junior seau 'i love you' text to children
TMZ reports: "Seau was involved in a car accident back in 2010 when he drove his SUV off a cliff in Carlsbad, CA hours after he was arrested for allegedly attacking his girlfriend. Seau later said he was not trying to kill himself ... insisting he had fallen asleep at the wheel."
Now we bring you some very sad NFL news, as it has been reported that former Pro Bowl linebacker Junior Seau is dead at the age of 43.
The news came out earlier today, as Seau’s body was discovered by his girlfriend inside his Oceanside, California home this morning. She called 9-1-1 at 9:45 am PT, telling dispatch that she had found him unconscious in his bedroom with a gunshot wound in his chest and a handgun nearby. At the moment, authorities are investigating the incident as a suicide.
According to TMZ, Seau sent a text message to his ex-wife and kids last night saying “Love You.” They all responded, but didn’t believe anything was wrong at the time. His family members also didn’t see any signs of depression in Seau over the past couple of weeks, and many of them couldn’t believe what had happened when they arrived at his home to console one another this morning. At one point during an interview, Seau’s mom broke down, saying “Take me, take me, leave my son, but it’s too late.”
Seau played 13 of his 20 seasons in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers. He was drafted by the Chargers with the fifth-overall pick in the 1990 out of USC, and played in 12 Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls before retiring in 2009 as a member of the New England Partriots.
Perhaps the saddest fact from this tragic story comes via ESPN, who noted that Seau is now the eighth member of the ’94 Chargers – who lost in Super Bowl XXIX to the 49ers – to pass away at a young age. The others include Chris Mims, David Griggs, Rodney Culver, Lewis Bush, Curtis Whitley, Shawn Lee and Doug Miller.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of Junior Seau. He was a great competitor on the field and in the bull riding ring as well, and he will always be remembered for that. May he rest in peace.
Police say Seau's girlfriend found him this morning with gunshot wound to the chest.
A crowd including several police officers and neighbors gathered outside his two-story home on the south end of The Strand.
TMZ reports,
NFL legend Junior Seau was found dead in his home in Oceanside, CA ... and cops are investigating a shooting ... multiple law enforcement sources tell TMZ.
Cops are currently at Seau's home just outside San Diego. Seau was 43-years-old ... and leaves behind 3 kids and an ex-wife.
Seau was a beast in the NFL -- skyrocketing to fame thanks to his explosive play with the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. The USC standout was selected in the first round of the NFL draft in 1990 and played in the league for 20 years.
Seau was involved in a car accident back in 2010 when he drove his SUV off a cliff in Carlsbad, CA hours after he was arrested for allegedly attacking his girlfriend. Seau later said he was not trying to kill himself ... insisting he had fallen asleep at the wheel.
TMZ also reports Seau sent text messages to his ex-wife and 3 kids yesterday saying, "Love you." but they all responded and didn't suspect anything was wrong. They also report he last saw his kids 3 weeks ago.
Law enforcement sources are reporting Junior died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.
The San Diego Chargers have released an emotional statement saying,
"Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now...We ask everyone to stop what they're doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family."
View Photo Gallery — NFL great Junior Seau dies at 43: During a 20-year professional football career, the linebacker played for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. Seau is survived by three children.
Text Size PrintE-mailReprints
By Mark Maske, Published: May 2
Junior Seau, a linebacker who played in the NFL for 20 seasons and was among the most widely respected players of his generation, was found dead in his California home Wednesday.
Authorities in Oceanside, Calif., said Seau, who was 43, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and his girlfriend reported finding him unconscious. According to the Associated Press, police officials said a gun was found near Seau and his death appeared to be a suicide.It is very emotional for everybody right now,” San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos said at a news conference. “You just don’t know what to say. There are so many things you’re thinking about that you did with him, through some good times we had here and some difficult times with the team. I think all of us are going to sit back in the next couple of days and reflect upon our relationship with him over the last years, however long you knew him. I want to remember all of the good things about him because there are so many great things about this man and what he meant. . . . He was a great leader in this community.”
Seau spent 13 seasons with the Chargers between the 1990 and 2002 seasons. He also played for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. He was selected to 12 straight Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL’s all-decade team of the ’90s. He was honored as the NFL’s man of the year in 1994 for achievements on and off the field.
Former Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt called Seau’s death “just so tragic” and “hard to believe.”
Wannstedt, now the defensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, said in a written statement: “He brought a sense of renewed energy and a spirit to the field, off the field, in the weight room, just everywhere that Junior went and everyone that Junior was associated with. He instilled a belief that we hadn’t reached our potential and that we could be better and he would find a way to help make that happen.
“I just feel terrible but I know how much he loved his kids. . . .Everything he was doing was centered around getting back to San Diego from Miami to be able to spend quality time with his kids. I don’t think there’s a better way a man could be remembered than in those terms.”
Several former NFL players have died unexpectedly in recent months. Last month, authorities in Richmond told Fox that former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling’s death had been ruled a suicide. Easterling was among the former NFL players involved in concussion-related litigation against the league.
Former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson committed suicide last year and his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NFL, accusing the league of failing to properly prevent and treat concussions.
Seau was not known to be involved in any of the concussion-related lawsuits against the NFL. He survived a 100-foot fall down a cliff in his car in October 2010, a few hours after being arrested in a domestic incident. He was hospitalized but reportedly suffered only minor injuries and police said it was believed he fell asleep at the wheel.
He is the eighth member of the 1994 Chargers team, which reached the Super Bowl, to die before age 45. The others are Chris Mims, David Griggs, Rodney Culver, Lew Bush, Doug Miller, Curtis Whitley and Shawn Lee.
“He was such a great leader,” Chargers Coach Norv Turner said at a news conference. “He was such a great mentor for so many people and he has affected and impacted so many people’s lives.”
According to the AP, Seau’s mother, Luisa Seau, cried when she told reporters outside his house: “I don’t understand. . . . I’m shocked.”
She said there was no indication anything was wrong when she spoke to him by telephone this week, the AP reported.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Seau’s former wife Gina said he texted her and each of their three children messages on Tuesday saying, “I love you.”
She told the newspaper: “We’re all in shock. We’re beyond sad and beyond shocked. The kids and I are just huddled together at home. There is no way to make sense of this.”
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a written statement: “For four seasons, after every game he played, he would always find me in the locker room just to give me a big hug and squeeze tighter than anyone I remember. It was one of the many things I enjoyed about him. He was passionate about football and always spoke with great conviction. . . . He was beloved in his home town of San Diego and quickly became a fan favorite in New England.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment