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1. Junior Seau

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1. Junior Seau

Junior Seau was a sensation in Southern California, but that happened before playing a down of pro football.  Seau was from Riverside, California, and he played his college ball at USC, so when he was drafted Fifth Overall by the San Diego Chargers, he was already beloved and right at home.

Seau became the face of the Chargers and was their best player for at least a decade.  "The Tasmanian Devil" went to his first Pro Bowl as an NFL sophomore (1991), and he repeated that honor each year until 2002.  In six of those years, he was a First Team All-Pro, and the Linebacker had the perfect blend of intensity and instinct, making him one of the most feared players in Pro Football.

Statistically, with the Chargers, Seau had 15 Interceptions, 47 Sacks, and 1,480 Tackles.  

The Chargers traded Seau to the Miami Dolphins after the 2002 season, and he played seven more years in the NFL, three with Miami and four with the New England Patriots.

Seau would be named to the 1990s All-Decade Team, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.  Sadly, it was posthumous, as Seau took his own life in 42, stemming from what was believed to be issues arising from CTE.  He received another posthumous accolade when he was named to the 100thAnniversary Team in 2020.

Seau is also a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame (2011), and his number 55 was retired by the team the year after.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Linebacker
  • Acquired: Selected in the 1st Round, 5th Overall in the NFL Draft 4/22/90.
  • Departed:

    Traded to the Miami Dolphins for a 2004 5thRound Pick 4/16/03.

     

  • Games Played: 200
  • Notable Statistics:

    199 Games Started
    15 Interceptions
    210 Interception Return Yards
    11 Forced Fumbles
    16 Fumble Recoveries
    66 Fumble Recovery Yards
    1 Fumble Recovery Touchdown
    47.0 Quarterback Sacks
    1,480 Combined Tackles
    842 Solo Tackles*
    193 Assisted Tackles*
    48 Tackles for Loss**
    168 Approximate Value

    6 Playoff Games
    1 Interception
    0 Interception Return Yards
    1.0 Quarterback Sack
    39 Combined Tackles
    33 Solo Tackles
    6 Assisted Tackles

    *Solo Tackles and Assisted Tackles were not stats until 1994.
    **Tackles for Loss was not a stat until 1999.

  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    UPI Defensive Player of the Year (1992)
    First Team All-Pro (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998 & 2000)
    Second Team All-Pro (1995, 1997 & 1999)
    Pro Bowl (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2002)
    Walter Payton Man of the Year (1994)
    Most Solo Tackles (1994)

Last modified on Thursday, 15 September 2022 21:02
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