Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson, who was found dead on Monday at a hotel outside Tampa, was battling chronic alcoholism, the local sheriff said.
While the cause and form of death are pending, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy could take months to complete, preliminary findings suggest that a problem with alcoholism was a contributing factor, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
“We didn’t get the toxicology report back, so I can’t say for sure if that was it,” he told Q105 radio on Wednesday. “But many long-standing health problems contributed to his death from alcohol abuse.”
The sheriff’s comments came two days after a Homewood Suites housekeeper in Brandon went to check on Jackson and found him dead.
During the interview, Chronister also said that Jackson’s family was concerned that the former NFL player might have problems with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE. The disease is a form of brain degeneration associated with concussions and has been found in former players, including former New England patriot Aaron Hernandez.
CTE can only be diagnosed by studying post-mortem sections of the brain during an autopsy. Little is known about the disease, but it is linked to emotional instability, memory loss, substance abuse and other cognitive impairments, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The NFL acknowledged that there is a link between CTE and playing football, and has revised its concussion protocols in recent years to impose stricter penalties and restrictions on players
Former San Diego Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf delivered an emotional speech posted on your social media Monday, telling his followers that he “didn’t know what the hell to do anymore” while his “NFL brothers continue to die”.
Leaf accused the NFL of not caring about the players or their mental health, claiming that the league stops caring when the players become “bad for the brand”.
“I don’t know what to do — They don’t understand how precious life is, ”said Leaf. “And then I have this f —— survivor’s fault because of that.”
He also urged his followers to be “part of the solution”.
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Jackson, a son of a military family and a self-proclaimed middle-class creation, was widely praised for his work on and off the field. The former wide receiver started investing in restaurants, real estate and fitness as a player to help prepare for his post-NFL future.
He also created a charity called the Jackson In Action Foundation 83, which worked to support military families and children.
The Chargers, who climbed Jackson in 2005, praised his life’s work in a statement after his death.
“Vincent was a fan favorite not only for his Pro Bowl game, but for the impact he had on the community,” the team said in a statement. “The work he did on behalf of military families through his foundation in the years since his retirement has been an inspiration for all of us.”
Minyvonne Burke contributed.