Chargers icon Junior Seau found dead

San Diego Chargers fans, and the NFL in general, were hit with devastating news today when it was reported that Junior Seau had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Oceanside, California, home this morning. He was 43.

The following was written in U-T San Diego:

Seau’s girlfriend called 911 at 9:35 a.m. reporting a possible suicide, said Oceanside Police Chief Frank McCoy. Officers found Seau in a bedroom with a gunshot wound to the chest. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

A handgun was found near his body, and police are investigating the death as a suicide, McCoy said. No suicide note was found on scene, police said.

An autopsy is expected to be completed Thursday, according to the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Signs of trouble in Seau’s life surfaced in October 2010, when he was arrested at his home on suspicion of assaulting his 25-year-old girlfriend. She did not require medical treatment.

Hours later, after he bailed out of jail, Seau’s Cadillac Escalade swerved off Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad and plunged down a 30-foot coastal bluff. Officers said he had fallen asleep at the wheel. He was hospitalized with injuries.

At the time, Seau’s ex-wife, Gina, said he would never hurt anyone, including himself. The District Attorney’s Office did not charge Seau in the domestic violence incident.

Suffice it to say, Seau's death came as a shock to many, and his passing leaves plenty of us deeply saddened. In addition, his suicide leads many to wonder if he falls into the same category that former Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Phoenix Cardinals defensive back Dave Duerson has been placed. On February 17, 2001 Duerson also took his own life by shooting himself in the chest. Less than three months later it was confirmed by reseacher neurologists at Boston University that Duerson had suffered from a neurodegenerative disease linked to concussions.

As evidenced with Seau's 12 Pro Bowl appearances and six All-Pro honors during his playing days with San Diego, the Miami Dolphins, and the New England Patriots over his 20-year NFL career, it's clear he was an outstanding football player, one of the best in Chargers history, and will likely be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But his charitable work and generosity off the field, which helped him earn the NFL Man of the Year award in 1994, truly typified what he was about. He was the face of San Diego, a hometown hero, and will be sorely missed.

Rest in peace, Junior.