By Andy Villamarzo
Hernando Sun sports staff writer
BRANDON- Just over a week since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to achieve ultimate triumph in Super Bowl LV over the Kansas City Chiefs, they received some bad news.
Per the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office on Monday afternoon, the body of former Tampa Bay wide receiver Vincent Jackson was found dead in a hotel room in Brandon, FL. Jackson was just 38 years old at the time of his death and according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, there were no signs of trauma at the scene.
“My heart aches for the many loved ones Vincent Jackson leaves behind, from his wife and children to the Buccaneers nation that adored him,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a press release on Monday. “Mr. Jackson was a devoted man who put his family and community above everything else.”
The devastating news came just over a week after Tampa Bay soundly defeated Kansas City 31-9 in the Super Bowl and were literally just days out of winning the world championship. Now the Buccaneers’ organization is left to mourn one of their former receivers that left his mark not only with the team but in the Tampa Bay area.
His professional football career started when he was drafted in the second round (61st overall) by the Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. Jackson, who played his college ball at Northern Colorado, played most of his career with the then San Diego Chargers from 2005 to 2011 before ending up in Tampa Bay. The former Charger/Buccaneer reached three Pro Bowls during his time in the National Football League.
Jackson played his final five seasons for Tampa Bay. His last campaign was in 2016 playing for Dirk Koetter. His last two seasons were injury riddled, with the wide receiver only playing in 15 games out of a possible 32. Jackson was a South Tampa resident and was still active within the community.
The news comes as a stunner to a Buccaneers’ organization that is coming off a Super Bowl LV win and celebrations from that were just starting to calm down. Now family, friends, fans, and teammates of Jackson are mourning the loss of a popular player during his time in Tampa Bay.
Andy Villamarzo can be reached at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @avillamarzo.
