Jason Taylor on Seau: 'A leader of men'

Jason Taylor was also part of the Dolphins defense when Junior Seau was traded to the team in 2003.

Seau, who had a way of acting like he knew you even when he didn't, obviously was that way with teammates as well as reporters.

As Taylor remembers:

"I'm shocked and saddened," Taylor said. "Devastated, really. Junior was one of the most positive, uplifting people I have ever known. He was always full of life and energy and had an infectious spirit that lifted everyone around him. Junior called everyone "buddy" and treated them like he had known them forever. It would be easy for me to say he was a great friend and teammate, and a tremendous competitor, but that would be selling Junior short.

"Junior Seau was an individual of great honor and integrity, a leader of men and someone with a deep rooted passion for giving of himself to make the people, the community and especially the children around him better. This is an immeasurable loss for so many. My heart and prayers go out to Junior's family, Gina and their children. I'm going to miss you, buddy."

Comments

[louiezach]

Is yesterday's gone still here or his he off wandering why he doesn't think that seau is a hero

[Phins78]

Aloco and any other idiots who don't get it. People aren't calling him a hero because he killed himself. They're not saying, "hey he killed himself, what a hero"! They're saying the man was a hero to all who knew him! He touched the lives of everyone he came in contact with by giving himself, by being a friend, by being a good son.

The guy obviously was suffering with some sort of mental issues, most likely severe depression. Did you know that athletes with past concussions develop depression and other mental related health issues? And you two frickin idiots are going to sit in here and stroke eachother over your shared ignorance on Seau's suicide. Grow up.

[louiezach]

Well what I meant by a hero is that he did touch lives. He was a very nice man that never lost hope and NEVER gave up

[saiba]

How is killing yourself and leaving kids behind being a hero?

People give more value to silly sports accomplishments than things that are actually important.

[odinseye]

Hey dumass, all rich peopleeither donate or have a charitable foundation. Its called a "TAX SHELTER" stupid. LOL

Posted by: Yesterday's Gone | May 02, 2012 at 10:34 PM

YG,

You let the trolls walk you right down the Garden path again. Somebody has been impostoring me since the Seau news broke. I'm not going to get into the fray, I'll just say, I feel sorry for those that loved him.

(I'll play along a little though)

Rich people?

Dumbass?

What are these new fangled things you call "TAXES SHELTERS"?

Is that for the Homeless?
-------------------------------------------------------

YG, if you were a cartoon character, you wouldn't be on the Jetson's.

You'd be living in one of then thar new fangled "Taxes Shelters" in Bedrock.

Yabba Dabba Dooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

[Phins78]

Saiba the guy has done more in his life then play football. He has given countless hours to charity work. He has formed and developed childrens advocacy groups using his own money to get them started.

People should really educate themselves before speaking on things. I guess that's too much to ask in our society today.

Aloco how's the shtick going? I see you're now spelling 'catch up',,,,"ketchup". So clever. Bud looks like you forgot to change your name from Aloco to jt, or actually you changed names but kept the 'Aloco' writing style. Then I read where Odin was saying you were forgetting to change from another name yesterday. And this after you insist that you only use one name.

You're a faker, just admit it, who cares? How many people in here are you? What are you doing? So weird.

[ALoco]

THANK YOU PHINS 78 //

[Clue]

Yg wants the government to take your guns away because he thinks it will stop suicide by gun. Smh. I thought you were a smarter person who posts obviously not. I guess you want the government to give you food stamps, shelter, and cheese as well

[Rick]

Tou have to be macho challenged to own a gun.

[Rick]

GUNS DONT MAKE A WEENIE PEENIE ANY BIGGER

[odinseye]

If that was you I'm not apologizing for being annoyed but I apologize if I said anything offensive or hurtful.

Posted by: Phins78 | May 02, 2012 at 11:07 PM

That's good enough for me Bud. I stopped posting after the Tannehill pick. It's no secret, it's going to take a little getting used too. He is a Dolphin though, so he's now "MY" quarterback.

I was scanning back over a little of the blog on draft day and I saw one of your responses to me(apparently my fan club troll). That was the one I took offense with.

At that time I hadn't noticed anyone posting as me, so I was stumped as to why you were telling me to F off.

Like I said though, it's all good.

PS: I'm going back now to see just exactly what I(my Troll)posted-lol.

PSS: I will admit, from the time we drafted Tannehill until almost the end of the first round, that WAS me posting some negative opinions.

After that, on the second day, that was all the impostor.

Anywhoo.........I'm glad that's cleared up(for now.....sigh). Keep up the good fight 78!

