Demaryius Thomas, a Super Bowl champion and five-time Pro Bowl selection who played nine seasons with the Denver Broncos, died Thursday. He was 33.
Police said Thomas was found dead in his home in Roswell, Georgia.
“Preliminary information is that his death stems from a medical issue, and our investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise,” a Roswell Police Department spokesperson said.
Thomas, a star player at Georgia Tech, was drafted by the Broncos in the first round in 2010 and became a key player on the team for years, going on to score 60 touchdowns and complete 9,055 yards for the team. He played in 125 games and is one of just four players in history to complete 90 catches, 1,200 yards and at least five touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, Mile High Report notes.
He went on to play in the Pro Bowl from 2012 to 2014 and in 2016. Thomas played in two Super Bowls for the Broncos before he was traded to the Houston Texans midway through the 2018 season. His last season in the NFL was in 2019 with the New York Jets.
He ranks second on the Broncos’ all-time list in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
“I finally came to a decision to hang it up,” Thomas said earlier this year when he announced his retirement. “I’m going to retire, I’m going to retire a Denver Bronco. ... I’m done and I did well.”
His former teammates said they were heartbroken by the news.
And Zach Azzanni, the wide receivers coach for the Broncos, said he was “at a total loss.”
“I’m sick.... I’m crying I’m just.... I don’t know. The Azzanni family will always love you DT. I’m blessed to have known you.”
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