Junior Seau

(http://shanahan.report/a/my-1988-story-on-junior-s ())

"The Super Bowl is a game. Life is for real. What I went through helped me get to where I am today. I won't forget. I can't forget. Because a man who forgets his past sometimes loses his soul and forgets where to go in the future." -Junior Seau. Junior understood that football was a game and life was more important. That's why he put more effort into life than football. Junior Seau was born January 19, 1969 in San Diego, CA. He went to Oceanside high school and become a star football player. He was then committed to USC. He was drafted in the 1st round by the San Diego Chargers. He played in the NFL for 19 seasons before retiring. Junior Seau died on May 2 of 2012. Junior Seau is a hero because he is selfless, hard-working, and inspirational.

Junior Seau was a man that tried to be as selfless as he could. Junior wanted to help people in any way that he could, so that they could have a better life. "Seau's commitment to community service has been widely recognized. In 1992 and 1999, Seau served as the San Diego representative for the United Way. In 1994, he was the True Value Hardware NFL Man of the Year, and in 1999, he was inducted into the National Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame. Seau has become a role model in the San Diego community. His success has special meaning for inner-city youths because he was raised in a poverty-stricken, gang-infested neighborhood." This shows that Junior wanted to help his community in anyway way he could. He wanted them to live a good life. He wanted to get kids in bad places out of their so they could be successful. Junior wanted everyone to be successful so they could help others. Junior wanted to create something to help people that were like him when he was little because he wants them to not have to work as hard as he did. "He started his Junior Seau Foundation in 1992, an organization developed to help out kids who, like Seau, don't always have the best opportunities growing up. The foundation's purpose, as it says on the foundation's Web site, is "to educate and empower young people through the support of child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, recreational opportunities, anti-juvenile delinquency efforts and complimentary educational programs." This shows the real reasons of Junior's selflessness to help others in need. He wanted kids to grow up and stay away from bad things and become good people. Junior Seau was a hero because he was selfless because he took kids to a whole new level even though he knew he didn't have to.

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Junior Seau worked as hard as he could so he could help himself and others. Seau worked hard at what he did, so he could inspire others to do great things like him. "The conversation will center on his two decades in the NFL, his 12 Pro Bowl berths and 10 All-Pro selections and two AFC Defensive Player of the Year awards. It will laud his passion and intensity, instantly visible to everyone in any stadium in which he played, as a linebacker who hit hard and often, disrupting offenses and forcing opponents to game plan specifically for him." He worked hard every play off the game. He was so intense to watch that it made others happy. He worked hard to show people what it takes. Junior was always working hard for his teammates. If he was working hard, it would make the people around him work harder. Junior had to work hard to get out of a bad situation in his house. "Life in the two-bedroom cottage was cramped. Seau's parents slept in one of the two bedrooms, his sisters in the other. He and his brothers were left to sleep in the leaky, concrete-floored garage, their beds between the car and the washing machine. However, the little home was an oasis compared to the neighborhood beyond. Seau was further isolated by his language because, until the age of seven, he spoke no English, only Samoan. He was, however, fluent in athletics. He excelled at baseball, basketball and football throughout elementary school." Junior worked hard day in and day out so he could be the best. He wanted a better lifestyle for himself. He played sports because he knew it was his way out. Junior had to become someone new and work hard not just in athletics. He also had to learn a whole new language. Junior Seau is a hero because he worked hard at everything he did day in and day out.

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Junior Seau is an inspiration for young children that want to be like him. Kids that want to succeed in life are inspired by him and so is his community. Junior Seau inspires young children who are in the same situation as he was. "They'll talk, too, about the impact he had on young players of Polynesian descent, not only those in Southern California but all the way out to American Samoa, where kids clamored to wear No. 55. Seau was the NFL's first great player of Samoan descent, and his talent, humility and passion set an example for others to follow." This shows that Junior was an influential person to kids who were in the same situation as him. Junior wanted to inspire these kids to do great things and that there are lots of great things they can do. Junior wanted to help inspire kids to stay away from bad things like drugs, alcohol, and gangs. "The goal of the foundation is to turn underprivileged children away from the allure of gang life, illegal drugs, and juvenile delinquency toward a life of scholarship and civic responsibility. Ranked as the thirteenth largest professional athlete foundation by the Wall Street Journal in 2007, the charity has provided college tuition assistance for hundreds of students since its inception. Additionally, the foundation's "Shop with a Jock" program gives poor children the funds and opportunity to buy Christmas presents for friends and family, all while alongside their favorite athlete." This shows that Junior created something so he could help kids become something good. He wanted to show people the ways out of bad situations. Junior Seau is a hero because he is inspirational to kids around the globe.