NY Times · Jul 5, 2022
An N.F.L. Star’s C.T.E. Diagnosis Offers Only Partial Insight
Credit...Kendrick Brinson for The New York TimesDUBLIN, Ga. — Demaryius Thomas’s parents see their son every day.
A painting of the former N.F.L. star rests against a wall in Katina Smith’s home, and Bobby Thomas, his father, keeps the same image on his cellphone. It depicts a cherished moment that now seems foreboding: The two beaming parents flank their son in the moments after his Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 as Demaryius looks downward with a pained expression, scratching the back of his head.
The receiver had been leveled by Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly during the game and had a headache so bad that he missed most of the parties after the victory.
