FREE JUNIOR SEAU THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A FOOTBALL ICON 1ST EDITION PDF

Jim Trotter | 9780544811898 | | | | | Seau's Suicide Helped To Make Concussions In Football A National Issue –

We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Jim Trotter's book about Junior Seau focuses on how Seau's love of pleasing people was both his greatest gift and the curse which lead to his untimely death by suicide. Introduction, Page 1. It's a simple piece of foreshadowing which hovers over the incredible story of the young man who rose from a lower-middle class upbringing in Oceanside, California, to become arguably the greatest athlete in San Diego County High School history, an elite talent at University of Southern California, an All-Pro, All Decade Linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphinsand New England Patriots. His 20 season career culminated in his recent and posthumous induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That foreshadowing also hovers over the personal life of a young man raised in a Samoan household which values integrity and responsibility above all other things. When that responsibility and integrity was honored, we saw the results on the field. When it wasn't honored, it left a broken family and children without their father for extended periods of time. The first thing that I enjoyed about Trotter's book was learning about just how incredible Seau was playing football, basketball, and track for Oceanside High School. I didn't really start to get into sports besides Padres baseball until I was about years old - when Seau was drafted by the Chargers - so I missed out on the local reporting regarding Seau's extraordinary prep career. This will give you an idea of how incredible he was:. As a senior in football, he had 62 receptions for yards and 11 touchdowns and was the "San Diego Section Defensive Player of the Year" at linebacker. Parade magazine named him an All-America at "athlete," a designation it created especially for him. In basketball he averaged Sean's early athletic career Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition marked by explosive playmaking ability and equally explosive losses of mental discipline. On more than a few occasions, he either tried to or successfully get into fights with teammates and opponents whom he felt had insulted him. Following a difficult rookie season in San Diego, he rededicated himself to working hard. His second season resulted in tackles and his first of 12 trips to the Pro Bowl. He had progressed to a point where his often derided "freelancing" had actually been accepted by the coaches - more often than not, his instincts were correct - and adopted into the defense:. A lot of being involved with him was blitzing and attacking that A gap. Of course, Junior's legendary intensity had a darker side. There's one particularly vivid description of a training camp collision between Seau and fullback Fred McCrary in The sound of the collisions what got everyone's attention. Needless to say, both players suffered concussions from the hit. Trotter's narrative spends at least as much time detailing Seau's life off the field as it does on the the field. This is really the core of the story, and where there will be more than a few uncomfortable moments of reading. Seau, even from his college days, had problems with fidelity. He first courted his wife Gina, while he was still involved with his high school sweetheart and mother of his eldest son, Tyler. Later, when Gina filed for divorce following more bouts of infidelity, his journal entry indicates both a man who knows he's done wrong, but also a boy's inability to truly confront it or understand how to deal with it. Further, as Trotter writes, he was very good at showing people what they wanted to see, while hiding his feelings of anger and pain:. He masked his pain with more women, more liquor, and trips to the casinos He excelled at showing people what he wanted them to see, and he skillfully separated personal from professional. On the field he remained a dominant player, possessing a unique ability to troll the clubs until dawn, go straight to the training facility and sweat out the alcohol before anyone arrived, then outwork everyone on the practice field. Further, former Chargers and Patriots teammate Rodney Harrison pulls zero punches saying Seau had people in his life who didn't have his best interests at heart:. There were a lot of people around Junior that knew Junior was going through certain things, but they didn't care. They cared about Junior because he gave them something. He gave them a sense of importance, a good time: I'm hanging out Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition Junior Seau. The people close to him who say they didn't see the signs - you've got to be kidding me. I didn't even hang out with Junior and I Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition see the signs. I could see the depression. I tried to reach out to Junior, and that's the problem; he surrounded himself with people that Reading about Seau's mother's reaction - a terrible and indelible moment for every San Diegan who saw it on television - brought a rush of sadness; it was so strong I instantly recalled the day hearing the news and updates while I was at work, and sharing stories and tears with my co-workers. Jim Trotter writes with clean, brisk efficiency as he covers Seau's life, and it plays well into the narrative. Trotter's focus is on the tragedy no one seemed to see coming though some clearly should haveand his no-frills style gives the story a quick pace in which Seau's late years and avalanching problems really seem to sneak up on the reader - in much the same way Seau's late-life mishaps and eventual death snuck up on both his family and the larger community as a whole. Furthermore, Trotter shows tremendous tact and resists the urge to write in lurid detail about the more salacious elements of Seau's life - such as the extramarital affairs, heavy drinking, and excessive gambling. However, he's not afraid to point out these things happened, and he's also very interested in showing the impact Seau's poorer choices had on the people closest to him. This is a fair, and compassionate choice on Trotter's part. Ultimately, Trotter aims to bring his readers a level-headed portrait of an incredible athlete and deeply flawed human. The result is neither a hagiography nor a salacious expose. The balance is delicate, and Trotter walks the