Vincent Jackson, former NFL wide receiver, may have died long before his body was discovered at a Florida hotel room, according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner on Thursday, per ESPN. It’s possible Jackson died three days before his body was found dead in a Brandon, Florida hotel room on Monday. He was 38 years old.
The new information comes the same day that a Jackson family spokesperson told ESPN that the family donated his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center to learn more from his death. This also comes after Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Jackson “suffered from chronic alcoholism.” Jackson was located as part of a welfare check on Feb. 12. The hotel staff entered his room on Feb. 13 and 14 and noticed that he was slouched over on the couch. The report said, “They assumed he was sleeping and left the room.”
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The staff entered Jackson’s room again on Feb. 15 and determined he hadn’t moved from his previous spot, leading them to call 911. There was a small laceration on Jackson’s left big toe, but there were also no signs of trauma or injury. Jackson checked into the hotel on Jan. 11. His family called the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office on Feb. 10 to report he was missing, and deputies were able to locate and speak to Jackson on Feb. 12. The report released on Thursday stated that no medications found on the scene and the cause and manner of Jackson’s death is “pending further study.”
“There cannot be a rush to judgment in determining cause and manner of death,” Michelle Van Dyke, a spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, said in an email. “At this time, there is no timeframe for the completion of the autopsy report for Mr. Jackson, though the Medical Examiner anticipates it may take several months.”
Jackson was drafted by the San Diego Chargers (now Los Angeles Chargers) in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons for the Chargers and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2009 and 2011. Jackson signed a five-year, $55.5 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2012 and was selected to the Pro Bowl at the end of the 2012 season. In his career, Jackson caught 540 passes for 9,080 yards and 57 touchdowns.
