after the Broncos signed quarterback Peyton Manning in 2012, Thomas made his best-known catch the previous season, his second year in the league.
On the first play of overtime in an AFC wild-card playoff game, he broke free over the middle and hauled in an 80-yard touchdown from Tebow to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Every time I see it, every time I watch it, I still get the chills because it was just crazy,” Thomas said on his retirement video.
Teaming up with Manning in 2012, Thomas had 94 catches for 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning the first of his five straight Pro Bowl selections.
He twice had more than 100 catches in a season, highlighted by career bests of 111 catches and 1,619 yards in 2014 — both of which remain team records. Thomas had five consecutive seasons with more than 1,000 yards receiving.
In Manning’s final year, the Broncos defeated Carolina 2410 in the Super Bowl to cap the
2015 season.