A neighbor said he would often see Seau on the balcony, or in the ocean paddle boarding or surfing. Two days ago, he saw him playing the ukulele on his balcony, describing the tune as "Hawaiian-style music". "He was smiling and happy and looking at the sky and looking at the waves."
Seau's football career began in high school, where he also lettered in basketball and track and field. Football, though, was where he really shone, making All-American his senior year. From there he went to USC, posting nineteen sacks his final year there, gaining a unanimous first team All American spot.
In 1990, he was the fifth pick overall in the NFL draft. He quickly became one of the most popular players on the San Diego Chargers, and was nicknamed The Tasmanian Devil. In 2003, he would be traded to the Miami Dolphins, where he played til 2006, when they released him due to injuries.
On August 14, 2006 an extremely emotional Seau announced his retirement and signed a one day contract with the Chargers. But just four days later he signed with the New England Patriots, and played there through the 2009 season. January 13, 2010 he announced his intentions to retire, but never officially did.
Over his twenty year career, he was selected to the Pro Bowl twelve times. Perhaps the biggest highlight of his career was the 1994 AFC Championship game. In that game he was playing with a pinched nerve in his neck, yet had an astounding sixteen tackles.
Seau was consistently active in helping the area around Oceanside, California, especially the Samoan community. 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.
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