How did Vincent Jackson die? Former NFL WR diagnosed with Stage 2 CTE

Vincent Jackson retired from the NFL after the 2018 season, ending a 12-year career between two different teams. He left the spotlight when he left the NFL behind and wasn't in the headlines again until February of 2021.

What happened to former NFL player Vincent Jackson?

On February 15th, Vincent Jackson was found deceased in a Homewood Suites hotel room near Brandon, Florida. Authorities found no signs of trauma or a struggle at the scene, and it was later ruled that chronic alcoholism played a major role in his death. Prior to the autopsy, there was a concern that Vincent Jackson was also suffering from a case of CTE, as is suspected in cases these days where a football player is involved. The Hillsborough County sheriff was the one to announce that CTE was believed to be part of Jackson's death, but his family stated the sheriff did not speak for them on that behalf. However, Vincent Jackson's family donated his brain to the Boston University CTE Center. This facility may ring a bell, as Dr. Ann McKee works for Boston University, where she studied the brains of two other NFL players and found severe cases of CTE: Aaron Hernandez and Phillip Adams.

Just days after diagnosing Phillip Adams with an unusually severe case of Stage 2 CTE following him shooting six people earlier this year, Vincent Jackson was confirmed to have had Stage 2 CTE as well.

What is CTE? History within the NFL

CTE, also known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is defined as the unusual buildup of a protein in the brain called tau. The stages of CTE are classified based on the amount of tau built up in the brain and the location. To sum it up, CTE is caused by head trauma and the rattling of the brain inside the head, smacking off the skull. A long history of concussions can lead to CTE, making it more and more common in the NFL and contact sports altogether. A few CTE symptoms include unusual behavior, sudden bursts of rage, confusion, memory loss, and depression and suicide.

Outside of Vincent Jackson, Hernandez and Adams, the NFL has had several big-named players confirmed with a case of CTE as well: Mike Webster (one of the first NFL players officially diagnosed), Ken Stabler, Ray Easterling, Dwight Clark, and Junior Seau.

Vincent Jackson's NFL Career

The San Diego Chargers drafted Vincent Jackson in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons with the Chargers and went to two Pro Bowls before signing a massive five-year, $55 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012. Jackson played five more seasons with Tampa Bay, but season-ending injuries in 2015 and 2016 derailed his career. After just playing in five games in 2016, Vincent Jackson took a break from the NFL and retired in 2018.

He set two records with the Buccaneers, both in the same game. In 2012 against the New Orleans Saints, Jackson set the franchise record for the most receiving yards in a single game with 216 and the longest single reception for 95 yards.