GONE TOO SOON

Ex-NFL Star Vincent Jackson Died From Chronic Alcohol Use, Autopsy Finds

The 38-year-old was found dead in a Florida hotel room on Feb. 15.

Ex-NFL star Vincent Jackson died from chronic alcohol use, medical examiners have found. The 38-year-old dad of four—who was a receiver for the Buccaneers and the Chargers—was found dead in a Florida hotel room on Feb. 15. after his family had reported him missing five days earlier. No cause of death was released at the time. But, according to ESPN, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner said in a statement Wednesday that Jackson’s death was caused by alcohol use. The medical examiner reportedly found that Jackson had a blood alcohol content of 0.28 percent at the time of his death, and he was suffering from a long list of ailments related to chronic alcohol use, including alcoholic cardiomyopathy, jaundice, and renal failure. Last week, the Concussion Legacy Foundation said Jackson had been diagnosed with Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma.