Junior Seau

Junior Seau terrorized offenses in the National Football League in the 1990s, but his mysterious suicide would profoundly alter his legacy. Of Samoan descent, Seau came to the fore as an All-American linebacker for the University of Southern California. Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 1990, he quickly became the face of the team and one of the top players at his position in the league, known for his dynamic style and quickness. He would be the Chargers' defensive lynchpin on their way to a dark horse Super Bowl berth in 1994. He spent the less-productive years of his career with Miami and New England, and, with the latter, returned to the Super Bowl in 2008, only to fall to the New York Giants. After retiring in 2010, Seau struggled with depression, alarming his friends and family. Desperate and in pain, in 2012, the beloved player committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. Subsequent analysis determined he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of brain damage then the subject of legal battle between NFL veterans and the league. A 12-time Pro Bowl selection and once one of the most dynamic characters of the game, Seau wrought havoc on the field but may have come to embody the high price of the game's violent nature.