Junior Seau Tiaina Baul " Junior " Seau Jr . ( ; January 19 , 1969 – May 2 , 2012 ) was a linebacker in the National Football League ( NFL ) . Known for his passionate playing style , he was a 10 - time All - Pro , 12 - time Pro Bowl selection , and named to the NFL 1990s All - Decade Team . Originally from San Diego , California , Seau played college football at the University of Southern California ( USC ) . He was chosen by the San Diego Chargers as the fifth overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft . Seau started for 13 seasons for the Chargers before being traded to the Miami Dolphins , where he spent three years before four final ones with the New England Patriots . Seau retired from pro football after the 2009 season . A standout on San Diego ' s only Super Bowl team , he was later inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame and the team retired his number 55 . Seau committed suicide with a gun shot wound to the chest in 2012 at the age of 43 . Later studies by the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ) concluded that Seau suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy ( CTE ) , a type of chronic brain damage that had also been found in other deceased former NFL players . Early years . Tiaina Baul Seau Jr . was born January 19 , 1969 , in San Diego , California , the fifth child of Tiaina Seau , Sr . , and Luisa Mauga Seau of Aunu ' u , American Samoa . Tiaina Sr . ' s grandfather was a village chief in Pago Pago . Tiaina Sr . worked at a rubber factory and was a school custodian , and Luisa worked at the commissary of Camp Pendleton in Southern California and a laundromat . After Seau was born , the family moved back to American Samoa for several years before returning to San Diego ; Seau did not learn to speak English until he was seven years old . At home , Seau and his three brothers had to sleep in the family ' s one - car garage . Seau attended Oceanside High School in Oceanside , where he lettered in football , basketball , and track and field . As a football player , Seau was a starter at linebacker and tight end , and as a senior , he was named the Avocado League offensive MVP and led the 18 - member Oceanside Pirates team to the San Diego 2A championship . " Parade " selected Seau to its high school All - American team . In basketball , as a senior , he was named the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section Player of the Year . He helped his team win the 1987 Lt . James Mitchell Tournament and make third place in the Mt . Carmel Invitational . In track and field , he was the Avocado League champion in the shot put . Seau was also named to California ’ s all - academic team with a 3 . 6 grade - point average . College career . After graduating from high school , Seau attended the University of Southern California ( USC ) . He had to sit out his freshman season because he got only a 690 on his college entrance exam , the SAT , 10 points short of USC ' s required 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 Samoan s , 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 . He lettered in his final two seasons , 1988 and 1989 , posting 19 sacks in 1989 en route to a unanimous first - team All - America n selection . Professional career . San Diego Chargers . After three years as a Trojan , Seau entered the NFL draft after his junior season and was chosen in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft by Bobby Beathard ' s San Diego Chargers as the fifth overall draft selection . 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 . He started no fewer than 13 games for the Chargers over each of the ensuing 11 seasons , registering a career high with 155 tackles in 1994 . That year , Seau 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 84 tackles and missed his final Pro Bowl with 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 . First retirement . 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 . New England Patriots . 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 New England 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 . He started four of the 16 games he played in for the Patriots in 2007 , and then started the Patriots ' two playoff games before Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants . New England ' s undefeated streak ended with a Super Bowl loss to the Giants . After the Patriots had a number of injuries late in the 2008 season , they re - signed Seau . He started two of four games he played . 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 got carried away . On October 7 , 2009 , NFL Network reported that the New England 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 . Second retirement . Seau announced his intention to retire for a second time on the television program " Inside the NFL " on January 13 , 2010 . Beyond football . His restaurant 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 . The restaurant was closed May 16 , 2012 , just two weeks after his death ; the trustees of his estate explained that " Without Seau ' s charismatic leadership , it was felt that the future profitability of the restaurant could be in question . " " 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 complimentary 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 gives out an annual award to the individual who exemplifies the mission statement of the Junior Seau Foundation . Personal . In 1989 , Seau ' s oldest 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 sustained minor injuries in October 2010 when his SUV plunged down a 100 - foot cliff hours after he had been arrested for domestic violence following an incident reported to the police by his girlfriend . Seau maintained he had fallen asleep at the wheel , and was never charged in the domestic incident . Seau ' s nephew , Ian Seau , committed to play at Kansas State . Another nephew , Micah Seau , committed to play for San Diego State . Death . On May 2 , 2012 , Seau ' s girlfriend found him dead with a gunshot wound to the chest at his home in Oceanside . He left no suicide note , but he did leave a paper in the kitchen of his home with lyrics he scribbled from his favorite country song , " Who I Ain ' t " . The song , co - written by his friend Jamie Paulin — a Nashville - based songwriter — describes a man who regrets the person he has become . 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 concussion s , 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 disorder s . 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 suffered from 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 neuropathologist s , 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 , the Seau family sued the NFL over the brain injuries suffered by Seau over his career . Legacy . Seau was known for his passionate playing style , including a fist - pumping dance he performed after big plays . Rick Gosselin of " The Dallas Morning News " said Seau " probably was the most dynamic player of his era " . 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 . " Seau ' s quickness allowed him to freelance , which sometimes put him out of position . " People say he gambled a bit , but in reality , his insight led him to the ball . . . Even when he was wrong , you had to account for him and that created problems for offensive coordinators . You ’ d better have somebody blocking him , " said former NFL coach Tom Bass . He was praised by teammates for his work ethic and leadership . He would play when hurt , and often refused to leave games . " He played the game the way it was meant to be played , " said retired Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway . Bill Belichick , his coach at New England , praised Seau ’ s leadership and willingness to accept any role . He was named to the Chargers 40th and 50th anniversary teams , which honor the top players and coaches in the team ' s history . He was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame on November 27 , 2011 , as part of Alumni Day ceremonies at a sold - out game against the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium . Fellow Chargers Hall of Famer Dan Fouts introduced Seau before a crowd of nearly 71 , 000 . 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 . Seau will be 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 . 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 planned to induct 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 .