Vincent Jackson Kept His Family Life Relatively Private Throughout His Career
Published Feb. 16 2021, 10:45 a.m. ET
When news broke on Feb. 15, 2021, that former San Diego Chargers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Vincent Jackson was found dead in a Florida hotel room, it sent shockwaves through the football community. His untimely death was met with an immense wave of emotional output from all facets of the sport in a way that hasn't been seen in quite some time.
As family, friends, and fans look to put the pieces together behind the loss of the acclaimed athlete, many are looking to his better attributes in life in remembrance of his time on Earth. So, here's what we know about Vincent's often-private family life, and how the most personal elements of his existence impacted his game.
Vincent Jackson kept his family life relatively private for most of his career.
Vincent is survived by his wife, Lindsey Vandeweghe, and their three young children, Carter, Amaya, and Dominick. For the large duration of his time both on and off the field, Vincent opted to keep his private life exactly that, private, but nonetheless, still shared glimpses with fans here and there on social media.
In 2011, Vincent proposed to Lindsey on stage while he was inducted to the UNC Athletic Hall of Fame, promising to love her eternally and professing his wishes to start a family with her.
The couple was wed in July of the same year, and Vincent got his wish soon after that with the three children coming one after another in the following years. The family owns a $3.5 million estate in the Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club, a private community in Tampa, Florida.
Vincent's cause of death is yet to be established, according to the coroner.
Per The Washington Post, the Hillsborough coroner's office has yet to establish an absolute cause of death but maintained that there were no visible signs of trauma, which can rule out at least a handful of possible scenarios.
The local Sheriff reported that they spoke with Vincent's family on Feb. 10 following a missing person's report filed for him. Just two days later, law enforcement officials located the former football player at a hotel, where he was deemed to be mentally sound. The report was called off at that point, only to be shockingly reopened three days later due to his untimely death.
Vincent's body was discovered at Homewood Suites in Brandon, Fla., which is about 12 miles outside of his home city of Tampa. Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement according to CNN, that "... [Vincent] will be sorely missed by not only football fans across the country, but also the people here in Hillsborough County who reaped the benefits of his generous contributions."