A crowd of 15,000 fans celebrated the life of former football star Junior Seau in a memorial Friday at a San Diego stadium, as they cheered on his grieving family and listened to speakers describe his generosity and sense of humor. Seau, regarded as one of the best defensive NFL players of his generation, died on May 2 at his home in Oceanside, just north of San Diego, from a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest, according to police. He left no suicide note. His death came during heightened scrutiny of the effects of repeated blows to the head in football and other contact sports, and the potential for such injuries to contribute to depression and long-term health problems in players. “His passing is a tragedy, and with all tragedies there are lessons to be learned,” Hall of Fame retired quarterback Dan Fouts, 60, told the crowd at Qualcomm Stadium. “The lesson is, if you need help, get help. It's out there.” Seau played most of his 20-year career with the San Diego Chargers. Speakers at the memorial described his generosity to his local community, and an on-the-field intensity matched only by his carefree demeanor away from the gridiron. Pastor Miles McPherson, a former Chargers player, said in an interview that Seau's mother, Luisa, had always told her son to “do happy” which meant “not only be happy, do it, inspire it.” The public memorial held hours after Seau's burial in Oceanside was punctuated by humorous memories of him. “Mama Seau, papa Seau, it's time for you to take a bow,” Tomlinson said from the stage. “Because of everything you instilled in Junior and told him to go out and do happy and be happy, he did that.” That drew one of several standing ovations from the crowd. When Seau's parents arrived at the stadium earlier in the evening, the crowd cheered them on, as Luisa Seau dabbed tears from her eyes and waived to the fans. Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning was also in attendance, and went over to greet Seau's parents. The ceremony ended with Seau's four children taking the stage to more cheers from the crowd. Afterward, Seau's 22-year-old son Tyler Seau said the fans have helped his family “through some hard times right now.”
