Junior Seau is the Eighth San Diego Charger From the 1994 Super Bowl Team to Pass Away
The 1994 Chargers have now had eight members of that Super Bowl squad pass away, all by the age of 44, per Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated. Lew Bush was the most recent before Junior Seau, in December of last year.
The group includes a mix of bad luck and health issues. David Griggs died in an auto accident, Rodney Culver in a plane crash, Doug Miller was struck by lightning, Curtis Whitley from an overdose, and Chris Mims and Shawn Lee from cardiac arrest.
Now, the most famous player from that team has passed away in a suicide, and I suspect will become the face of the issues facing former players, head injuries, and post-career behavior and troubles. Many of us remember Dave Duerson, but if you are reading this, you almost certainly saw Junior Seau play. He was going to be a sure fire Hall of Famer, and he hadn’t even been retired long enough to be eligible yet.
[photo via US Presswire]
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May 2nd, 2012 at 3:28 PM
Not even being a dick, but is there any evidence out there yet that says he killed himself because of post-football trauma, etc.?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:29 PM
Holy shit, that’s some bad luck.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:30 PM
Is this post written by Lisk or Not Lisk?
BTW… why do I owe you money?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:31 PM
“‘Stumpy Joe’, choked on his own vomit.”
“Well, they weren’t sure if it was his vomit.”
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:31 PM
He was going to be a sure fire Hall of Famer, and he hadn’t even been retired long enough to be eligible yet.
anyone been inducted posthumously? oh, i’ll go look
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:31 PM
/Draws own conclusions
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:32 PM
Is this post written by Lisk or Not Lisk?
BTW… why do I owe you money?
we’ll just call it rent for living in Kansas City with me
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:32 PM
Do you mean something like him leaving a note that he didn’t shoot himself in the head so his brain could be studied? I know it would take months for researchers to study his brain and make any sort of diagnosis.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:32 PM
Seau announced his retirement at an emotional press conference on August 14, 2006, after signing a one-day contract with the San Diego Chargers. 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.[
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:32 PM
Not even being a dick, but is there any evidence out there yet that says he killed himself because of post-football trauma, etc.?
Of course not. People are commenting on how topical this is though with the current lawsuits against the NFL and the similarity to Dave Duerson.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:33 PM
I was kinda thinking the same thing. While it’s certainly plausible (hell, more like probable even) it seems like a massive jump to conclusions by the internets with regard to this stuff. He could have suffered from garden variety depression.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:33 PM
couldn’t find anything, and i’m not referring to old people and veteran’s committee, talking about sure HOFers who died suddenly, young
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:33 PM
SHIT. Stan Humphries died today too?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:34 PM
Stumpy Pete – Died in a bizarre gardening accident.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:35 PM
KC, Lisk said if you send me some Arthur Bryant’s he will call it even.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:35 PM
Jason Lisk is actually Ned Ryerson.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:35 PM
Didn’t Natron Means Business also play on that team, or was that Craig “Ironhead” Heyward?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:35 PM
I bet Vilma is behind this
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:36 PM
And another in a plane crash.. two events often used to describe how unlikely things are from happening
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:36 PM
anyone been inducted posthumously? oh, i’ll go look
Posthumously, yes, several if you include veteran’s selections.
Derrick Thomas recently, as another.
Suicide? Well, Jim Tyrer is not in the Hall of Fame even though he likely would have been. He, though, shot his wife and then killed himself in a murder-suicide. He got a lot of votes the year before that happened, and then fell off and will never get in.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:36 PM
we’ll just call it rent for living in Kansas City with me Lisk
Pfft. I don’t live in KC anymore. I’m out west of Bonner Springs. No money for you.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Derrick Thomas.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Exactly. Researchers don’t know the exact effects of CTE when it comes to things like depression. There could be brain damage from drugs that he took during his playing days, he could have a family history of depression, etc.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:36 PM
what about Derrick Thomas? Lisk would know.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:37 PM
Interesting, because Lisk and I had a deal where I would send him ideas for posts, and he would send me money. I offered to do most of the work for him, if he just gave me admin rights on this website.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:37 PM
Clemente?
After all, as someone pointed out in another thread, his career just dropped off a cliff.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Stan Humphries died today too?
he’s still sitting on the turf in full gear, eyes like saucers
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Say, anyone mention Derrick Thomas? No? Derrick Thomas.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:39 PM
What I mean is that the ridiculous claims implied here are completely unsupported:
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:39 PM
Dozens of people spontaneously combust each year. It’s just not widely reported.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:39 PM
so…none were related. good to know.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:39 PM
LUKA MODRIC with a SICK half-volley. Tottenham up 1-0 on Bolton while Chelsea trails Newcastle 1-0 at the half.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:40 PM
Hail Mary, full of grace..
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:40 PM
yep, thomas, clemente. good work. proud of you
awkward hug
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:42 PM
Didnt Reggie White also go in posthumously?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:44 PM
i need to take a dump, post-hummus-ly.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:44 PM
Bobby Ross took Maryland to an ACC title, GA Tech to a National Title, the Chargers to the Super Bowl, but then, the Lions killed him. Not even he could fix the Lions.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:45 PM
Correlation does not equal causation.
But for people who work at extremely large companies how many employees or ex-employees do you know who killed themselves with a gunshot to the chest?
