The family of former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson donated his brain to researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center when new details about his death emerged on Thursday.
A spokesman for the Jackson family told The New York Times that they made the decision to better understand what led to his sudden death earlier this week.
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“Since Vincent is who he is, I would like to help as many people as possible,” Allison Gorrell told the Times on Wednesday. “It is something that his family wanted to do to get answers to some of their questions.”
San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson (21) and wide receiver Vincent Jackson (83) celebrate Jackson’s first quarter touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. (Photo by John Sleezer / Kansas City Star / Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Jackson’s family spoke shortly after former Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister that Jackson’s autopsy report, which has yet to be released, showed signs of “chronic alcoholism” and that the family believed he suffered from traumatic encephalopathy chronic (CTE).
“This is just speculation, but what the family is telling me is that he suffered from CTE,” he said. “They believe he had a lot of concussion problems. When you suffer from it, you are not yourself, you are not your normal self. And they wholeheartedly believe that all these actions are the result of what he suffered while he was playing in the NFL. “
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Gorrell told the Times that the sheriff did not speak for the family.
Jackson, 38, was found dead in a hotel room in Brandon, Florida, on Monday. Police said he was reported missing on 10 February, but has been tracked to the hotel where he was staying since the first check-in on 11 January.
New details about Jackson’s death were released on Thursday.
According to the Initial Case Summary obtained by ESPN, Jackson was located by the police on February 12 as part of a welfare check. On February 13 and 14, hotel staff reportedly entered his room and saw him on the sofa, but “assumed he was asleep and left the room”.
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They went back into his room on Monday and saw that he had not moved and called 911.
There were no apparent signs of trauma or injury.
The three-time Pro Bowler was chosen in the second round by the San Diego Chargers in 2005, where he played for seven years. He was hired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012, where he dealt with several injuries. He last played for the team in 2016, but announced his retirement just two years later.