NFL Hall of Fame, Junior Seau, CTE and a Cardio Workout

Last night I watched linebacker Junior Seau's family reveal his bust as he was inducted into NFL's Hall of Fame. Seau was an amazing football player that played with a style that was ferocious and physical and he played that way professionally for 20 years. Many of those years were played long before anyone was concerned openly about repeated head injuries. After his retirement, Seau killed himself by shooting himself in the chest in 2012 after suffering from debilitating cognitive symptoms. Junior shot himself in the chest so that people could study the impact of the game he loved on his brain. Later, after studying his brain it was determined that Seau suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE, a type of chronic brain damage that used to be called "Punch Drunk". It has now been determined that many NFL players have suffered from CTE and the NFL has since taken steps to help limit the head injuries to players. But, these blows are impossible to remove from the game all together based on the way it is now played.

For me, the big story last night was that the NFL was not going to let any of Seau's family speak at the induction ceremony. Seau had told his now 21 year old daughter Sydney that she should speak for him if he ever made it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But, the Hall of Fame had a policy of not letting others give speeches for deceased inductees and would not allow Sydney to give a speech. On top of that policy, I am sure the NFL was worried because the Seau family has filed a wrongful death suit against the league for failing to warn players about the dangers of repeated blows to the head. In the end, the NFL made a compromise and Sydney was interviewed after the induction ceremony with a poise and confidence beyond her years. She bravely worked her way through the interview wrapping up by saying “I hope this induction can exemplify the fact that you are more than Junior Seau, number fifty-five and a buddy. You are a light, and I want nothing more than to see you come on stage, give the speech you were meant to give, give me a hug and tell me you love me one last time. But that isn’t our reality.”

Cardiorespiratory Training:
HIIT Spin Bike, 20 minutes
Foam Roller Work

Have a Great Day!!