"  OCEANSIDE, Calif. (AP) Junior Seau's apparent suicide stunned an entire city andsaddened former teammates who recalled the former NFL star'sferocious tackles and habit of calling everybody around him''Buddy.''It also left everyone wondering what led to Seau's deathWednesday morning in what police said appeared to be a suicide. Hewas 43.''I'm sorry to say, Superman is dead,'' said Shawn Mitchell, achaplain for the San Diego Chargers. ''All of us can appear to besuper, but all of us need to reach out and find support when we'rehurting.''Police Chief Frank McCoy said Seau's girlfriend reported findinghim unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest and lifesavingefforts were unsuccessful. A gun was found near him, McCoy said.Police said no suicide note was found and they didn't immediatelyknow who the gun was registered to.Neither Mitchell nor Seau's ex-wife knew what might have led tothe former fist-pumping, emotional leader of his hometown San DiegoChargers to kill himself.''We have no clues whatsoever,'' Gina Seau said. ''We're asstunned and shocked as anyone else. We're horribly saddened. Wemiss him and we'll always love him.''Seau's death in Oceanside, in northern San Diego County, stunnedthe region he represented with almost reckless abandon. The sameintensity that got the star linebacker ejected for fighting in hisfirst exhibition game helped carry the Chargers to their only SuperBowl, following the 1994 season. A ferocious tackler, he'd leap up,pump a fist and kick out a leg after dropping a ball carrier orquarterback.''It's a sad thing. It's hard to understand,'' said BobbyBeathard, who as Chargers general manager took Seau out of SouthernCalifornia with the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft. ''He wasreally just a great guy. If you drew up a player you'd love to havethe opportunity to draft and have on the team and as a teammate,Junior and Rodney (Harrison), they'd be the kind of guys you'd liketo have.''Quarterback Stan Humphries recalled that Seau did everything atthe same speed, whether it was practicing, lifting weights orharassing John Elway.''The intensity, the smile, the infectious attitude, it carriedover to all the other guys,'' said Humphries, who was shocked thatSeau is now the eighth player from the '94 Super Bowl team todie.Seau's mother appeared before reporters outside the formerplayer's house, weeping uncontrollably.''I don't understand ... I'm shocked,'' Luisa Seau criedout.Her son gave no indication of a problem when she spoke to him byphone earlier this week, she said.''He's joking to me, he called me a `homegirl,''' she said.Seau's death follows the suicide last year of former ChicagoBears player Dave Duerson, who also shot himself in the chest.In October 2010, Seau survived a 100-foot plunge down a seasidecliff in his SUV, hours after he was arrested for investigation ofdomestic violence at the Oceanside home he shared with hisgirlfriend. The woman had told authorities that Seau assaulted herduring an argument.There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involved in the crashand Seau told authorities he fell asleep while driving. Hesustained minor injuries.''I just can't imagine this, because I've never seen Junior in adown frame of mind,'' Beathard said. ''He was always so upbeat andhe would keep people up. He practiced the way he played. He madepractice fun. He was a coach's dream. He was an amazing guy as wellas a player and a person. This is hard to believe.''Seau's ex-wife told the Union-Tribune San Diego that he textedher and each of their three children separate messages: ''I loveyou.''Seau, who played in the NFL for parts of 20 seasons, is theeighth member of San Diego's lone Super Bowl team who has died, allbefore the age of 45. Lew Bush, Shawn Lee, David Griggs, RodneyCulver, Doug Miller, Curtis Whitley and Chris Mims are the others.Causes of death ranged from heart attacks to a plane crash to alightning strike.Seau's death also is among a few recent, unexpected deaths ofNFL veterans.Duerson's family has filed a wrongful death suit against theNFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treatconcussions that severely damaged Duerson's brain before he killedhimself in February 2011.Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who had joined ina concussion-related lawsuit against the league - one of dozensfiled in the last year - died last month at age 62. His wife hassaid he suffered from depression and dementia after taking years ofhits.Seau is not known to have been a plaintiff in the concussionlitigation.However, his ex-wife told The Associated Press that Seausustained concussions during his career.''Of course he had. He always bounced back and kept onplaying,'' she said. ''He's a warrior. That didn't stop him. Idon't know what football player hasn't. It's not ballet. It's partof the game.''Gina Seau said she didn't know if the effects of concussionscontributed to Seau's death.When Humphries joined the Chargers in a 1992 trade, he said itwas obvious Seau was ''the person who had the most energy, the mostexcited, the guy who tried to rally everybody.'' Humphries saidSeau ''brought out a lot of youngness'' in older players.He also helped younger players.''So sad to hear about Jr Seau,'' tweeted New Orleans Saintsquarterback Drew Brees, who was with San Diego from 2001-05.''Junebug. Buddy. The greatest teammate a young guy could ask for.This is a sad day. He will be missed greatly.''Seau called many of those around him ''Buddy.'' He oftenreferred to teammates as ''my players.''Seau was voted to a Chargers-record 12 straight Pro Bowls andwas an All-Pro six times.''We all lost a friend today,'' Chargers President Dean Spanossaid in a statement. ''This is just such a tragic loss. One of theworst things I could ever imagine.''Seau's greatest game may have been in the 17-13 victory atPittsburgh in the AFC championship game in January 1995 that sentthe Chargers to the Super Bowl. Playing through the pain of apinched nerve in his neck, he spread out his 16 tackles from thefirst play to the second-to-last. San Diego was routed 49-26 in theSuper Bowl by San Francisco.Seau left the Chargers after the 2002 season when the teamunceremoniously told him he was free to pursue a trade. He held afarewell news conference at the restaurant he owned in MissionValley, and later was traded to Miami.Seau retired a few times, the first in August 2006, when hesaid, ''I'm not retiring. I am graduating.''Four days later, he signed with the New England Patriots. He waswith the Patriots when they lost to the New York Giants in theSuper Bowl following the 2007 season, which ended New England'squest for a perfect season.Last fall, finally retired for good, Seau was inducted into theSan Diego Chargers Hall of Fame.His last season was 2009.Patriots owner Robert Kraft recalled the tight hugs he got fromSeau in the locker room following games.''He may have been one of the most charismatic Patriots playersin franchise history,'' Kraft said. ''Today, the fans of the teamsfor which Junior played - San Diego, Miami and New England - lostmore than a legendary football player. We lost our `Buddy.'''More than 100 people gathered outside of Seau's home, only hoursafter he was found dead. Families showed up with flowers and fanswearing Chargers jerseys waited to get news.Several hours after Seau was found, his body was loaded into amedical examiner's van and taken away as fans snapped pictures andraised their hands in the air as if in prayer.Family friend Priscilla Sanga said about 50 friends and familymembers gathered in the garage where Seau's body lay on a gurneyand they had the opportunity to say goodbye.''Everybody got to see Junior before they took him away,'' Sangasaid. ''He looked so peaceful and cold. It was disbelief. We alltouched him and kissed him.''"

"  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The wife of former Minnesota Viking Joe Senser was convicted Thursday of two felonies in a hit-and-run that killed a man, as jurors brushed aside her defense that she never saw him and thought she had hit a construction barrel or pothole. Amy Senser was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident and failure to promptly report an accident, both criminal vehicular homicide charges, in the August death of Anousone Phanthavong. She was acquitted of a third felony charge of gross negligence. She was also convicted of misdemeanor careless driving. Senser, 45, of Edina, showed little emotion as the verdicts were read, staring straight ahead. It was jurors who looked tense at the conclusion of the highly publicized trial, with one crying and dabbing at tears with a handkerchief. Later, after the judge dismissed the jury, Joe Senser stood behind his wife and rubbed her shoulders, trying to comfort her as she sniffled and wiped away tears. Senser was to remain free until sentencing. Each felony count was punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but sentencing guidelines suggested four years. The misdemeanor carried a potential sentence of up to 90 days in jail. ''I think if you're driving a car and you have an accident, the state Legislature and all the rest of us believe you have a duty to stop. That clearly is something that Mrs. Senser did not do,'' Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said after the verdict. ''And you have a duty to report that accident.'' A niece of Phanthavong's, Souksa Banh Phanthavong, thanked the jury. She called her uncle ''a good person. There could've been a lot to him.'' The case was one of Minnesota's most closely watched criminal trials in years, with overtones of a cover-up and a defendant married to a well-known figure in the state. Senser's husband, Joe Senser, was a tight end for the Vikings in the early 1980s and has remained visible as a game commentator and as owner of a string of restaurants in his name. Phanthavong, 38, was a chef at a Thai restaurant near the site of the accident. His car had run out of gas and he had pulled to the side of the highway exit ramp. He was filling the car's tank when he was hit. Parts of a Mercedes were found at the scene, and authorities sought the public's help in finding the driver. Nearly 24 hours later, attorney Eric Nelson called authorities to tell them they could pick up the vehicle involved at the Sensers'. Despite giving up the vehicle, the Sensers didn't talk to police, fueling speculation about who was driving and whether alcohol was involved. It was more than a week later that Amy Senser admitted she was driving. At trial, her stepdaughter Brittani testified that Amy Senser only came forward only after Brittani - angry that some people had speculated she was the driver - threatened to go to authorities. Amy Senser testified that the night of the crash, she went to meet her daughters and their friends at a Katy Perry concert at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center, and had part of a glass of wine at a nearby restaurant before going inside. After about 90 minutes, suffering from a headache, she left, intending to have her husband pick up the girls. As she was driving home, she changed her mind and decided to return to St. Paul. Shortly after turning onto a freeway exit ramp in a construction area in Minneapolis, Senser said she felt a jolt at the front of her Mercedes-Benz SUV. She said she was looking to the left at the time, and thought she had hit an orange construction barrel or a pothole. It wasn't until the next day, when her husband called her outside to look at the car and the couple saw news reports about Phanthavong's death, that the couple called an attorney. On the stand, she wept as she said she was still struggling to accept the fact that she had hit him. Prosecutor Deborah Russell said in closing arguments that Senser had to have known, and questioned whether Joe Senser himself believed his wife. She reminded the jury of numerous texts Senser had deleted from her cellphone from the night of the crash and the next day. Phanthavong's family members have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Sensers seeking more than $50,000 in damages. Senser played four years with the Vikings before a knee injury ended his career. He co-owns Joe Senser's Restaurant and Sports Theater, a Minneapolis-St. Paul-area restaurant chain."

"  Junior Seau died Wednesday of what investigators have ruled a suicide. He launched a bullet into his chest at 43. Forty-freaking-three. Another pro football player too damned young to die and, yet, dead nonetheless. Because of what he did and how he died, Seau's death is being woven into what has become an all-consuming debate on brain injuries and whether football is safe enough to play. LOSS OF A LEGEND Junior Seau found dead at home Sports world reacts to tragedy Chaplain: Family revisits brain donation Examiner: Seau's death a suicide Reaction from San Diego Chargers Another tragedy for '94 Chargers Seau leaves Trojan family behind Dolphins mourn the passing of Seau Death puts focus on brain injuries Photos: Seau through the years Papadakis: Sad day for football Glazer: Seau larger than life Dick Enberg remembers Seau Patriots react to loss of Seau This might be right, or he might have killed himself because of lingering relationship issues or financial problems or all of this or none of it. We cannot know, not for sure. So we have conversations about what we think triggered this tragedy. And, yet, all I thought about Wednesday was Don Draper and his “Why I Am Quitting Tobacco” letter in an episode of "Mad Men." I am about to compare Seau’s death to a TV show not to trivialize it or because there is anything remotely entertaining about tragic death but perhaps because the only way to understand anything so awful is through one of TV’s most morally complex creations. And what Draper wrote about tobacco is hauntingly relevant now as we talk about football. “For over 25 years we devoted ourselves to peddling a product for which good work is irrelevant, because people can’t stop themselves from buying it. A product that never improves, that causes illness, and makes people unhappy. But there was money in it. A lot of money. In fact, our entire business depended on it. We knew it wasn’t good for us, but we couldn’t stop.” I am not so sure football is not the next tobacco. And I very well may be peddling a product that causes illness, makes people unhappy and, in extreme cases, makes people like Junior Seau feel like a bullet to the chest is better than another breath, that life has become so difficult or so sad or so something other than what he imagined and, therefore, better ended than endured. Why do football players kill themselves? We