tightrope expertly. There are only a couple of criticisms. First and least among them are some chronology errors in the book, but nothing really worth worrying about. My only wish - admittedly not the focus of the book - is that Trotter's could've spent more time analyzing the ways in which Seau exploded the conventional notions of what a middle linebacker could and could not do. I personally enjoy X's and O's talk a lot, and would've loved reading more about how coaches including all-time greats like Bill Arnsparger and Bill Belichick were able to use Seau to attack opposing offenses. Truthfully, it's a minor Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition, as too much football talk would have diluted the emotional thrust of the book. I understand why it would have been left out. If you are a San Diego sports fan, a Charger' fan, or even just interested in pulling back the curtain on the life of one of football's all-time greats, this book is a must read. Trotter writes about San Diego in a way that anyone who lives here will instantly recognize, and many of the moments he describes will bring memories, mostly good and some very bad, rushing back. The world was better for Junior Seau being in it. He is missed by family, both his immediate family, and the wider community of San Diegans, athletes, and fans he left behind. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. By choosing I Acceptyou consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Stories Schedule Roster Stats. Filed under:. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. Learning About Junior Seau The first Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition that Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition enjoyed about Trotter's book was learning about just how incredible Seau was playing football, basketball, and track for Oceanside High School. This will give you an idea of how incredible he was: As a senior in football, he had 62 receptions for yards and 11 touchdowns and was the "San Diego Section Defensive Player of the Year" at linebacker. He had progressed to a point where his often derided Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition had actually been accepted by the coaches - more often than not, his instincts were correct - and adopted into the defense: A lot of being involved with him was blitzing and attacking that A gap. Page There's one particularly vivid description of a training camp collision between Seau and fullback Fred McCrary in The sound of the collisions what got everyone's attention. Further, as Trotter writes, he was very good at showing people what they wanted to see, while hiding his feelings of anger and pain: He masked his pain with more women, more liquor, and trips to the casinos Further, former Chargers and Patriots teammate Rodney Harrison pulls zero punches saying Seau had people in his life who didn't have his best interests at heart: There were a lot of people around Junior that knew Junior was going through certain things, but they didn't care. About the Book Itself Jim Trotter writes with clean, brisk efficiency as he covers Seau's life, and it plays well into the narrative. Final Thoughts If you are a San Diego sports fan, a Charger' fan, or even just interested in pulling back the curtain on the life of one of football's all-time greats, this book is a must read. For several hours this past weekend, Jim Trotter brought him back to life. Share this story Twitter Facebook. Junior Seau: The Life and Death of a Football Icon - Bolts From The Blue

Loveland Library Re-opening Procedures and Information. Loveland Public Library. My Account. Log Out. Search for. Advanced Search. Logged In As. Mission and Policies. Computer Lab. Average Rating. Jim Trotter. Choose a Format. On Shelf. Loveland Adult - Biography. Quick Copy View. See Full Copy Details. Place Hold. Date Publisher Phys Desc. Language Availability Houghton Mifflin Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition, xiii, pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, photographs ; 24 cm. English On Shelf. More Info Place Hold. Available Online. Check Out OverDrive. English Available Online. Online OverDrive Collection. Online Hoopla Collection. Available From. Source Publisher Phys Desc. More Info Check Out Hoopla. Add a Review. Add To List. Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is widely considered one of the best linebackers ever to play the game. His incredible career spanned two decades, during which time he played for the Chargers, Dolphins, and Patriots. Inat 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 Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition, 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. Also in This Series. More Like This. More Copies In Prospector. Loading Prospector Copies Table of Contents. From the Book. Loading Excerpt Author Notes. Loading Author Notes More Details. Jackson, J. Similar Series From NoveList. Similar Titles From NoveList. Similar Authors From NoveList. Borrower Reviews. Librarian Reviews. Published Reviews. Reviews from GoodReads. Loading GoodReads Reviews. No Tags, Be the first to tag this record! Add Tag. Staff View. Reload Cover Reload Enrichment. Quick Copy View Avail. Copies Location Call 1 of 1. Copies Location Call of 1. Available Online Online Hoopla Collection. Drawing on exclusive access to Junior Seau's family and his never-before-seen diaries and letters, a veteran reporter paints a moving portrait of an All-Pro NFL player, chronicling his life and career, including his struggles with brain injury and tragic suicide. Junior Seau - Wikipedia

