As you may (or may not) know by now, I am a huge fan of the Oakland Raiders. Junior Seau played for the hated San Diego Chargers, but despite my extreme dislike for the Chargers, I could never bring myself to dislike Junior. It's pretty simple why. Junior played the game the way it was meant to be played, never giving up and always working hard. You could say it was a result of his experiences, as he overcame great adversity in his life (growing up poor, academic struggles at USC), yet he came out stronger with each challenge and succeeded in spite of whatever issues he faced in his life. He always played with passion and never took any downs off or gave up at any time, regardless if the Chargers were down by 30 or up by 30. I have many clear memories of #55 with the lightning bolt helmet breaking through the Raider offensive line and chasing down, or attempting to chase down, Rich Gannon to sack him. He could consistently change the outcome of games with a single tackle or sack, which is a quality that only the truly great defensive players of all time have. Simply put, if you do not consider Junior one of the all-time great players, not just defensive players, but one of the all-time great players, you do not know the game of football at all. Along with his impact on games, he also impacted the NFL as a whole. While Polynesian players had played in the NFL before Junior, he played a big role in the increased number of Polynesian players in the NFL today. His success made him a hero to Polynesians all over, and gave them increased confidence that they could live their dreams and succeed.
Junior, as great of a player as he was, was considered an even greater person. Every single person, whether they played against him, coached him, or whether they were simply fans, had great memories of him. Despite his intensity on the field, he was known as the gentle giant with the big smile off of it. Many Charger fans and San Diego citizens remember him just as much for his charity work, especially with children and teens, as they do for his hard hits on the field. To San Diego, he was not just a great player, he was one of their own, born and raised in Oceanside. To San Diego, he was more than just their star player, he was like a brother, a son. To San Diego, he was family. The love that San Diego fans had for Junior, and the love he had for them back, was what made his death yesterday all the more tragic. Today, it seems like San Diego is one giant family mourning the loss of a loved one.
Junior, you were a warrior and a true great, and this member of the Raider Nation would just like to say:
Malolo filemu, uso, and Manuia le Atua ia te oe.
(Rest in peace, my brother, and may God bless your family.)
This song is dedicated to Junior:
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