Junior Seau

Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. (; ; January 19, 1969 – May 2, 2012) was an American professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the San Diego Chargers for most of his career, he is regarded as one of the greatest linebackers of all time. He was posthumously inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

Early life Seau was born on January 19, 1969, in San Diego, California, In track and field, he was the Avocado League champion in the shot put.

College career After graduating from high school, Seau attended the University of Southern California (USC). He had to sit out from football in his freshman season due to his 690 SAT score on the college entrance exam, which was 10 points short of USC's minimum score for freshman eligibility.

Seau told Sports Illustrated: "I was labeled a dumb jock. I went from being a four-sport star to an ordinary student at USC. I found out who my true friends were. Nobody stuck up for me—not our relatives, best friends or neighbors. There's a lot of jealousy among Samoans, not wanting others to get ahead in life, and my parents got an earful at church: 'We told you he was never going to make it.' " This prompted him to apologize to his coaches, teachers, and principal at Oceanside High. Seau quickly became one of the most popular players on the Chargers, receiving the nickname "Tasmanian Devil", after the wild antics of the cartoon character. He became the face of the Chargers franchise and a San Diego sports icon.

Seau started 15 of the 16 games he played in during his rookie season, and was named an alternate to the 1991 Pro Bowl after recording 85 tackles. In 1991, he picked up 129 tackles and seven sacks and was named to the 1992 Pro Bowl, the first of 12 consecutive Pro Bowls for Seau. In 1992, he was awarded the George Halas Trophy by the Newspaper Enterprise Association as the NFL's top defensive player, NFL Defensive Player of the Year by Football Digest, AFC Defensive Player of the Year by United Press International, and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) AFC Linebacker of the Year. He also won the NFLPA award in 1993 and 1994.

He started no fewer than 13 games for the Chargers over each of the ensuing 11 seasons, registering a career-high 155 tackles in 1994, when he led his team to a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXIX. In one of the greatest games in his career, he recorded 16 tackles in the 1994 AFC Championship Game while playing with a pinched nerve in his neck in a 17–13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2002, his final year with the Chargers, he logged a then-career low 83 tackles and missed his final Pro Bowl due to an ankle injury.

Miami Dolphins On April 16, 2003, Seau was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional draft choice. He started 15 games that season for the 10-6 Dolphins and was one of their standout defensive players. However, in 2004, a torn pectoral muscle limited Seau to eight games, 68 tackles, and one sack. He started five of the first seven games he played in with the Dolphins in 2005, but was placed on injured reserve on November 24 with an achilles tendon injury. On March 6, 2006, Seau was released by the Dolphins.

New England Patriots Seau announced his retirement at an emotional press conference on August 14, 2006. He called it his "graduation" because he was not going to stop working. He contended that he was merely moving on to the next phase of his life.

Seau returned to football just four days later, signing with the New England Patriots. He started 10 of the first 11 games for the Patriots, recording 69 tackles before breaking his right arm while making a tackle in a game against the Chicago Bears. He was placed on injured reserve on November 27.

On May 21, 2007, Seau re-signed with the Patriots for the 2007 season. In September 2007, Seau was named one of the Patriots' seven captains. He was a prominent contributor to the Patriots undefeated regular season that year. On December 22, 2008, a fan was arrested for trespassing and assault and battery for tackling Seau as he stood on the New England sideline during a home game against the Arizona Cardinals. Seau stated that he did not feel threatened by the fan; he thought that the fan was happy and excited, and just got carried away.

On October 7, 2009, NFL Network reported that the Patriots had an "agreement in principle" with Seau for a fourth one-year deal; Seau took physicals and worked out with the team. He officially signed on October 13. He was active for 7 games for the Patriots in 2009, recording 14 tackles as a reserve linebacker.

Retirement Seau announced his intention to retire permanently on the television program Inside the NFL on January 13, 2010.

