Seau's Legacy

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/05/report-boston-university-requests-junior-seaus-brain/1#.T6LMW9USNEM

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/oceanside/exclusive-football-great-junior-seau-dead-in-suicide-source-says/article_bccb943a-ba7e-56f3-8756-13d9c81a8258.html

 http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2012/05/neurosurgeon-junior-seaus-death-fuels-concussion-concerns/1#.T6LWTNUSNEN

For those who love football, the news of Junior Seau's death came as a huge shock to the NFL, and to San Diego, for which Seau has had a profound impact on the community. For San Diegans, Seau IS San Diego. There is Seau's the Restaurant, his Seau Foundation, his work with local schools. The list goes on and on, not to mention he is one of the greatest players in the history of the franchise.

According to reports, Boston University is requesting Seau's brain to study the effects of Chronic Traumatic
Encephalopathy (CTE), in which links were investigated between long term head trauma and it's effect on players post retirement. Dave Duerson and Andre Waters also committed suicide, and studies revealed Duerson also suffered from CTE. It will be interesting to see whether Seau suffered from CTE as well.

In light of these studies, and in the shadow of  "BountyGate", perhaps these tragedies may provide greater fuel  for team owners to provide safer plays, stricter penalties for intentional hits that cause unnecessary injury,and provide greater education  for fans to help remind them that ultimately, this is JUST a sport, and if players are suffering from injuries so severe that they resort to suicide, perhaps fans need to reexamine how their zealous consumption of football is possibly contributing to this problem.

Sadly, we will never fully know the reasons leading to Juniors death, whether it was CTE, depression or other demons. What San Diego knows is that the community lost a great player, a great community leader, a great father and #55 will forever be a reminder of "Junebug". But as Dave Zirin wrote in the Nation, the status quo is simply unacceptable.


RIP Junior Seau

Angela Wild
Kin 577