Middle Georgia native Demaryius Thomas posthumously diagnosed with CTE. What that means

Middle Georgia native and NFL star Demaryius Thomas was posthumously diagnosed with CTE on Tuesday, according to his family and doctors at Boston University. The New York Times reported the diagnosis along with the harmful effects the condition had on Thomas at the end of his life.

Thomas, who died in December at age 33, dealt with debilitating headaches and sluggishness in addition to seizures caused by a separate condition, his family told the Times.

CTE is a progressive brain condition that is commonly associated with football, as it is thought to stem from repeated blows to the head. Its symptoms often resemble those of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Thomas’s death is only the latest in a sea of CTE concerns for the NFL over the years, a list that includes multiple players who were diagnosed with CTE after committing suicide. Thomas is one of more than 300 players diagnosed with CTE by doctors at Boston University.

Thomas was a native of Montrose and starred at West Laurens High School. He played football at Georgia Tech, earning numerous ACC honors as a wide receiver prior to his Pro Bowl NFL career.

Thomas’s most notable years in the NFL came with the Denver Broncos, where he won a Super Bowl while notching five straight seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards. He lived in Georgia for the majority of his life until he passed away in Roswell.