The sudden passing of former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson at the age of 38 came as a surprise to many. A couple of days after the incident, more details continue to emerge about Jackson's tragic death, and an autopsy revealed he suffered from chronic alcoholism, per Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister.
Via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk:
“Chronister said that, based on the autopsy, Jackson suffered from “chronic alcoholism.” Chronister, who added that Jackson had “a lot of longstanding health conditions,” said that the toxicology report has not yet been completed.”
Vincent Jackson was initially found at a hotel in Florida on Monday where he had been staying since the 11th of January. According to Chronister, Jackson's family believes his health conditions were a result of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after years of playing football in the NFL.
Jackson had a respectable 12-year career in the league. He suited up for the San Diego Chargers from 2005 to 2011 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2012 to 2016. He also amassed three Pro Bowl selections throughout his career.
Even though football players are well-compensated at the peak of their careers, they are given less attention after they're done in the NFL. Many of them are left to suffer the medical consequences of playing football on their own after they have retired from the league.
Hopefully, the league can come up with more programs in order to ensure the health and safety of their former players in order to avoid more situations like what happened to Vincent Jackson.
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