Vincent Jackson’s death has been a sad, confusing and lengthy event, one that included assumptions and accusations during a painful time for Jackson’s family.
Yesterday, more information about his passing came to light.
The Medical Examiner for Hillsborough County (Florida) stated that the former NFL receiver died from chronic alcohol use and that the manner of his death in February was “natural.”
The report comes a week after Jackson’s family stated he was diagnosed with stage 2 CTE.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is the progressive brain disease associated with concussions. The condition has affected many in the NFL, causing some, like Junior Seau and Dave Duerson, to take their own life after suffering from the debilitating disease for years.
CTE’s symptoms include mood swings, depression and paranoia. It can also lead to serious changes in behavior, including alcoholism and neglect of personal hygiene.
The latter plagued former NFL player, Phillip Adams. He suffered from an “unusually severe” case of stage 2 CTE that ultimately drove him to shoot and kill six people before killing himself.
Like these men, Jackson’s mood and behavior changed. No longer was the pleasant, selfless, business and charity-minded man the smiling person he once was.
“He became depressed, with progressive memory loss, problem solving difficulties, paranoia, and eventually extreme social isolation,” said 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.
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