Junior Seau

Junior Seau, was a native of Oceanside, CA. He attended Oceanside High School where he lettered in football, basketball, and track. Parade magazine named him to its High School All-American team simply as an athlete and refused to specify a particular sport. In 2010, Junior was inducted into the Oceanside High School Hall of Fame. Upon graduation, Junior accepted a football scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he was named unanimous first-team All-American before being drafted fifth over all in the 1990 N.F.L. draft by the Chargers, who played 40 miles south of his hometown. A 12-time Pro Bowler, Seau played 13 seasons with the Chargers and was one of the team's most popular players. In the 1994 season, he led the team to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 49-26. The Pro Football Hall of Fame selected him for the 1990s All-Decade Team. Seau was traded to the Dolphins in 2003, and after three injury-plagued seasons he was released. He signed a one-day contract with the Chargers in August 2006 to announce his retirement. But four days later, he signed with the New England Patriots and was a member of the 2007 team that went undefeated in the regular season, losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl. His last season in the N.F.L was 2009. He finished his career with 1,524 tackles, 56 ½ sacks and 18 interceptions. The circumstances of Seau's death raised comparisons to the former Chicago Bears star Dave Duerson. In February 2011, Duerson shot himself in the chest, saying in a note that he wanted his brain donated to the study of football head injuries. Though remembered as a hard-hitting, inspirational linebacker, Seau did not have a documented history of concussions. He missed several games in his career with leg and chest injuries. In October 2010, he sustained minor injuries when he drove his S.U.V. off a 30-foot bluff after being arrested on suspicion of domestic assault. The police said he fell asleep at the wheel. Show less «