A moving portrait of the life and legendary career of one of the NFL’s most beloved players Tiaina Baul “Junior” Seau is widely considered one of the best linebackers ever to play the game. A ten-time All-Pro and twelve-time Pro Bowl selection, Seau was picked for the NFL’s “All-Decade Team” in the 1990’s. His incredible career spanned two decades, during which time he played for the Chargers, Dolphins, and Patriots. A charismatic leader and competitor known for playing through injuries and leaving it all on the field, Seau started in almost 250 regular season games and electrified fans with his dynamic play. In 2012, at the age of forty-three, Seau committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the chest. News of his death sent shockwaves through the NFL. Later, studies concluded that Seau had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a type of brain damage. His tragic death opened the door to hundreds of inquiries about the trauma from NFL players and their families. Drawing on exclusive access to Seau’s family and Seau’s never-before-seen diaries and letters, veteran reporter Jim Trotter goes beyond the statistics to paint a moving portrait of a larger-than-life star whose towering achievements in the game came at a great cost.

Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon

Trotter, Jim

Biographies & Memoirs

Houghton, mifflin, harcourt

“Few people knew Junior Seau like Jim Trotter . . . he took a sports book and artistically crafted it into a lyrical narrative about dreams, love, and, ultimately, heart-wrenching loss.”—Lars Anderson, author of The All Americans “Leave it to Jim Trotter, who knew Junior Seau better than anyone in our business, to capture his competitive essence and personal demons equally well. I had so many questions about why Seau’s life ended the way it did. Jim answered them with depth and compassion in this thorough and important book.”—Peter King, editor in chief, The MMQB Tiaina Baul “Junior” Seau is widely considered to be among the best linebackers in NFL history, a ten-time All-Pro, a twelve-time Pro Bowl selection, and a first-ballot entrant into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But in 2012, just two years after retiring from football, Junior Seau committed suicide. Studies of his brain by the National Institutes of Health concluded that Seau suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain disease often caused by repeated hits to the head. Seau’s suicide spawned numerous investigations into the brains of deceased NFL players, and many were found to have CTE. Drawing on exclusive access to Seau’s family as well as Seau’s never-before-seen diaries and letters, Jim Trotter paints a moving and revealing portrait of a larger-than-life sports star whose achievements on the field were rivaled by his demons off it. “No media member is better qualified to write this book than Trotter . . . it’s a highly informative, easy read.” —Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune

Mariner Books

An ongoing series of images in which Jim Trotter strives to show Saint Louis in its best light.

The Best of Saint Louis

Jim Trotter

Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is widely considered one of the best linebackers ever to play the game. A ten-time All-Pro and twelve-time Pro Bowl selection, Seau was picked for the NFL's All-Decade Team in the 1990s. His incredible career spanned two decades, during which time he played for the Chargers, Dolphins, and Patriots.  In 2012, at the age of forty-three, Seau committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the chest. News of his death sent shockwaves through the NFL. Later, studies concluded that Seau had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a type of brain damage. His tragic death opened the door to hundreds of inquiries about the trauma from NFL players and their families.  Drawing on exclusive access to Seau's family and Seau's never-before-seen diaries and letters, veteran reporter Jim Trotter goes beyond the statistics to paint a moving portrait of a larger-than-life star whose towering achievements in the game came at a great cost.

Tantor Media, Inc.

When deciding which athletes to profile, our editors take into account not only a player's statistics, but also his character. SPI takes care to select athletes who are known to be community minded and can serve as role models.The biographical material on each athlete covers him from his earliest days to the present.

Junior Seau: Overcoming the Odds (Superstar Football Series, 7)

Sports & Outdoors

Sagamore Pub Llc

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Trotter, Jim. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Trotter, Jim

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Trotter, Jim. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon

Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon

The Best of Saint Louis

Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon

Junior Seau: Overcoming the Odds (Superstar Football Series, 7)