NFL career statistics Year Team GP Tackles Fumbles Interceptions Cmb Solo Ast Sck FF FR Yds Int Yds Avg Lng TD PD 1990 SD 16 85 61 24 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 1991 SD 16 129 111 18 7.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 1992 SD 15 102 79 23 4.5 1 1 0 2 51 25.5 29 0 10 1993 SD 16 129 110 19 0.0 1 1 0 2 58 29.0 42 0 11 1994 SD 16 154 123 31 5.5 1 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 1995 SD 16 128 111 17 2.0 1 3 0 2 5 2.5 3 1 8 1996 SD 15 139 111 28 7.0 1 3 0 2 18 9.0 10 0 7 1997 SD 15 97 84 13 7.0 1 2 0 2 33 16.5 26 0 6 1998 SD 16 114 91 23 3.5 1 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 7 1999 SD 14 98 74 24 3.5 1 1 0 1 16 16.0 16 0 9 2000 SD 16 122 102 20 3.5 1 0 0 2 2 1.0 2 0 11 2001 SD 16 94 83 11 1.0 2 0 0 1 2 2.0 2 0 6 2002 SD 13 83 59 24 1.5 1 0 0 1 25 25.0 25 0 7 2003 MIA 15 96 66 30 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 3 2004 MIA 8 57 31 26 1.0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2005 MIA 7 36 18 18 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2006 NE 11 69 39 30 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 2007 NE 16 74 58 16 3.5 0 0 0 3 28 9.3 23 0 4 2008 NE 4 22 15 7 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 2009 NE 7 14 9 5 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 Career 268 1,846 1,436 410 56.5 12 18 0 18 238 13.2 42 1 98

Beyond football His restaurant at Westfield Mission Valley in Mission Valley, California—Seau's The Restaurant, which opened in 1996—was his most successful business venture. Seau also had a clothing line, Say Ow Gear.

Sports Jobs with Junior Seau premiered on December 2, 2009, on Versus. The show followed Seau as he did the jobs that make sports work. Ten episodes aired through January 27, 2010.

Seau was actively involved with community work through Samoan "sister city" projects within San Diego County.

Junior Seau Foundation

In 1992, Seau created the Junior Seau Foundation with the mission to educate and empower young people through the support of child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, recreational opportunities, anti-juvenile delinquency efforts and complementary educational programs.

The 20th Anniversary Junior Seau Celebrity Golf Classic was held March 10–12, 2012, at the La Costa Resort and Spa.

The Foundation gave out an annual award to the individual who exemplifies the mission statement of the Junior Seau Foundation.

2000 — Legend of the Year — Sid Brooks 2001 — Legend of the Year — Lance Alworth 2002 — Legend of the Year — Sid Gillman 2003 — Legend of the Year — Don Coryell 2004 — Legend of the Year — Marcus Allen 2005 — Legend of the Year — Deacon Jones 2006 — Legend of the Year — Bobby Ross 2007 — Legend of the Year — Warren Moon 2008 — Legend of the Year — Marshall Faulk 2009 — Legend of the Year — Charlie Joiner 2010 — Legend of the Year — John Lynch 2011 — Legend of the Year — Bill Walton

Personal life In 1989, Seau's older son, Tyler, was born to Seau's high school sweetheart, Melissa Waldrop. Seau broke up with Waldrop when Tyler was 13 months old. He married Gina Deboer in 1991. The couple had three children together, a daughter and two sons, before divorcing in 2002. Seau's son Jake attended Duke University where he played lacrosse. In 2019, Jake signed with the Dallas Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse.

Seau sustained minor injuries in October 2010 when his SUV plunged down a 100-foot cliff in Carlsbad, California, only hours after he was arrested for domestic violence following an incident reported to the police by his girlfriend at their home in nearby Oceanside. Seau stated that he fell asleep at the wheel, and was never charged in the domestic incident.

Seau's nephew, Ian Seau, was also a football player. Another nephew, Micah Seau, played football at San Diego State. His cousin was Pulu Poumele.

