Vincent Jackson

Vincent Terrell Jackson (January 14, 1983 – February 15, 2021) was an American professional football wide receiver who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Jackson enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado and played for the Northern Colorado Bears football team from 2001 to 2004 UNC was one of the few colleges that recruited Jackson out of high school.

One of the few true freshmen to ever play for Northern Colorado, Jackson earned All-American honors as a punt returner, scoring the first time he ever touched a ball on a punt return against Adams State College.

He became Northern Colorado's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards (game & season), kick return yards, punt return yards, and receiving touchdowns.

His senior season was highlighted by a 13-catch, 249-yard, three-touchdown effort against Florida Atlantic.

Jackson is the all-time career record holder in receiving yards and yards per catch among various other, game, season, and career records.

Jackson also started for Northern Colorado in basketball, playing for two seasons at UNC and leading the team in scoring both years.

He became the first Chargers wide receiver to have 1,000 yards receiving since 2001.

He played college football for the Northern Colorado Bears, and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jackson was selected to the Pro Bowl three times and exceeded 1,000 receiving yards six times in his career.

Jackson died in 2021, with the official cause of his death reported as chronic alcohol abuse.

An autopsy found Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy in his brain.

Jackson attended Widefield High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

As a senior, he was a Rocky Mountain News All-State Honorable Mention, a first-team all-area pick, and a first-team all-conference pick.

He also was a standout in basketball.

A straight-A student in high school, Jackson was accepted to Columbia, but decided to attend University of Northern Colorado on a partial scholarship to play both basketball and football.

Jackson was selected in the second round (61st overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft (the highest ever by a Northern Colorado graduate) by the San Diego Chargers.

Jackson got off to a slow start in 2005 due to injuries.

He was inactive for the first five games of the season and finally saw his first NFL action in an October 16 game against the Oakland Raiders.

Jackson caught his first pass on November 6 against the New York Jets, but he would only catch two more passes for the rest of the season.

Jackson caught his first NFL touchdown on September 17, 2006, in a victory over the Tennessee Titans.

In the Chargers' Christmas Eve game against the Seattle Seahawks, Jackson had a memorable touchdown catch that led the Chargers to victory.

With 29 seconds left, quarterback Philip Rivers threw a touchdown pass to Jackson and the Chargers ended up winning the game 20–17 and setting a franchise record for wins.

Jackson ended the season strongly and finished second on the team with six touchdown catches.

In a 2006 game against the Oakland Raiders, Jackson nearly made one of the most bizarre turnovers in recent NFL history.

After making a 13-yard catch on fourth down, Jackson immediately got up and spun the ball forward in celebration.

Because Jackson had fallen on his own and was not tackled, Raiders cornerback Fabian Washington believed it to be a fumble and leapt upon the ball.

Possession was originally awarded to Oakland, but the Chargers were then flagged for an illegal forward pass and allowed to keep the ball.

By virtue of the release of Keenan McCardell and an injury to Eric Parker, Jackson entered the 2007 season as a starting wide receiver for the Chargers.

He started the season in an unmemorable fashion in a home game against the Chicago Bears by dropping a sure touchdown that bounced off his chest in the end zone.

However, by the end of the season, Jackson had distinguished himself as a top target for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers.

In the 2008 season, Jackson had a career season with 59 receptions, seven touchdowns, and 1,098 yards.

Jackson followed his strongest season as a pro with an even stronger one during the 2009 season, when he finished with 68 receptions, and led the team in receiving with nine touchdowns and 1,167 yards.

Jackson would finish the game with seven receptions for 111 yards, becoming the first receiver of the 2009 NFL season to record a 100-yard game on the Jets All-Pro cornerback and future Buccaneer teammate Darrelle Revis.

During a January 17, 2010 divisional playoff game against the New York Jets, Jackson made a 37-yard catch that was challenged by Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

Jackson received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for kicking the challenge flag, which cost the Chargers 15 yards (the play was upheld).

On March 2, 2010, Jackson faced arraignment for driving with a suspended license.

He was handcuffed briefly and had his car impounded following a traffic stop just a few hours before the Chargers' playoff loss to the New York Jets.

Jackson was pulled over for playing loud music.