Bill Belichick, Tom Brady Make Emphatic Case For Junior Seau's Hall Of Fame Selection
CHANDLER, Ariz. (CBS) -- For Bill Belichick, the case is simple: You cannot have a football of fame if it does not include Junior Seau.
With the announcement of this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame class just two days away, Belichick was asked what it would mean to hear Seau's name announced.
"Well, it's obviously gotta happen. I can't imagine having a professional football hall of fame without Junior Seau in it," Belichick, a future Hall of Famer himself, said. "I think one word that comes to me when I think of Junior when it comes to playing football is 'passion.' He's a very passionate guy, a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, first guy in the building in the morning, watching film, lifting weights, ready for practice. He always loved to practice, flying around on the practice field. He had energy before the game on the sideline, during the game, emotional player but a smart player that played with a purpose, played with good physical skill but also good concentration, good awareness. Great team player, very supportive of his teammates. I mean, everybody in the locker room loved Junior. They loved what he did, and they loved the way that he interacted with the team. He was a great player."
New England was Seau's final NFL home, as he spent parts of four seasons with the Patriots from 2006-09. He played in all 16 games, plus the three playoff games, in the near-perfect 2007 season, finishing second on the team in tackles behind Tedy Bruschi and leaving a lasting impact on the players with whom he shared a locker room.
"He was a phenomenal player, teammate, friend," said quarterback Tom Brady, likewise headed for Canton following his career. "His attitude was infectious, he brought enthusiasm every day at practice. You'd show up to the weight room, and he'd be the first person there at 6 in the morning on the treadmill running, going into his 18th year in the league."
Seau took his own life in 2012 at the age of 43. Doctors later found that he had suffered from CTE. The years that have followed for his family have been marked by the obvious pain of tragedy but also very public disputed with the NFL and the league's treatment of former players who suffered brain trauma during their careers.
While that battle continues to boil, this weekend provides an opportunity to celebrate Seau -- both the player and the person.
"He had a love for life, and he's missed by all of his family, friends and certainly me and all the guys that had a chance to be around him," Brady said. "He was a special person."
Belichick, who's coached thousands upon thousands of players in his near-40 years of coaching, clearly holds a special place for Seau.
"He brought a lot of energy and passion to our team, and I personally had a very good relationship with Junior," Belichick said. "I loved coaching him, and he always expressed how much he enjoyed playing on the New England Patriots, and that meant a lot to me."
Like Belichick, Brady concluded that the Hall of Fame wouldn't be much of a hall of fame if it did not include Seau.
"If he can't make it, nobody can," Brady said. "He was truly one of a kind, and it was a privilege to play with him."
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