ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Ten months after his passing, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson has been diagnosed with stage 2 CTE, according to the Concussion Legacy Foundation.
CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a “progressive degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive head trauma,” a press release explaining the diagnosis reads. At stage 2 of the disease, people may experience symptoms such as aggression, impulsivity, depression, anxiety, paranoia, substance abuse or suicidal thoughts, along with other symptoms.
Jackson was no different.
“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. “He became depressed, with progressive memory loss, problem solving difficulties, paranoia, and eventually extreme social isolation.”
Jackson was found dead on Feb. 15 at a hotel in Brandon. The 38-year-old checked in to the hotel a month prior, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said at the time.
With no signs of trauma, it was unclear at the time how Jackson died. His brain was donated to science to find answers.
“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,” Lindsey Jackson, Vincent’s widow, said.
More than 300 NFL players have been diagnosed with CTE, the Concussion Legacy Foundation says, something that’s becoming more “commonplace.”
“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.
Jackson retired from the NFL in 2018 and is "remembered as one of the best players in Buccaneers franchise history." The former Buccaneer is recognized as the 4th leading receiver in team history after putting up 4,326 yards and 20 touchdowns during his time with Tampa Bay.