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Junior Seau by Jim Trotter. His incredible career spanned two decades, during which time he played for the Chargers, Dolphins, and Patriots. Inat 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 CTEa type of brain damage. His tragic death opened the door to hundreds of inquiries about the trauma from NFL players and their families. Get A Copy. Hardcoverpages. Published October 27th by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. More Details Other Editions 5. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Junior Seauplease sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Oct 25, Jen rated it really liked it Shelves: netgalley. Let me start off by stating that suicide, committed by anyone, star athlete or not, is a tragedy. The tragedy of the suicide of Junior Seau is that had he not been a football player, he might not have had the brain damage that was probably a major cause of his committing suicide. Yes, there are always multiple reasons for someone to commit such a final and devastating act, but the brain damage NFL players have sustained while playing the game of football has been directly linked to earlier onset Let me start off by stating that suicide, committed by anyone, star athlete or not, is a tragedy. Yes, there are always multiple reasons for someone to commit such a final and devastating act, but the brain damage NFL players have sustained while playing the game of football has been directly linked to earlier onset of dementia and has quite possibly caused more suicides than usual in a population. This book's goal seems to have been to Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition the issues of brain damage and other injuries via telling the story of Junior Seau, his rise to the top and his eventual tragic Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition. I think the book wasn't as deep into either topic as it could have been. For example, it was repeated many times that Junior was seen as an ATM by his family, but no names were named. I can understand why not, Junior may not be here anymore, but his family and friends still are and their privacy needs to be honored. However, by not digging deeper into the many times the ATM statement was made, the book didn't seem to be more than just a skimming of the surface of both topics. I am not a huge football follower. I like to watch the game, but I don't really follow any particular players. I watched the tv show Junior was on and felt that the man had charisma in spades. He seemed nice and after reading the book, I feel that my assessment was correct. Junior touched the lives of a lot of people, which is why what he did is so curious. He seemed to have it all, yet he didn't see it that way at all. So let this be a plea to those who are depressed. Get help. Junior Seau was the closest thing to Superman this planet has ever seen, and he wasn't strong enough to go it on his own. Get the help you need. Don't give up. Please, for the sake of those who love you who will be left behind, ask for help. I think the best part about this book is highlighting the dangers of depression and of playing football, for adults and youth alike. As I was reading this book, in the US, seven teenagers died in seven weeks from injuries sustained on the football field and one teenager was fighting for his life. I didn't realize football was so dangerous for those who play the game. The game definitely needs to be re-evaluated to put the safety of the players first. Honestly, mental health is not talked about nearly enough. The stigma scares many who suffer from depression and other mental health issues to hide that they have a problem. The more we talk about it, the more we discuss it, the more books about famous people who suffer and suffered from it, the more hope for those in the future and now. So this book gets four stars from me. Not for amazing writing and in-depth reporting, but for highlighting two very important topics: safety in the game of football and mental health issues. Important, if somewhat sobering, book. Sep 11, Patrick L rated it really liked it. Junior Seau was a hall of fame linebacker who was drafted Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition the San Diego chargers in This book shows the life of Junior Seau. From childhood to death. It explains his childhood to his NFL career. It also talks about his retirement and his shocking death. A big theme of this book was the death of Junior Seau. He was found hanged in his bedroom by his wife. Studies show that many hits to his head during his career might've caused his death because he was mentally disabled. I enjoyed this book because I enjoy reading biography. This one interest me because I wanted to know exactly how Junior Seau died because their were so many rumors about it. It was interesting to learn about a hall fame NFL players life went and how his life was taken by surprised. Feb 16, David Agranoff rated it really liked it Shelves: football. It is really easy as football fans to forget that the players are human beings. If you are a casual fan of the sport you might only watch games and it is easy to forget. Jim Trotter has done an amazing job painting a picture of the human being Junior Seau. After hearing Totter do many radio interviews to promote the book locally it was clear the respect and love the author had for the man and his family. If you think this a glowing celebration of his life without realistically looking at the man It is really easy as football fans to forget that the players are human beings. If you think this a glowing celebration of his life without realistically looking at the man's faults you'd would be wrong. The most impressive aspects of the book center on that tightrope the author walked of celebrating the accomplishments, and fun loving public persona while shining a light on the man's demons. There is alot of information packed into the short page count. Junior was know for his friendly and giving nature off the field and being a straight killer on the field. This explains where the player grew up through stories that reveal his competitive nature. I enjoyed the background on his career as Charger and dreaded the eventual tragedy that came with the end to his life. Jim Trotter doesn't gloss over the controversy, perhaps he doesn't hit it as hard as Frontline did but this was Junior's story and it was not Trotter's job to break down CTE. I'll tell you the story about Jason Taylor almost losing one of his legs was the story that blew me away. The end of Junior's story was sad and awful but it was one I am glad I read. Me personally it was important to read this book. In my position as a co-founder and organizer of Save Our Bolts. Junior is one if not the most important player in Chargers history. As we gear up for the fight to pass a vote that get the franchise a new stadium, the legacy and the history of the team is key. I believe teaching the legacy of the Chargers is so important to convincing San Diego to vote for the stadium. I had to learn it myself, you see I never watched Junior Seau play. LT is Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition reason I became a Chargers fan. I grew-up in Indiana and my family were IU basketball and Football Junior Seau The Life and Death of a Football Icon 1st edition ticket holders.