On Feb. 25, 2023, former Jacket and National Football League (NFL) wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in Macon, Ga. Born in Georgia, Thomas found great success in his 10-year-long professional football career, primarily spent with the Denver Broncos. Thomas unfortunately passed away in December 2021 at the age of 33, with posthumous medical examinations diagnosing him as having chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a concerning neurodegenerative condition frequently diagnosed in professional athletes, specifically football players.
Since it can only be diagnosed in posthumous medical examinations, public perception on how to anticipate and avoid cases of CTE in collegiate or professional athletes is unclear.