do not know. We can try to fit it into easy boxes and easy columns to back what we want to say about football. It is the brain injuries. It is the concussions. But much like the uncertainty associated with any suicide, we do not know what was going through the minds of people who took their own lives. Maybe, they were just sad or depressed or unable to cope. Maybe, they were that way because of the pounding their brain took on a football field. There are causal links, for sure, and the way Seau killed himself certainly suggests a guy who wanted his brain intact and able to be examined because he believed 20 years of football tackles and collisions had screwed it up beyond help. As a result, there will be a lot written about how football needs to be cleaned up, or rogue coaches like Gregg Williams banned. We cheer the suspension of Saints player Jonathan Vilma, as if our feigned outrage will bring Seau back or be any more effective than slapping a Band-Aid on a tumor. Dirty players do not kill players. Bounties do not kill players. Football kills players. There is no entirely safe way to play the game — not on the level we watch on Sundays — just like there is no safe amount of cigarette smoking. The warnings are on the packs now. The surgeon general and just about everybody else agrees smoking is the worst thing you can do for your health, aside from maybe football. We watch a show like "Mad Men" where everybody is smoking and wonder what they were thinking. Is it so wrong to wonder if we will look back 20 years from now and judge this generation? What was everybody thinking by playing and watching something as life-threatening as football? Both smoking and football are dangerous. Only recently have we come to know just how dangerous the football was. There is mounting evidence as players retire from the NFL broken in ways nobody could comprehend. Many of them hobbled by the game they played. They are the lucky ones. There are others who cannot remember their children's names, who do not feel like themselves, who feel as if their brain is forever broken. Dave Duerson was one, the former Bears player who shot himself in the chest to save his brain. He wanted it examined for scientific purposes, and probably legal ones, too. Because Seau also shot himself in the chest, his death will be linked to Duerson’s. This is the stage we are at, guessing and speculating and drawing conclusions that are logical but unproven. As a result, we ask questions that have no concrete answers — like, is a game worth the human cost? UNIVERSAL SORROW The sports world took to Twitter to react after Junior Seau's death. Of course it is, because it is not simply a game. It is big business. Both Big Tobacco (then) and pro football (now) have a lot of money riding on not looking dangerous. It was the end of the business as Big Tobacco knew it once the causal relationship between cigarettes and cancer was established. What really did in Big Tobacco was learning how much they knew and how much they withheld because doing so helped their bottom line. The NFL is a billion-dollar industry, and of course, it has a vested interest in downplaying how inherently dangerous its game is. It is inevitable that everything the NFL does going forward is legal and defensible. Whatever the league says, know it is more interested in protecting the brand than in the brains of its players. There are other parallels between tobacco and football. Both Big Tobacco and football had rogue doctors, letting guys back onto the field too soon and starring in commercials touting the benefits of smoking. Both are glorified. Cool people used to smoke; now, they play hurt. The toughest guy used to be featured with a cig in Marlboro commercials; now, he is the guy who does not tap out no matter how injured he is. Big Tobacco was brought down by insiders and, ultimately, public opinion. It is only recently, after public opinion has shifted, that the NFL has started to clean up its game. Kids will still play football in 20 years, just as people smoke even now when you cannot watch an NHL playoff game without being inundated with commercials detailing just what a hellish nightmare tobacco is to your health. They will make a choice. They will do so under the influence. The smokers are addicted to the nicotine; the football players, to the money and fame. And we are addicted to the game, enjoying touchdowns and comebacks and trying to push from our brains days like Wednesday. Which is how I got to thinking of Draper and his letter, about Seau and culpability. "And then, when Lucky Strike moved their business elsewhere, I realized, here was my chance to be someone who could sleep at night, because I know what I’m selling doesn’t kill my customers." What I believe in my heart is Seau wrote his own Don Draper “Why I Am Quitting Tobacco” letter Wednesday. But he did not have the words. So he used a gun."

