New Details Emerge About Vincent Jackson’s Death, Family Donates Jackson Brain To CTE Center

New details have emerged about former NFL receiver Vincent Jackson, who was found dead earlier this week. The latest information has revealed that Jackson might have died up to three days before being found dead in a Florida hotel room Monday morning. The new details surrounding his death were released the same day his family made the decision to donate his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center.

The current timeline that was provided by the medical examiner’s office indicates that on February 12, the receiver was located by Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office as part of a welfare check. The next two days after the welfare check, hotel staff entered Jackson’s room and noticed that he was sitting slouched on the couch. The staff assumed that he was sleeping and left the room.

On February 15, hotel staff entered the room of the former NFL player and determined that he had not moved since they last checked upon him. The staff then called 911 at 11:37 a.m. to report the body. The medical examiner’s office’s report indicated that there were no signs of trauma or injury, other than a small laceration on his left big toe.

On Thursday, the examiner’s report was updated to add that there was no medication found on the scene. Under the report “social history,” listed the former NFL player to have had alcohol or smokeless tobacco use but no known drug use. The updated report has not listed the cause or manner of death. Instead, it is currently listed as “pending further study,” meaning that it is still unknown what caused the death of Jackson.

Michelle Van Dyke, a spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner, said in an email, “At this time, there is no timeframe for the completion of the autopsy report for Mr. Jackson, though the Medical Examiner anticipates it may take several months.”

Jackson’s family made the decision to donate the brain to Boston University CTE center to learn more about CTE. CTE, which is common among people who played football and boxing, stands for the degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy that can be caused by repeated head trauma.

CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously in a special autopsy that examines specific portions of the brain. Researchers at Boston University have previously found CTE in the brains of former NFL players.

Allison Gorrell, a family spokesperson, told ESPN the reasoning behind donating the family’s decision to donate the brain. “If anything can be learned from his death that might help someone else, Vincent would want that since he was passionate during his life about impacting others around him,” she said.