Vincent Jackson's brain donated for CTE research

The family of former NFL receiver Vincent Jackson has donated his brain to Boston University's CTE Center in hopes of learning more about his death, a family spokesperson told Ken Belson of The New York Times.

Jackson was found dead Monday in a Florida hotel room. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a report Thursday that the cause of death is "pending further study." Jackson's family is striving to learn whether the 38-year-old suffered from chromatic traumatic encephalopathy.

"Vincent being who he was would have wanted to help as many people as possible," family spokesperson Allison Gorrell said. "It's something his family wanted to do to get answers to some of their questions."

CTE is a degenerative brain disease that can only be diagnosed posthumously. The cause of the disease is often linked to repeated brain trauma. Jackson played 12 NFL seasons before retiring in 2018.

Jackson might have died days before he was discovered in his hotel room, according to new information released by the Hillsborough County medical examiner, reports ESPN's Jenna Laine.