TAMPA, Fla. — Editor's Note: The tribute above is from 2021.
It's been a year since former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson was found dead at a hotel in Brandon, Fla.
The 38-year-old was discovered by a housekeeper in his room at the Homewood Suites, where he'd been staying since Jan. 11, 2021.
As ESPN reported last year, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office determined Jackson died of chronic alcohol use. The New York Times would explain how Jackson hid alcoholism and declining health – which grew more serious during the pandemic.
His brain was donated to science. Ten months after his passing, researchers confirmed the former NFL star had stage 2 CTE at the time of his death.
“Vincent Jackson was a brilliant, disciplined, gentle giant whose life began to change in his mid-30s,” Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the BU CTE Center and VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, said in December. “He became depressed, with progressive memory loss, problem solving difficulties, paranoia, and eventually extreme social isolation.”
The Concussion Legacy Foundation has said a growing number of professional football players are being diagnosed with CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is a degenerative brain disease that's brought on by repeated head trauma.
Jackson retired from the NFL in 2018. Nobody knew he had the disease.
“If a four-time Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee who never had a diagnosed concussion can lose his fight against CTE at just 38, it can happen to anyone,” Chris Nowinski, PhD, CLF CEO and co-founder and a former football player at Harvard, said previously.
Jackson spent 12 seasons in the NFL. He joined the Bucs on a five-year $55 million contract in 2012. He'd been with the Chargers since 2005.
Jackson is "remembered as one of the best players in Buccaneers franchise history." He's the fourth-leading receiver in team history, putting up 4,326 yards and 20 touchdowns during his time with the Bucs.
A four-time nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Jackson was actively involved with charities – including his own in support of military families.
If you are struggling with alcohol or any substance abuse, you are not alone. There are people who care about you. And there is help. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration operates a confidential 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. Click here to learn more and find resources.
If you're interested in reading more about CTE, which is increasingly found in athletes and military veterans, you can find a resource page here.
You can also learn more about the Jackson in Action 83 Foundation by clicking here.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.