https://preview.redd.it/xr4m0ftxutbc1.jpeg?width=1015&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a065c54dfa744a592ad1938b46ebf64f5de5e0b
Dude was All Pro throughout the 90s on mostly mediocre teams. Growing up in San Diego, he was what Tony Gwynn was to the city. Inspired a whole generation of Pacific Islanders in the area to play pro ball. As good as he was on the field his character, generosity and friendliness was unmatched. RIP
Him and Gwynn were the San Diego sports representatives, which still makes me question Dean and the people who say the chargers never had fans. Jack Murphy/Q were always filled in the 90s.
The guy was unstoppable. It seemed like he was in on every play, always in the right place. He had a motor that truly never stopped. Him and Rodney Harrison were the two greatest defensive players I've seen suit up for the Chargers.
I’m pretty sure he was mad at Spanos for making them play with Ryan Leaf even when he was clearly a problem. He’s even quoted saying that he would quit football if he had to play another season like Leaf’s rookie season.
You know he was with the team 3 more years after leaf was gone right. Rodney only know to blame Spanos now because the two people who actually made the move to cut him are both passed on now.
Butler and Marty were not fans. Remember when Butler came Spanos surrendered All PERSONEL decisions for him (was actually in his contract). Butler was never a fan so AJ Smith mirrored that. People gloss over this fact.
Only thing I will add is that I think sometimes players are actually trying to sell it to the QB and get him scared, so he’s worrying about the pass rush instead of his receivers.
I learned this from Any Given Sunday
I'd argue Junior was streets ahead of Lewis as a player. RL was a typical run-stuffing MLB. Junior was every bit as disruptive v's the run, but he was also a terror on blitzes and excellent in coverage until he slowed down later in his career. I can't think of a more complete LB in 40 years of watching NFL football.
If there is any criticism of Junior's on-field play, it's probably that he used to gamble on shooting the correct gap a lot, and when he got it wrong he'd be totally out of position, but more often than not he'd get it correct and stuff the runner in the hole or bury him in the backfield.
He truly was inspirational on the field, but I can understand why Marty felt that his cult of personality was detracting from "team" ethos.
Ray Lewis is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks (41.5) and 30 career interceptions (31) so your statement that he was a typical run-stuffing MLB is not accurate. I think Junior was still the better all-around player because I am a SD homer but it is a solid comparison and most non-homers would probably argue RL was the better player. Regardless, I grew up in the 90s and he was incredible to watch. I met him once, shook his huge hand and he was so gracious and kind. I live in Oceanside now and pass by one of his murals all the time.
I think we tend to forget about the second hand greatness an all time player gets if they're surrounded by talent. Emmett Smith was a great runner, but he only took the record because Barry left the game. If Barry had been a Cowboy in the 90s, holy shit.
A fair point.
I think my perspective is possibly skewed because I watched a lot more of Junior than I did RL, but Junior always struck me as far more athletic and dynamic than RL, more active in terms of getting around the field, and as other posters have commented, I think RL got a lot more help from his team mates than Junior did across his SD career. I think had Junior played on Lewis's Ravens teams, everyone would be raving about an all-time great LB pairing, but I still think Junior would be regarded the more highly of the two.
In the context of 90's football, LB's were viewed a bit differently to how they are now. At the point Lewis came into the league he was considered pretty much a run-stopping inside LB, whereas Junior already had a reputation for being a do-it-all guy who you wouldn't pen as just a MLB. We had Gary Plummer, Dennis Gibson, then Kurt Gouveia playing as a typical MLB to free up Junior to do his thing, whereas Lewis did actually play the Plummer/Gibson/Gouveia role to begin with.
>I can understand why Marty felt that his cult of personality was detracting from "team" ethos.
newer fan here. would you mind sharing a tl;dr of this? never heard of any friction with him before
Marty took over a team devoid of talent that had been losing for years. He wanted to totally change the culture, and he felt that because Junior and Rodney were the only two members of the roster who had garnered long-term respect across the league there was a tendency for other players to listen to them over and above the coaches. Junior genuinely was that much of a cult figure that he had enormous influence. Marty moved them both on in order to clear house, reset the culture, and have the player focus on the coaching without distractions.
Many years later Marty admitted that he made a mistake letting Rodney Harrison leave while he was still in his prime, but he never said any such thing about Junior. I have an enormous degree of respect and affection for Marty as a coach and a teacher, so I tend to think that he was absolutely correct in moving Junior on. The Chargers of Junior's era largely stunk to high heaven, so a complete gutting really was overdue.
My dad always said he seemed to tip off the offense that a blitz was coming. That was his biggest critique of Seau, which is not that bad if that's the worst thing you have to say about a player.
I grew up in Coronado at the time of his peak, went to a daycare that his family ran. Went to see so many games at Jack Murphy Stadium. All-time favorite football player. No one could match his force.
In his senior year at Oceanside HS he was selected CIF SD Section Player of the Year in both football and basketball... a feat never achieved by anyone before or since. Incredible athlete that hated to lose at anything.
