The Junior Seau Effect: Athletes are Human too

Junior Seau

In the rules of life tragedies occur so that we may learn the lessons of the past in order to birth a better new future. 


So when news broke of Junior Seau and his unfortunate suicide my heart felt like it was struck by lightning. I held my words in hopes that the reported suicide attempt was false and that at the very least the true killer would soon be caught.  


Seau's life was full of celebration, his career numbers legendary but he had some issues and remembrance of failure was attached to his successes. Two Super Bowl trips but no Lombardi trophy and then the businesses he once owned but soon faltered. His story effects more than just the life of Seau and the NFL it effects the majority of sports athletes living through the same issues. Forget about studying Seau's brain for concussions and brain pattern activities and let's start a new focus let Seau's tragedy be a open light to sports owners and organizations to make a critical change from the "Athlete First and Person Second Approach" 


Ask yourself should the NBA, NFL, MLB and other sports organizations, leagues and associations be responsible for the mental growth and stability of athletes. Athletes grow up in a certain protective bubble that allows the athlete to be catered to financially making BIG money while living the rest of life care free. The question I ask after hearing and seeing the aftermath of  the Seau incident is this "do athletes need more life skill programs"? 

Erica Blasberg

It's one thing to give a teenager a lot cash and it's another to provide life skill programs during the off season to assist athletes in the areas of social science, financing and other important elements of life. George Washington University School of Business STAR E.M.B.A. program, does a tremendous job with helping train athletes during the off season but most of these programs are volunteer only.  


Fact according to a 2009 Sports Illustrated article “How and Why Athletes Go Broke.” 75% of NFL players go bankrupt after retiring from the NFL. The numbers are staggering and sad reflecting upon on how the associations and leagues view their athletes.

Baskerville Holmes

Athletes are more than just a city sports figure head, running and jumping for leather pigskin on a green field, dirt track or hardwood floor they are humans. Humans who have been viewed differently since the age of a child due to their athletic abilities. No one pity's an athlete because of their popularity or financial status but then again no one seems to care about their mental or social capabilities either.  Should owners be responsible for providing off season financial and social skill courses and seminars for athletes so that the tragedies of  Erica Blasberg, Kenny McKinley, Baskerville Holmes, and Junior Seau become less frequent. So that their tragic life lessons are not studied in vain. Athletes are Human too.

As a U.S. Veteran I also would like to see this question addressed to our military leaders. Soldiers being discharged have been released into a faltering economy unaware of life on the other side of the fence. Blind to the struggles of normal life without the support of the military. For some this dramatic shift in life is to hard to bare and yet it goes unnoticed because everyone is so focused on the perceived financial or social status of the individual. Soldiers and Athletes are humans too. 

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