Super Bowl champ Demaryius Thomas dies at 33

Demaryius Thomas overcame a troubled childhood. By the time his NFL career was over, he had earned five straight Pro Bowl honours and a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

The American football world mourned on Friday for Thomas, who died in his suburban Atlanta home at the age of 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, wrote on Twitter 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 on Thursday night, said Officer Tim Lupo, public information officer for the police department in Roswell, Georgia.

“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, told The Associated Press 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 in a telephone interview. “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.