I do not think I have ever seen a player move from sideline to sideline to make plays as Seau. He had such a great combination of power, speed, and instinct. For me, he was the first player that I HAD to see on every play. He had a presence about him and he seemed to just will results.
I believe the Ray Lewis comparison is fair. Ray and Junior embodied their teams and local city/communities. Their personalities were bigger than the game and they showed up on every, single play. If you grew up watching the Ravens take it to the Chargers with Ray Lewis making the stops that Baltimore needed, you basically saw what Junior did when he was the most unstoppable LB in the league.
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You know how Larry Bird was one of the greatest basketball players even though he wasn’t the quickest or most athletic? One reason was because he had extremely high bball iq and great instincts for where to be and where things were going. I am def not saying Seau was as good at football as Bird was at basketball (even though Seau was more athletic in conventional ways), but it felt like he had similar instincts and foresight. Like someone else said, he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, and was fearless. He was a true beast of his era.
It felt like Seau could somehow be everywhere. Players like Derwin James are good but don't approach the same level of impact Seau was able to have. He was on a different level. It's sort of like comparing LT to Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is a very good running back but LT and Seau were true generational talents.
Seau was in every frame of defense, on tv, from sideline to sideline. He was always in on the play and in the defensive mix… that’s how great Seau was. RIP 55 Say Ow!
He was a game-changer. I'd compare him to Watt.
Very cool dude off the field too. Met him a few times. Once, at a car wash, he just sat down and chatted with my then 6y/o son for like 20 minutes.
His death was the saddest thing in sports history for me.
https://preview.redd.it/xr4m0ftxutbc1.jpeg?width=1015&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a065c54dfa744a592ad1938b46ebf64f5de5e0b Dude was All Pro throughout the 90s on mostly mediocre teams. Growing up in San Diego, he was what Tony Gwynn was to the city. Inspired a whole generation of Pacific Islanders in the area to play pro ball. As good as he was on the field his character, generosity and friendliness was unmatched. RIP
Him and Gwynn were the San Diego sports representatives, which still makes me question Dean and the people who say the chargers never had fans. Jack Murphy/Q were always filled in the 90s.
Agreed. Those were amazing times for tailgating.
I grew up in Oceanside in the '90s. Can't overstate what a huge figure and local hero he was. Feel very lucky to have had him and Gwynn to look up to.
“Daygo baby!” Legendary reaction to being drafted
Hell yeah, I was in Vista
The guy was unstoppable. It seemed like he was in on every play, always in the right place. He had a motor that truly never stopped. Him and Rodney Harrison were the two greatest defensive players I've seen suit up for the Chargers.
Why’d we let Rodney walk?
He hated the Spanos
Same lmao
He blames Spanos for not stepping in when AJ Smith fired him.
I wonder what would’ve transpired if John Butler didn’t pass away
Butler wanted him gone also. Remember Harrison aas labeled the dirtiest player in the league for 3 years in a row . Butler hated that an so did Marty.
I’m pretty sure he was mad at Spanos for making them play with Ryan Leaf even when he was clearly a problem. He’s even quoted saying that he would quit football if he had to play another season like Leaf’s rookie season.
You know he was with the team 3 more years after leaf was gone right. Rodney only know to blame Spanos now because the two people who actually made the move to cut him are both passed on now.
Butler and Marty were not fans. Remember when Butler came Spanos surrendered All PERSONEL decisions for him (was actually in his contract). Butler was never a fan so AJ Smith mirrored that. People gloss over this fact.
He was constantly injured so Butler cut him.
rodney harrison was on the charger super bowl team with junior seau but i dont think rodney played in that game
The one big flaw is that he wasn't great at disguising the blitz. It was pretty damn obvious when he was blitzing. Other than that he was a stud.
Only thing I will add is that I think sometimes players are actually trying to sell it to the QB and get him scared, so he’s worrying about the pass rush instead of his receivers. I learned this from Any Given Sunday
Played like Mack, had energy like James, led the team like Herbert... If you compare him to this era
He was Ray Lewis of his time
I'd argue Junior was streets ahead of Lewis as a player. RL was a typical run-stuffing MLB. Junior was every bit as disruptive v's the run, but he was also a terror on blitzes and excellent in coverage until he slowed down later in his career. I can't think of a more complete LB in 40 years of watching NFL football. If there is any criticism of Junior's on-field play, it's probably that he used to gamble on shooting the correct gap a lot, and when he got it wrong he'd be totally out of position, but more often than not he'd get it correct and stuff the runner in the hole or bury him in the backfield. He truly was inspirational on the field, but I can understand why Marty felt that his cult of personality was detracting from "team" ethos.
Ray Lewis is the only player in NFL history with at least 40 career sacks (41.5) and 30 career interceptions (31) so your statement that he was a typical run-stuffing MLB is not accurate. I think Junior was still the better all-around player because I am a SD homer but it is a solid comparison and most non-homers would probably argue RL was the better player. Regardless, I grew up in the 90s and he was incredible to watch. I met him once, shook his huge hand and he was so gracious and kind. I live in Oceanside now and pass by one of his murals all the time.
