Demaryius Thomas, former Denver Broncos wide receiver, dies aged 33
Demaryius Thomas, a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with the Denver Broncos, has died, police confirmed on Thursday night. He was 33 and was found dead in his home in Roswell, Georgia.
Thomas’s cousin, LaTonya Bonseigneur, told the Associated Press that the player’s family believed he had been suffering from seizures.
“He had been suffering from seizures for over a year, and we believe he had a seizure when he was showering,” Bonseigneur said on Friday. “We’re not sure when he died. We just spoke with him yesterday.”
In a statement on Friday, the Broncos remembered Thomas’s “humility, warmth, kindness and infectious smile.”
“We are devastated and completely heartbroken by the sudden, tragic passing of Demaryius Thomas,” the Broncos’ statement said. “DT was beloved by our entire organization, his teammates and coaches, and our fans. Recently retiring as a Bronco, we were very much looking forward to celebrating Demaryius for years to come as one of the greatest players in franchise history.”
Thomas hauled in 63 touchdown passes during his 10-year career, spent mostly in Denver. He finished with 724 catches for 9,763 yards.
The Broncos selected Thomas No 22 overall in the 2010 draft out of Georgia Tech. He ranks No 2 in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns on the Broncos’ all-time list, trailing only Rod Smith in both categories.
Hall of fame quarterback Peyton Manning, who won Super Bowl 50 alongside Thomas, paid tribute to his former teammate on Friday.
“DT was a better person than he was a player, and he was a Hall of Fame player,” Manning said. “That tells you how good of a person he was. He treated my kids like they were his own. He was there for every teammate’s charity event . ... Absolutely devastated.”
Thomas had completed a remarkable journey to get to the NFL. His mother was given a long prison sentence for drug charges when he was 11 and his father was often away on military service. That meant he worked for local farmers before school in order to support himself. Barack Obama commuted his mother’s sentence in 2015 and she saw him play football in person for the first time in January 2016, during a playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thomas gave his mother the game ball after his team completed their victory.
Thomas was traded to the Houston Texans in 2018 and last played with the New York Jets in 2019, starting 10 of 11 games. He announced his official retirement from the league in June.