LOS ANGELES—For 13 of his 20 years as one of the premier linebackers in the NFL, Junior Seau proudly wore the helmet of the San Diego Chargers. It is accentuated with the now-iconic lightning bolts, and probably no player ever reflected his team's logo more than Seau.
To epitomize Seau on the football field, one need only to travel back to November of 1989 for the cross town rivalry game between the Trojans and UCLA Bruins. Finishing up a brutal season, the 3-7 Bruins came into the contest as 17-point underdogs. An inspired UCLA squad played with the game of a lifetime, stifling the Trojans and walking away with a 10-10 tie. They could have won the game, but Alfredo Velasco's last-second 54-yard field goal try hit the cross bar to keep the score tied. The individual story of the game was written by the Seau, who dislocated his shoulder in the first quarter. He stayed in the game, and terrorized the Bruins all game long, putting pressure on quarterback Brad Johnson and anyone who ended up with the ball. He should have probably been at the hospital getting xrays, yet he stayed at the Coliseum wreaking havoc on the Bruins. Surprising? Probably to anyone who didn't know the real Junior Seau.
"We would have been surprised if he didn't play the rest of the way," said John Jackson, currently a reporter for Fox Sports Net and a former Trojan teammate of Seau's. "That's the kind of player he was. He had played with a broken hand earlier in his career; he just didn't let anything stop him from playing. That's what made him an all-time great."
The lightning Seau brought to the football field and to all the people in his life has dissipated into the clouds, as the 43-year old Oceanside, Calif. native was found dead in his beach front home Wednesday. Police are investigating the cause of death as a suicide, and the man who provided so many answers on the football field, leaves nothing but questions to those who have to deal with the aftermath.
"Yesterday at this time, if you'd asked me if I would like to trade lives with Junior, I would have said yes," said Jackson. "It just goes to show you that you have to live every day like it might be your last, because it might be.
"Being a friend and former teammate of Junior's, you remember all the good things. He was a great guy, involved in so many charitable causes, and its things like that which make it so hard to take.
"People saw him as such a great football player; he was an even better person. He loved his teammates, his friends and the community, and we all loved him back. You're going to hear stories all week about what a good guys he was, how vibrant he was, which makes you wonder why someone who appeared to have the world by the tail, would commit suicide, if that's what happened. That's part of what makes it hard to take."
Some friends of Seau were devastated, such as former Trojan and All Pro linebacker Willie McGinest, who declined an interview request, saying he was too upset to talk about it.
USC Athletic Director Pat Haden issued a statement saying: "We are tremendously saddened to hear this news and our hearts go out to his family and children. Junior Seau was one of the greatest legends in USC football history. He will always be remembered by USC as the original No. 55."
Added Trojans head football coach Lane Kiffin: "This is a very sad day. The USC football program and the entire Trojan Family extend our condolences to Junior's family. He was one of the greatest Trojans of all-time. Our team and fans were very fortunate to see him just a couple of weeks ago at our Spring Game at the Coliseum. He will be deeply missed."
#RIPJuniorSeau You were one of the greatest Trojans of all time!
— Matthew Barkley (@MattBarkley) May 2, 2012
In October of 2010, Seau drove his SUV over a cliff near Oceanside following a domestic abuse charge filed by his girlfriend at the time. He told police that he fell asleep at the wheel, and it was later reported that there were no drugs or alcohol involved in the mishap. It did, however, start speculation that Seau was having some sort of problem in his life, something he denied often.
Seau was a beloved member of the San Diego community (he also played for Miami and New England) and was involved in hosting many charitable events at SEAU'S, his Mission Valley, California restaurant. He leaves behind his parent and three children.
"This really just doesn't make sense," said Jackson, who interviewed Seau when he was inducted in the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. "He loved his family so much, and he now had the time and the means to do whatever he wanted as far as spending time with them.
"Everybody talks about your teammates being your family, but you know in reality who your real family is. Junior was a family guy, and the times we talked over the past few years, he talked about spending time with all of them.
"It's really tough to accept this."