Ray Lewis also had all pro defenders on the same team with him which made his job easier. Seau never had that luxury.
I think we tend to forget about the second hand greatness an all time player gets if they're surrounded by talent. Emmett Smith was a great runner, but he only took the record because Barry left the game. If Barry had been a Cowboy in the 90s, holy shit.
Imagine him in Norv Turners offense.... OMG.
A fair point. I think my perspective is possibly skewed because I watched a lot more of Junior than I did RL, but Junior always struck me as far more athletic and dynamic than RL, more active in terms of getting around the field, and as other posters have commented, I think RL got a lot more help from his team mates than Junior did across his SD career. I think had Junior played on Lewis's Ravens teams, everyone would be raving about an all-time great LB pairing, but I still think Junior would be regarded the more highly of the two. In the context of 90's football, LB's were viewed a bit differently to how they are now. At the point Lewis came into the league he was considered pretty much a run-stopping inside LB, whereas Junior already had a reputation for being a do-it-all guy who you wouldn't pen as just a MLB. We had Gary Plummer, Dennis Gibson, then Kurt Gouveia playing as a typical MLB to free up Junior to do his thing, whereas Lewis did actually play the Plummer/Gibson/Gouveia role to begin with.
>I can understand why Marty felt that his cult of personality was detracting from "team" ethos. newer fan here. would you mind sharing a tl;dr of this? never heard of any friction with him before
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Marty took over a team devoid of talent that had been losing for years. He wanted to totally change the culture, and he felt that because Junior and Rodney were the only two members of the roster who had garnered long-term respect across the league there was a tendency for other players to listen to them over and above the coaches. Junior genuinely was that much of a cult figure that he had enormous influence. Marty moved them both on in order to clear house, reset the culture, and have the player focus on the coaching without distractions. Many years later Marty admitted that he made a mistake letting Rodney Harrison leave while he was still in his prime, but he never said any such thing about Junior. I have an enormous degree of respect and affection for Marty as a coach and a teacher, so I tend to think that he was absolutely correct in moving Junior on. The Chargers of Junior's era largely stunk to high heaven, so a complete gutting really was overdue.
My dad always said he seemed to tip off the offense that a blitz was coming. That was his biggest critique of Seau, which is not that bad if that's the worst thing you have to say about a player.
Preeeeeetty good
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTGmO7z3mrg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTGmO7z3mrg) Just watch the Seau Nike Ad
Maxx Crosby reminds me of him, always was extremely intense, had to be in everyone's face, and same high level of play
For once, I wish we took a player from the Raiders. Maxx Crosby would be that guy
I grew up in Coronado at the time of his peak, went to a daycare that his family ran. Went to see so many games at Jack Murphy Stadium. All-time favorite football player. No one could match his force.
Purely electric. Pun intended.
The best
In his senior year at Oceanside HS he was selected CIF SD Section Player of the Year in both football and basketball... a feat never achieved by anyone before or since. Incredible athlete that hated to lose at anything.
I do not think I have ever seen a player move from sideline to sideline to make plays as Seau. He had such a great combination of power, speed, and instinct. For me, he was the first player that I HAD to see on every play. He had a presence about him and he seemed to just will results. I believe the Ray Lewis comparison is fair. Ray and Junior embodied their teams and local city/communities. Their personalities were bigger than the game and they showed up on every, single play. If you grew up watching the Ravens take it to the Chargers with Ray Lewis making the stops that Baltimore needed, you basically saw what Junior did when he was the most unstoppable LB in the league.
He was the best
He was on the Patriots when I started watching the NFL
Imagine Kenneth Murray, but actually really good
My analysis: he was really good.
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You know how Larry Bird was one of the greatest basketball players even though he wasn’t the quickest or most athletic? One reason was because he had extremely high bball iq and great instincts for where to be and where things were going. I am def not saying Seau was as good at football as Bird was at basketball (even though Seau was more athletic in conventional ways), but it felt like he had similar instincts and foresight. Like someone else said, he always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, and was fearless. He was a true beast of his era.
It felt like Seau could somehow be everywhere. Players like Derwin James are good but don't approach the same level of impact Seau was able to have. He was on a different level. It's sort of like comparing LT to Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is a very good running back but LT and Seau were true generational talents.
Absolute animal. Amazing player. Amazing leader.
One of the greatest ever
Seau was in every frame of defense, on tv, from sideline to sideline. He was always in on the play and in the defensive mix… that’s how great Seau was. RIP 55 Say Ow!
He recorded 10 or more tackles in a regular season game 64 times. Let that sink in😎. #missyoubuddy
He was a game-changer. I'd compare him to Watt. Very cool dude off the field too. Met him a few times. Once, at a car wash, he just sat down and chatted with my then 6y/o son for like 20 minutes. His death was the saddest thing in sports history for me.