Vincent Jackson, who was found dead earlier this year in a Florida hotel room, has been diagnosed with Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Jackson was found dead in a Brandon, Florida, hotel room in February after his family reported him missing. He had been staying at the hotel for a month. He was 38 years old.

"Vincent dedicated so much of his life to helping others. Even in his passing, I know he would want to continue that same legacy," Jackson's widow, Lindsey Jackson, said in a statement.

"By donating his brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank, we hope to continue to see advancements in CTE research, enabling physicians to diagnose the disease in the living and ultimately find treatment options in the future. There is still a lot to be understood about CTE, and education is the key to prevention. The conversation around this topic needs to be more prevalent, and our family hopes that others will feel comfortable and supported when talking about CTE moving forward."