As the world processes the news of Junior Seau’s sudden suicide this week, many have asked whether there’s any connection to concussions suffered his twenty year football career. For now, the answer is complicated.
Junior Seau Played Through Concussions, Says Ex-Wife
On one hand, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted on Wednesday that Seau was never once listed on an NFL injury report with a concussion. But he also said, “It doesn’t mean he didn’t have any.” It will be weeks and possibly months before we know for sure whether Seau’s brain had changed thanks to football, but as for the concussion question, Thursday brought another wrinkle.
ESPN asked Seau’s ex-wife, Gina, if he’d ever played through concussions. Her response: “Of course he had. He always bounced back and kept on playing. He’s a warrior. That didn’t stop him. I don’t know what football player hasn’t. It’s not ballet. It’s part of the game.”
So, while that’s not definitive proof, it sure sounds like Seau may have played through more pain than we knew. And as we learn more about what role (if any) those concussions played in bringing Seau toward suicide, “it’s part of the game” could become a lot more complicated.
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