Pours speculating whiskey:
Perhaps Seau had failed his earlier suicide attempt and was ready to begin again. He needed a sure fire method. Now if you are going to shot yourself would it be best to do it in such a way that would help your former teammates?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:47 PM
This is why Dirt is needed. I don’t have enough snark skill to tell you dummies to use Google.
Vince Lombardi, Jim Finks, quit looking.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:47 PM
Takes glass of speculating Whiskey:
Or perhaps he was fearful that a head shot would certainly result in another fine.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:49 PM
This is pretty badass.
/non suicide/death related
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:49 PM
Fascinating day in the comments section.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:49 PM
pretty sure dan fouts was inducted posthumously.
/?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:49 PM
Who did the L.A. Stallions play in that game? A lot of those dudes are dead.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:50 PM
And i’m out.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:50 PM
pretty sure all of the 1927 yankees are dead…if only we could’ve done something!
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:50 PM
Off topic, but I guess this is one way to get out of a drug and gun charge.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:51 PM
But for people who work at extremely large companies
you will tell me of this qualifier
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Friday nights a great night for football!
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:53 PM
Needle Nose Ned?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:54 PM
Or perhaps he was fearful that a head shot would certainly result in another fine.
Wow.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:55 PM
Doesn’t/didn’t he have the highest winning % of any QB at some point? GOAT
/TBL
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:56 PM
I’ll admit it…I laughed a bit.
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:57 PM
Over fifteen percent of the players on that team have now passed away.
Virtually the whole team
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:58 PM
Stil best recorded suicide ever. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVUXPjFWfX4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:58 PM
WWOS
So AK and Radulov are some pretty wild and crazy guys eh?
May 2nd, 2012 at 3:58 PM
i laughed a LOT. that was golden.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:00 PM
I was torn on the whole disrupting chemistry thing, but they don’t beat the Wings without them… they are two new guys though, with like 3 months total on the team, so fuck ‘em.
Trotz already said (somewhat aggressively) there’s no way they’d have played game 2 if he’d known, and if they win game 3, then AK/Rads are out for game 4, too. Jeff Marek talked some yesterday about how much he likes the Preds organization, in part because they don’t put up with shit. Team > Players.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:01 PM
I was expecting the dude who shot himself in front of the press. Bud Dwyer or something like that. Such a fucked up video.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:01 PM
The Titans/Jeff Fisher always let CJ and Britt get ahead of the team, and it’s the reason I could never get behind them. This Preds team makes it really easy to like them, in spite of stupid Russians.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:02 PM
Thank you for not linking Budd Dwyer. I couldn’t handle that today.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:03 PM
Condolences to family and sad to hear.
And again, not to be a dick, but to the extent football is to “blame,” some of that falls on the player. Jr hung around waaay to long, should have walked away 5 or 6 years earlier but refused to quit.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:04 PM
We are going to have to see the ratings for games he played in before we start calling him the GOAT.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:08 PM
Maybe in his case, but I think susceptibility to chronic traumatic encephalopathy is somewhat genetic/pre-ordained. Players with short careers have been among the recent tragedies I believe.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:09 PM
Wow. Forgot about Budd Dwyer. Saw that in college class.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:10 PM
“Since Dwyer died in office, his widow Joanne was able to collect full survivor benefits, totaling over $1.28 million. A spokesman for Dwyer suggested that he may have committed suicide to preserve the state-provided pension for his family, whose finances had been ruined by legal defense costs”
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:10 PM
I’ll admit it…I laughed a bit.
i laughed a LOT. that was golden.
Oh I did too. I’m not above it. I’m just amazed at the depths we are plumbing today.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:11 PM
What I mean is that the ridiculous claims implied here are completely unsupported:
I am expressing an opinion, and opinion that because of his notoriety he will be publicly the face of post-career problems. I am not diagnosing him with CTE at this point. Whether he has any brain trauma that shows up or not, he is a very prominent athlete with post-career problems–whether it be TO money problems or relationship issues.
I don’t think I ever passed something as fact. I also don’t think it’s ridiculous to have that opinion.
The suicide rate is what, 10 or 11 per 100,000. In a population of a few thousand, we’ve seen multiple suicides in the last year.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:13 PM
im pretty sure it’s lower than that…like 6.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:14 PM
Let me go ahead and do that. I’ll make a bet with anyone who wants to that CTE shows up post-mortem, whether it was causative to his suicide or not.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:23 PM
I need to take that bet like I need a hole in my head.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:24 PM
Just today? Please.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:26 PM
Isn’t your nose technically a hole in your head? I mean, that’s kind of important.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Just today? Please.
It’s not normally concentrated in one day. We usually spread this level of amazingness over an entire week.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Yes but I thought ‘like I need many CTE style holes in my brain’ would be a bit on the nose.
May 2nd, 2012 at 4:46 PM
That’s okay. Sean Payton and Jonathan Vilma have been punished. Everything’s better now.
May 2nd, 2012 at 5:00 PM
Bobby Ross took Maryland to an ACC title, GA Tech to a National Title, the Chargers to the Super Bowl, but then, the Lions killed him. Not even he could fix the Lions.
Army football finished him off.
Ralph Friedgen is still alive….been waiting for that heart attack for a few years.
May 2nd, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Correlation does not equal causation.
—
Nice Soul Coughing insert
May 2nd, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Correlation does not equal causation.
—
Nice Soul Coughing insert
May 2nd, 2012 at 10:08 PM
Correlation does not equal causation.
—
Nice Soul Coughing insert