The tragic death of former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson left people with many questions. On Wednesday, we were provided with a few answers.
According to TMZ Sports, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said that Jackson's autopsy revealed he suffered from "chronic alcoholism." He also said that the three-time Pro Bowler had "a lot of longstanding health conditions that contributed to his passing because of some alcohol abuse."
Jackson was found in a Tampa-area hotel room on Monday, where he had been staying since the beginning of January. According to Chronister, the family believes Jackson's alcoholism was the result of CTE.
"Well this is true speculation but what the family is telling me is that he suffered from CTE," Chronister said. "They believe he had a lot of concussion problems and when you suffer from that, you're not yourself.
"[The family believes] wholeheartedly all of these actions are the result of what he suffered while he was playing in the NFL."
The 38-year-old spent 12 seasons in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He finished his career with 540 catches for 9,080 yards and 57 touchdowns.
Jackson was known for both his on-field contributions and off-field charitable work. He founded the "Jackson In Action 83 Foundation," a nonprofit to support military families, and has been very involved in the community since retiring.
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