Junior Seau 'Paddle Out' Tribute, Drew Brees Honored Player With Last Surf (VIDEO)
New Orleans' Saints quarterback Drew Brees turned out Sunday, among 200 other surfers to honor former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide last week.
Seau, who played for the San Diego Chargers, was a famed linebacker recognized as a 10-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowl football player. Seau was found Wednesday with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Police later ruled the linebacker's death as a suicide.
Seau was reportedly a big surfing fan, and he returned to East Coast waters after a nearly 20 year career with the NFL. Nearly 1,200 fans gathered outside the player's home Sunday, with 200 paddling in on surf boards in Oceanside, California. Drew Brees, a successful quarterback for the New Orlean's Saints, was among them.
"Junior always cared so much about his teammates," Brees told the NFL Network. "He always wanted to know how you were doing, how [he] could help you. That's what I'll remember most about Junior -- just the smile on his face, his attitude and his infectious personality."
Brees played alongside Seau during a 2-year stint on the Chargers. The player arrived donning a wet suit, riding in on a red and orange surfboard. Other former teammates that showed were John Carney and Darren Bennett.
"So many people out here have a story about when he told them a joke, or bought them a meal, signed their jersey or encouraged their child," Carney told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "We're all grieving the loss of a great man who had so much positive impact on San Diego."
Brees agreed with other reports that suggested that Seau may have loved surfing even more than he had loved football.
"We were in the water where I know Junior loved to be," Brees told USA Today. "It was a beautiful day because Junior is present here with us."
