Former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson died by suicide at the age of 38 earlier this year. And his family announced this week that Jackson, who played for the San Diego Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was dealing with a brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Jackson’s widow, Lindsey Jackson said her husband’s CTE was caused by multiple blows to the head.
“Vincent dedicated so much of his life to helping others. Even in his passing, I know he would want to continue that same legacy,” Lindsey said in a statement released by the Concussion Foundation, per PEOPLE. “By donating his brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, we hope to continue to see advancements in CTE research, enabling physicians to diagnose the disease in the living and ultimately find treatment options in the future. There is still a lot to be understood about CTE, and education is the key to prevention. The conversation around this topic needs to be more prevalent, and our family hopes that others will feel comfortable and supported when talking about CTE moving forward.”
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Jackson was found dead in his hotel room in Brandon, Florida on Feb. 15. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said that the family suspended Jackson was suffering from alcoholism and the effects of concussions during his football career. The findings of CTE were supported by Dr. Ann Mckee, chief of neuropathology for the Boston Healthcare System and director of the BU CTE Center and VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank.
“Vincent Jackson was a brilliant, disciplined, gentle giant whose life began to change in his mid-30s. He became depressed, with progressive memory loss, problem-solving difficulties, paranoia, and eventually extreme social isolation,” McKee said in a statement. “That his brain showed stage 2 CTE should no longer surprise us; these results have become commonplace.”
Jackson was selected by the Chargers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft from Northern Colorado. He spent seven seasons with the Chargers before spending his final five seasons with the Buccaneers. In his career, Jackson reached the Pro Bowl three times, and his best season was in 2012 when he caught 72 passes for 1,384 yards and eight touchdowns. Jackson finished his career with 540 receptions, 9,080 yards and 57 touchdowns.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
