Demaryius Thomas, a former Denver Broncos wide receiver, died at the age of 33, according to police.
Police in Roswell, Georgia, said that Thomas was dead. The police said preliminary reports indicated Thomas' death might have been due to a medical issue.
Thomas, who would've turned 34 on Christmas, retired from the NFL in June with a short video with a peace sign and his characteristic smile.
I'm Demaryius Thomas. I decided to hang it up. I'm going to retire and I'm also going to retire a Broncos player. I did well and I'm done.
Several former teammates and opponents took to social media as reports of Thomas' death began to appear. Multiple former teammates said that Thomas might have had a seizure recently.
Broncos wide receiver coach ZACH AZZanni posted on his social media accounts that he was sad about Thomas's death. I'm sad. I'm at a loss. I'm sick. I'm just crying. I don't know. The Azzanni family will always love you. I'm blessed to have known you. I am sad.
Ware and Harris posted photos of themselves with Thomas, while Marshall posted a photo of himself with Thomas.
Hundreds of Broncos fans posted videos and other tributes as they spoke for many.
Demaryius Thomas played in the Denver Broncos. He retired from the team in June. He had 9,763 yards and 63 touchdown for his career.
The Broncos honored Thomas during their home opener.
Thomas was the first of two first-round picks for the Broncos in the 2010 NFL draft, and spent nine seasons with the team, finishing his career as the team's second-leading receiver behind only Rod Smith. He is third in franchise history in catches behind Smith and Shannon Sharpe.
He played in 10 seasons and had 724 catches for 9,763 yards and 63 touchdown.
Broncos president of football operations John Elway said in June that D.T. was the complete package as a wide receiver, growing into one of the very best at his position. His size, speed, strength and athletic ability was unparalleled. Our team won a lot of games, including two AFC Championships and Super Bowl 50, because of Demaryius' consistent production.
Thomas had a foot injury in his first two seasons in the NFL, but flourished when healthy and with the arrival of Manning in 2012 Thomas had at least 90 catches and 1,300 yards in four consecutive seasons, joining Marvin Harrison and Jerry Rice as the only players to do that in four consecutive seasons.
In the Broncos' record-setting season in 2013, Manning set NFL records for passing yards (5,477) and touchdown (55) as the Broncos scored a league-record 606 points that year. He had a career-best 1,619 yards receiving in the following season.
Thomas said Manning revealed parts of the game that helped him elevate his play. Manning had said that Thomas was one of the best players he had ever played with. When Manning's children came to practices, Thomas was the first player they would run to as the players became close friends. Manning's career record was broken when Thomas caught his 509th touchdown pass. A picture of Manning and Thomas posing with a handwritten sign is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The catch-and-run 80 yard touchdown by Thomas in the first play of overtime in the Broncos' wild-card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 season is a signature play for many among the team's faithful.
"For as humble and soft-spoken as Demaryius was during his nine years with our organization, you would have never known he was such a dominant player in our league,'' Broncos CEO Joe Ellis said in a statement in June. D.T. was a part of one of the greatest offenses of all time and gave Broncos fans many unforgettable memories. I've never heard Empower Field louder than his game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Steelers in the playoffs.
Thomas' teammates, coaches and friends refer to all of the things he had overcome to get to the NFL. Thomas' mother went to prison when he was young. Thomas began working before school to support himself by picking corn, peas and butter beans for farmers.
His mother's sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama in 2015, and Smith saw her son play football in person for the first time in the Broncos' playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 2016
Manning gave Thomas the football from the final play to give to his mother.