[odinseye]

I had a close friend blow his own head off.

I ended up going in to retrieve personal possesions and various items so his Mother and Father wouldn't have to.

I remember his silouette outlined in blood on the bed(the blood had ran around his torso and puddled up where his head should have been).

I will never forget it. Pieces of his head/skull/brains were stuck on the walls and cieling. All over the place actually. They didn't have the clean up back then like they do on that TV show nowadays.

It was sad. The classless apartment building owners only gave his parents two days to have all of his belongings out. They called me to help when they started putting his stuff on the curb. I remember pulling up and some lowlife was already going through picture boxes and tried to sell me his TV.

Sorry, I'm rambling. The point I was trying to get at was this: Nobody had any idea he was suicidal. There might have been some clues, but we all missed them. To see what it did to his friends and family was just sad.

YG and ALoco, so far the only person to call Seau a Hero was Zach Thomas. I would love to see either one of you guys try talking this dumb crap to Zach about Seau.

Yeah, you wouldn't, because aside from the internet, you two are the REAL LIFE COWARDS.

Now, by all means, continue on with the Dumb stuff.

I'm out!

[jack d.]

I had a close friend blow his own head off.

Posted by: odinseye | May 03, 2012 at 12:13 AM

Ya sure that wasn't you?

[oscar canosa]

People don't get mad when someone kill themselves, man, the get Scared shitless, man. They just callit Mad.

[oscar canosa]

What, Armando, you making a killing on Jr's passing?

[I'm Hungry]

Does IKEA sell squirrel meat?

[oscar canosa]

I know you're still here you dumb crumb YG.

[oscar canosa]

Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child, is correct.

[oscar canosa]

You still making Jokes, you senseless mother?

[oscar canosa]

Here, I'll tell you a Story. I had heard of RFK's killing. As I was crossing the old wooden bridge over 17th Ave., the most devastating feeling of impotence overwhelmed me.

[oscar canosa]

You liked it?

[oscar canosa]

You see, under the Metaphysics we know everything happens at the same Time. Right, Armando?

[oscar canosa]

Many Times I've been reminded that I'm living in a Lunatic's Assylum.

[oscar canosa]

We told you, if it is hot, withdraw your HAND. Now we eill have to eat It.

[oscar canosa]

I am as Drunk as Hell and I'm not going to take it Anymore.

[oscar canosa]

Did you like that One? More to your Mediatic experience, yes? The only reason I'm talking to myself is that I see nobody Else here. But I'm used to that.

[oscar canosa]

I Love People.

[oscar canosa]

Anybody here? I'm Lonely.

[Union of Soviet Socialist Yams]

I am here. Soon I will be on Mars.

[oscar canosa]

I knew you were, as yous the one with any any balls around here, buddy. You really will never know how much we Thankyou. The Two of Us. Can you keep on Talking?

[Darkoak]

Junior probably had depression issues from concussions incurred over his career. That kind of pervasive brain damage is normal in contact sports like football and hockey. I doubt he was in full control if it really was a suicide.

[oscar canosa]

What, is this another Rationalization? Most of us have had no concussions, Man. Well, physically speaking.

[oscar canosa]

Sorry, the Truth, you know?

[Darkoak]

Rationalizations are used by rational people. Concussions and suicidal depression as a result of them is just becoming a known fact. Doesn't say it's right or wrong just that it may be a reason for it.

[oscar canosa]

It has been a known fact for Us(Depression) for quite some Time. And we share your same point of view, it's never right or wrong.

[oscar canosa]

Only, no Lawsuits please, It doesn't become Us.

[Gun don't shoot Felons, I do]

GUNS DONT MAKE A WEENIE PEENIE ANY BIGGER

Posted by: Rick | May 02, 2012 at 11:57 PM
-----------------------------------------
No, But those two Punk Azzz A-holes who broke into the back bedroom of my families home thinking we were asleep won't get any bigger either... After I finished shooting it left one so he'll never walk again and the other guy lost an arm and a half of a lung.

My home had been burglarized 3 times without us in it.... The guys who came in had Zip Straps, Duct tape, a huge azzz knife and one cheap firearm... Their intentions were to take us hostage or murder us... Doesn't matter which.... Picked the wrong house.... Laughed when I saw their Mommies crying when one was given 22 and the other with the gun and Zip Straps 26 years......

50/50 My wife, kid and I would be alive today had I not owed firearms... The day some Jerk OV Progressive/Liberal makes them illegal is the day they mysteriously disappear... until the Liberal/Progressive's who made the law do

[Coalition To Ban Ireland and Odin..]

