SAMOAN-AMERICAN TIAINA BAUL “JUNIOR” SEAU, JR. BORN—FORMER NFL STAR PLAYER
Born in Oceanside, California, of parents from Aunu’u, American Samoa, Junior’s great grandfather was a chief in Pago Pago. Seau’s family moved back to American Samoa for several years before returning to San Diego. In High School, Junior lettered in football, basketball, and track. He made Parade’s high school All-American team and was named to California’s all-academic team. From there, Junior attended and played football for the University of Southern California. Chosen by the San Diego Chargers in the 1990 NFL Draft, Seau played 13 seasons for that team, 3 for the Miami Dolphins, and 4 with the New England Patriots. A 10-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowl selection, and member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, Seau was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame and, posthumously, to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Seau committed suicide on May 2, 2012, after suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to repeated concussions also linked to other deceased former NFL players.
Source: Karen Sparks, “Junior Seau,” Encyclopedia Britannica, 4/28/2020. Retrieved 6/10/2020, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Junior-Seau Photo: JJ Hall, 12/14/2008. Permissive Use.
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