He Was Our Buddy

Seau brought a different type of energy to his
position, making him of the best to ever
do it.

Heartbreak has spread throughout Southern California.

NFL legend Junior Seau was found dead in his Oceanside home Wednesday morning with what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. As the news broke, shock waves scoured the Southland with one question coming to mind.

Could he really have killed himself?

But then an October morning that took place almost two years ago was quickly remembered.

In the early hours of Oct. 17, 2010, Seau was released on bail from Vista jail after being arrested on suspicion of spousal assault, but it's the picture painted following his release that spoke a thousand words. Seau's SUV swerved off a 100-foot cliff flipping and flopping onto rocks just shy of the Pacific Ocean.

Many believed that was Seau's cry for help and his first attempt at suicide, but after he said that wasn't the truth and just a case of him falling asleep at the wheel, we had no reason not to believe him.

Now, we do.

However, this isn't time to speculate, but rather a time to remember a San Diego icon, one of the greatest football players and human beings in recent memory.

Born in San Diego, Seau attended the University of Southern California. Despite having to sit out his freshman year for academic reasons, Seau became one of the first dominate linebackers in school history, paving the way for future Trojan stars like Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews and Keith Rivers.

Seau lettered in both seasons he played in the Coliseum with his junior (final) season being his best. He recorded 19 sacks that year and was a unanimous selection for First-Team All-American.

He would be taken with the fifth overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft by his hometown San Diego Chargers where he would become the greatest player in franchise history. Seau played 13 of his 20 NFL seasons as a Charger, including making 12 straight Pro Bowls and being named to the First-Team All-Pro six times.

Even though 1994 was his best statistical season, Seau was named the AFC Player of the Year and helped lead San Diego to their sixth playoff appearance since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger. In the AFC Championship Game, the then-25-year-old had one of his finest performances, recording 19 tackles and securing the team's first and only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-13.

However, Seau and the rest of the Charger defense would be torched by the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX, watching southpaw Steve Young finally step out of Joe Montana's shadow, throwing for 325 yards and breaking his mentor's Super Bowl touchdown record with six.

San Diego only made the playoffs one another season (1995) during Seau's tenure. The Chargers traded him to the Miami Dolphins in April 2003 for a conditional draft choice.

Seau would spend four seasons in South Beach before announcing his initial retirement in August 2006. But just four days later, he received a phone call from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick that was enticing enough for him to abandon his post-football career.

That decision allowed Seau to be part of something special and one last shot at a Super Bowl ring.

The Patriots would complete an undefeated regular season and role through the playoffs, all the way to Super Bowl XLII. With New England trailing 10-7 late in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady hooked up with Randy Moss for a six-yard touchdown catch with 2:42 left in the season, giving them a 14-10 advantage.

Watching intently on the sideline, Seau and fellow veteran linebacker Tedy Bruschi embraced one another with less than three minutes separting them from history.

Instead, the New York Giants would spoil history.

Eli Manning would answer Brady's touchdown pass with 0:35 seconds left, sealing his improbable first Super Bowl victory.

Despite everything he accomplished in his
career, Seau never won a Super Bowl.

In that moment, Seau buried his face in the grass of the University of Phoenix Stadium in disbelief as his childhood dream slipped away yet again. Over the next two seasons, following his second Super Bowl loss, Seau would only play in 11 games for New England before announcing his retirement in January 2010.

Although, he never officially filed his retirement papers.

Seau is now the eighth member of that '94 Chargers Super Bowl team to have died before the age of 45 and the third former NFL player to commit suicide in the last 15 months.

Many believe the concussions former NFL players have suffered throughout their careers have led to depression and could be the cause of Seau's unexpected suicide. Seau's gunshot wound was in his chest, maybe leaving his brain to science.

His apparent suicide comes as a surprise considering while he was a giant on the field, he was just that off the field.

Seau was one of the few athletes that personality and character matched, if not overmatched, his on-field ability. One of the most gracious athletes of our generation, Seau always went out his way to make teammates around him better, even if it made him work harder to keep his own job.

He spread kindness and happiness to many throughout his life, but maybe never found his own happiness.

Obviously, things aren't always as they appear, but if you listen hard enough I bet you can hear Junior's ukulele playing and finally at peace. Rest in peace five-five.