Is it me or Has Odin been posting non stop since 3 pm monday afternoon??, That makes 60 stright hours. Congrats Odin, No way DB will beat that record.
Oh Yeah, RE: Junior, To bad he did'nt get the help he needed.He was a Great competor.

[Craig M]

odinseye if only you really were out.

[Craig M]

Odin,

Looks like I've got an impostor at 5:12am. Cute!

[Clueless in Miami]

Aloco try fact checking. Seau didn't win a Superbowl with New England.

[DC Dolfan]

Not sure why every topic has to have multiple sides. If you didn't watch Junior Seau on the field and feel joy from the passion the guy showed in his face each and every down, I'm really not sure why you're a fan of the game of football. There are some players you just HAVE to love and respect. They ooze personality and emotion. Junior Seau was one of those players. I never liked Wes Welker when he went to the Patriots. Never like Heath Evans. I really can't think of ONE player I liked once they left the Dolphins and joined the Pats.

I LOVED JUNIOR SEAU WHEN HE WAS A CHARGER, A DOLPHIN, AND A PATRIOT!

That's how much of an impression the man made on me watching him all those years.

Like Wanny said, this is a tragedy, plain and simple. Yes, these ballplayers get paid VERY WELL for entertaining us, but this guy specifically earned, DESERVED a life after football in peace and happiness. And the fact he couldn't find that is sad, and also instructive that you may not have the riches some people do, but if you have love in your life (wife, kids, family, friends) you really are rich beyond anything money can buy.

It's all fun and games here, and I know people feel this is meaningless and there's more important things. But camaraderie is important. Sports ARE important. They teach us things about life, others and oneself that can shape the people we are. We should honor the heroes on the gridiron. Especially the ones that were embraced by so many as a true leader and testament to ANY team he was on and loved by so many.

R.I.P. Junior Seau

[Craig M]

DC,

Well said, man. This one REALLY hurts. I was a huge of the player and the man we got to see. Would have love it if he'd played his career here in his prime. Junior was what most of us love about football. The guy who strapped it on every Sunday and played his guts out. Sideline to sideline and you could just tell he LOVED the game. Can't imagine what causes someone to do what he did. He's the same age as me and I have bad days like everybody else. I'll never make anywhere close to the kind of money this guy had and I'll have a fraction of his fame. But there's not a day in my life I've ever thought of doing what he did yesterday. Doesn't make me a better person than him, just makes me wonder what the Hell would cause somebody who had everything to do that. Was it the pain his body was in? Was it depression? Was it way too many hits to the head? Was it steroids? I don't get it. I just know when Dave Duerson (sp) does the same thing and we see this stuff showing up with some of the enforcers in hockey, it's not a coincidence. I LOVE the NFL but they've got to get this stuff figured. Why is it happening and how do we get it to stop. Beginning of a very serious problem I fear.

[Odin, the annoying blog troll who changes names more than his underwear]

Odin,
Looks like I've got an impostor at 5:12am. Cute!

Posted by: Craig M | May 03, 2012 at 07:53 AM

Yea, it's probably the guy you just posted to. LMAO

Have you seen how many times he changes names? Look at any post made to someone who references him. You'll know right away it's Mr. Blog Troll, Odinseye.

Funny, he calls everyone else a blog troll except himself & he's the biggest one there is. Go figure!

In this case, Odumb practices what he preaches... TROLLING

[DragonFly13]

Jrs suicide is not cowardly, if some of u believe that then go get your piece, point it at ure chest and pull. Bet u dont have the stones to do that?
Jr was a sick person, period. Depression is a disease that kills more then u could possible know.
Judge not, least you be judged,,,,,,,,,

[DC Dolfan]

Craig, agreed, the NFL should investigate what led Seau to do this. However, I've had a close cousin commit suicide, so I know a little about at least suicide by depression. And hearing professional athletes talk about how hard it is to transition from the game to "the rest of your life," I can see how that could trigger severe depression in some people. Especially if they don't have a good support system (or if, like apparently it was in this case, the person hides their problems and does not allow anyone in).

Did you hear Marcellus Wiley talking about Junior yesterday? Heartbreaking (but also eye-opening).

Anyway, we just don't know yet if this was related to some physical ailment stemming from football, or just depression being away from the game, or something else. Hope we can gain some understanding, but not sure we'll ever know the true reasons.

However, I concur that this one really hurts.

[JT RAH RAH]

Hey look at the bright side, it gave Armando to post something about JT. I wish Armando would dedicate one column per week to JT.

[Yesterday's Gone]

Screw the Seau talk. He's dead and let the dead bury the dead.

