Former NFL linebacker Junior Seau was found dead yesterday by his girlfriend, in what appears to have been a suicide via a self-inflicted gun wound. He was 43-years old, and leaves behind an ex-wife (Gina Deboer) and three children.
Seau was also famous for his "Say-Ow" clothing line, his restaurant, Seau's The Restaurant, in Mission Viejo, California, as well as his short-lived tv show on Versus called "Sports Jobs with Junior Seau."
This morning, on my way to work, I was listening to ESPN Radio as they eulogized Seau, his career, his life and the legacy he has left behind.
One of his friends and former teammates, Marcellus Wiley, was interviewed about Seau and his passing. Wiley became emotional and broke down as he recounted an episode last year, when Seau was involved in a dubious one-car accident that involved him driving off a hillside.
He recalled that moment in time and spoke about how he went to Seau to make sure everything was okay. Junior affirmed that it was just an accident and that there was nothing to worry about.
In retrospect, that appears to not have been the case.
The prevailing sentiment from Wiley was that he never saw it coming. He never knew Seau was that kind of depressed or even depressed at all. He regretted not being close enough to him that he was able to help him.
In no way do I want to trivialize these events. I also don't want to attack this story with overtly Christian overtones. There's a time and a place for that...and this is neither.
However, I do think it's a good time to sensitively examine this situation in the layout of all our lives. Seau is gone and that is tragic. With that said, this should be a wake up call for us all.
There have been multiple times in my life when people who were close to me attempted to take their own lives. I remember how I felt afterwards. I was sad. I was angry. I was hard on myself for not seeing the signs and stepping in sooner.
The thing is, sometimes the signs aren't clear. Sometimes, we have a brooding friend or family member, right in our midst, and we don't even know it. Not everyone wears their pain on their sleeve. Some people are secretive, and they bury the hurt deep down inside of themselves.
You may have someone like that in your life. It might be a brother or a sister. It might be a best friend. It might even be your spouse.
I make the following admonition in no kind of self-righteous way. I'm preaching to myself when I say this, but I say it, nonetheless:
Pay attention to the cries for help, no matter how quiet. If someone close to you exhibits a drastic behavioral change, there's something behind that. If someone you know talks about suicide...ever...take it seriously...always!
Lastly, if you're one of the many who are battling with depression, please reach out. Please talk to someone. You may think your friends or family will think you're weird or "crazy." They won't! I promise. Having been on the other side of things, I can promise you that we WISH you'd talk to us. We will drop EVERYTHING we're doing to listen.
My prayers go out to Junior Seau's family today, as well as to the many families who have lost loved ones to suicide. God bless you. Stay strong!
Everyone deals with depression, but it's sometimes more difficult for men to be honest about the problem and to reach out. If you're a man who is dealing or has ever dealt with depression, I recommend this article at ArtofManliness.com. Check it out HERE.
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