Death

On May 2, 2012, Seau was found dead with a gunshot wound to the chest at his home in Oceanside.

Seau's death recalled the 2011 suicide of former NFL player Dave Duerson, who shot himself in the chest and left a suicide note requesting that his brain be studied for brain trauma. Seau had no prior reported history of concussions, but his ex-wife said he did sustain concussions during his career. "He always bounced back and kept on playing," Gina Seau said. "He's a warrior. That didn't stop him." Seau had insomnia for at least the last seven years of his life, and he was taking zolpidem (Ambien), a prescription drug commonly prescribed for sleep disorders.

Seau's autopsy report released later in August 2012 by the San Diego County medical examiner indicated that his body contained no illegal drugs or alcohol, but did show traces of zolpidem. No apparent signs of brain damage were found, nor was he determined to have exhibited mood changes and irritability often apparent with concussions and brain damage.

There was speculation that Seau suffered brain damage due to CTE, a condition traced to concussion-related brain damage with depression as a symptom, as dozens of deceased former NFL players were found to have CTE. Seau's family donated his brain tissue to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the NIH; other candidates included the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and the Brain Injury Research Institute. Citing the Seau family's right to privacy, NIH did not intend to release the findings.

On January 10, 2013, Seau's family released the NIH's findings that his brain showed definitive signs of CTE. Russell Lonser of the NIH coordinated with three independent neuropathologists, giving them unidentified tissue from three brains, including Seau's. The three experts - along with two government researchers - arrived at the same conclusion. The NIH said the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."

On January 23, 2013, Seau's family sued the NFL over the brain injuries he had over his career. In 2014, his family continued to pursue the lawsuit while opting out of the NFL concussion lawsuit's proposed settlement, which was initially funded with $765 million. The family reached a confidential settlement with the league in 2018. The Seaus' attorney said that they were "pleased" with the resolution.

Seau is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.

Legacy

Seau was known for his passionate playing style, including a fist-pumping dance he performed after big plays. NFL head coach Norv Turner, who coached Seau as well as faced him as an opponent, said, "The No. 1 thing about Junior was that he was such an explosive player he'd defeat one-on-one blocks and he was a great tackler." Bill Belichick, his coach at New England, praised Seau's leadership and willingness to accept any role.

Chargers President Dean Spanos honored Seau after his death as "...An icon in our community. He transcended the game. He wasn't just a football player, he was so much more." The Chargers retired his No. 55 during his public memorial. The Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre and Junior Seau Beach Community Center were renamed posthumously in his honor by the city of Oceanside in July 2012.

On September 1, 2012, during the University of Southern California's home opener, Seau was honored by the team. On September 16, 2012, the Chargers retired Seau's number 55 during a ceremony at the 2012 regular season home opener against the Tennessee Titans. The San Diego Hall of Champions inducted Seau into the Breitbard Hall of Fame on February 25, 2013, forgoing their normal two-year waiting period after an athlete's retirement or death.

Seau became eligible for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. His eligibility was not accelerated due to his death from the standard five-year waiting period after a player's retirement. On January 31, 2015, Seau was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He wanted his daughter, Sydney, to introduce him if he were ever to be inducted. However, the Hall of Fame cited a five-year policy of not allowing speeches for deceased inductees, denying Sydney the opportunity to introduce her father.

Instead, she was allowed to speak onstage for three minutes uninterrupted on the NFL Network, and delivered a pared down version of her full speech, which The New York Times published.

On August 5, 2023, Junior Seau's linebacker teammate in Miami for three years, Zach Thomas, paid tribute to him at the end of his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech: "But there's one person whose name I've yet to mention. His poster hung on my wall in college, and he was everything I wanted to be as a football player. He was my inspiration, and he became my teammate and friend. Though he's not here physically, he's here in spirit and in a bust in that building behind me. I'm truly honored to join him. Junior Seau, love ya buddy."