Back to actual football talk of the living:

Was thinking of Belichick. Seems he gets the unfair label of defensive genius. Actually he's proved genius at one point or the other on both sides of the ball. Let's the view the offensive side of the equation.

Belichik's gone through at least 3 oc's as hc in in Pattyland. yet the offense continues to remain a team strength. Early in Brady's career Belichik seem to feature a strong running game with selective passing from Brady. As Brady developed, the pass became more a staple of Belichiks's offensive game planning.

However, what's been so genius about the passing game is year after year, Belichik has totally revamped the way Brady and the offense implemented it. Seems yearly Belichik brings in new pieces and sometime slightly, sometime drastically alters the pattern of his offense.

This offseason Belichik brought in new offensive pieces, keyly at the wr spots. So look for another alteration in how the Pats offense will look and run this season. Seems Belichik never runs the exact same offense 2yrs in row. That my friends, IMO, is truly ingenious.

[odins tighty whities]

Man! It's strting to smell BAD down here! A lil help please? Hello?

[Amoeba]

YG

Let's milk the Seau story for a few more days. It's carthartic for some of our sensitive, caring fans who are in tears even more than his girlfirend was after he assaulted her.

You see for some single brain cell creatures, football is more important than the real world and even life itself.

[Pissed Off]

No Balls is absolutely correct. There is NO excuse for a father to kill himself. None. I can say this. I've been through a horrific, unjustified divorce--thanks to the "no fault" divorce laws pushed through by the take-no-responsibility baby boomer generation, my ex wife is a crazy psycho who has not worked in nearly 8 years, and I have two kids, and it has been hell, but I would not even think for one nonsecond about killing myself and leaving my kids alone.

I went through the same divorce issues as Junior, but without the money and fame, and there is no excuse for killing yourself if you are a father (with a living mother, too).

No excuse.

[Pissed Off]

Saiba is correct.

[Pissed Off]

As usual the earnest regulars (the usual suspects--Craig M, Phins78, et al) are saying all the wrong things, in their attempt to be amateur journalists.

Saiba and No Balls have it right today. A father who commits suicide is not a hero, regardless whether he was a good football player as a young man.

[Yesterday's Gone]

Amoeba,

Funny how many real world people get thier real priorities scerewed up when it comes to professional sports. They're all a bunch of professional jocks getting highly paid to play a kid's game. Nothing more, nothing less.

Personally I care about as much for professional athletes as they care about me. Which is next to extremely little, to nothing at all. Being a professional sports fan is about meaningless self-centered bragging rights. Again, nothing more, nothing less.

If professional sports fell off the face of the planet today, I could move on. However, if that did happen, I could see many professional sports fan choosing the same fate chosen by Seau.

The reality of everything is that people do die. Still life will always be about the living, not the dead. Let's move on, lets talk about life, not death. Dead is always a "DEAD SUBJECT".

[Odin, the annoying, overly sensitive blog troll]

Fear not fellow bloggers! Odin will soon rise from his drunken slumber & troll all the pages he missed while in his drunken coma.

He'll return with a vengence. Addressing each & every post about him while boring the blog to death.

Prepare yourselves to be immersed in the show that is Odin Trollin.

[Amoeba]

YG

Well said. At the end of the day, professional sports falls into the category of entertainment, no different that sitcoms and soap operas.

Sure it's fun, its entertaining, but just the same it's totally irrelevant. It's just a game on a field played by extremely overpaid lucky people, many of whom are marginally educated and otherwise street thugs, who would otherwise have little chance for much success in life if it weren't for the game.

One of them dies and they get WAY more attention than the great scientists and educators who contribute far more to society.

[Fireland]

Dolphin ticket sales are the lowest in 43 years. When will Ross get the message?

[Yesterday's Gone]

Amoeba,

Also amazing how so many pro athletes get credited with doing so much for charities, create thier own charities, and so-called so much monetarily for society. If the tax laws changed today, not crediting them for thier charitable acts, probably up to 95% of all pro athletes would imediately termeinate thier so-called "charitable givings".

[Anthony]

I went to 4 home games the last 2 years. All losses. NO MORE for me.

[Yesterday's Gone]

Even some of these athlete's creates charities only revolving around thier own self centered interests. In cluding our very own Dan Marino and Nick Bounticonti.

Is anyone out there naive enough to belive Marino would have a autisism foundation if his very own son didnt have autisism? or Nick Bounticonti would have a paralysis research foundation if his very own son didnt become paralized?

The thought may be good, but the true motive behind it all is totally self-centered.