Goodbye, Junior

Junior Seau was the reason I became a fan of the San Diego Chargers. He was also the reason I became an NFL fan in general, and part of the reason why my favourite number is 55.

He played with such fire and passion that it was impossible to not be a fan of his.

And that fire and passion could be one of the reasons Junior Seau is dead.

Seau played 20 years in the NFL. That's 2-0. Most NFL players don't make it past four or five years (the average is 3.3).

And that number could be one of the reasons Junior Seau is dead.

Throughout all the tributes and memorials that are to come, you won't hear a single bad word about Junior Seau, not even when he drove his car off a cliff in 2010 after an apparent domestic dispute.

And that level of respect could be one of the reasons Junior Seau is dead.

We've heard a lot recently about what happens to NFL players after they retire. In a lot of cases, the story doesn't end well, and it didn't for Junior Seau, or seven other members of the 1994 AFC champion Chargers roster.

Did Seau shoot himself in the chest, as Dave Duerson did, to preserve his brain for examination? To send us a message that, yes, there was something wrong with him, and to find the answer so that no one else has to die in this way?

Perhaps we will be able to answer that question, in time. Or perhaps not.

Either way, the sporting world has lost one of its all-time greats and a true professional, and unfortunately, his profession could ultimately be one of the reasons Junior Seau is dead.

We'll miss you, Junior.