"  OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs will have surgery fora partially torn Achilles tendon, an injury he insists will notkeep him sidelined for the entire 2012 season.The injury occurred in Arizona while Suggs was practicing for anupcoming conditioning test, he said Thursday in a text message.Suggs initially thought it was a sprain but a doctor determinedthat it was a partial tear, he said.The Ravens issued a statement Thursday saying: ''We are incontact with Terrell. He will see a specialist early next week, andwe'll know more at that time.''General manager Ozzie Newsome said, ''We're just waiting forTerrell to see a specialist on Tuesday, and then we'll go fromthere.''Suggs, the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, isexpected to have surgery as soon as next week. A torn Achillestendon usually requires a lengthy rehabilitation program, but Suggshas no intention of sitting out the year.Asked if he will play in 2012, he responded, ''''Absolutely,''and projected his return to occur in late October or November.The injury is a major blow to a stout defense that also featureslinebacker Ray Lewis, safety Ed Reed and tackle Haloti Ngata. Suggshad 14 sacks last season, forced a franchise-record seven fumblesand received his fifth Pro Bowl invitation in helping the Ravenswin the AFC North with a 12-4 record.Suggs has played nine seasons for Baltimore and has missed onlythree games, in 2009 with a knee injury. In six of those nine yearshe started every game and is the Ravens career sack leader with 821/2.Barring a trade or a free agent signing, the Ravens willprobably rely on Paul Kruger and top draft pick Courtney Upshaw toprovide outside pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2012. Krugerhad 5 1/2 sacks last season and Upshaw amassed 9 1/2 sacks forAlabama in 2011."

"  McKINNEY, Texas (AP) Police are seeking a new criminal charge against Deion Sanders in the case related to a scuffle last month between the Pro Football Hall of Famer and his wife. EX-FACTOR Celebrity couples often don't have a Hollywood ending. Check out sports couples who split up. Investigators with the Police Department in Sanders' hometown of Prosper, north of Dallas, have asked the Collin County District Attorney's Office to review their request for a criminal mischief charge against the ex-NFL star. The charge is a misdemeanor. A spokeswoman for the district attorney did not return a phone message. The criminal complaint that police filed with prosecutors says their recommendation for the charge results from the department's ongoing investigation of an April 23 scuffle between Deion and Pilar Sanders at their palatial Prosper home. Both Deion and Pilar Sanders already face simple assault charges, also misdemeanors. A Prosper police officer who responded to the disturbance call at the Sanders home along with another officer testified Thursday during a court hearing in the divorce case. Officer John Gardner said a cellphone belonging to a friend of Pilar Sanders was found smashed outside the house and that Deion Sanders admitted to throwing the phone. Gardner interviewed Sanders immediately after the incident. The officer testified that the ex-NFL star told him that he was in a kitchen area attached to his bedroom in his end of the house when Pilar Sanders began to kick at the kitchen door. He told the officer that his wife began slapping him, so he grabbed her by the waist and carried her from the bedroom. He reported that when he got outside the bedroom, his wife and her friend Dee Boswell began to hit him, Gardner testified. Boswell held a cellphone up to his face, but Sanders said he knocked the phone away, Gardner said. The phone was later found outside, with its memory card nearby. ''He said, 'I don't know. I just threw it out here.' And that's where I found it at,'' Gardner testified. Get more NFL news from Scout.com or check out your favorite team. A crime lab test of the memory card came back with no video on it. Pilar Sanders was arrested later that day after being taken to an area hospital. She spent the night in Collin County jail and was released the next day. Deion Sanders, meanwhile, posted on Twitter that he was filing charges against his wife and sent a photo of him and his two sons filling out police reports. Gardner said he watched the trio fill out police reports but didn't know about the photo. Sanders would later delete the photo. Asked how Pilar Sanders might have injured her lip, as it appeared in her mug shot, Gardner said her injury looked like she might have bitten her own lip. Gardner and the other police officer who responded to the Sanders home, Sgt. Bryan Golden, both said they didn't see any signs of an attack on Pilar Sanders, who told police she entered her husband's bedroom because she hadn't seen one of their sons for three days. Earlier Thursday, Pilar Sanders' attorney, Larry Friedman, said her arrest after allegations that she attacked the former NFL cornerback was ''a complete setup.'' The hearing was part of the couple's battle over custody of their three children and who will keep their $5.7 million home. Deion Sanders filed for divorce in December, but the pair still shared the home until Pilar Sanders' arrest after the scuffle. Police later charged Deion Sanders but said his charge didn't warrant an arrest. Pete Schulte, another attorney for Pilar Sanders, grilled the officers on why they didn't charge Sanders right away with criminal mischief or tampering with evidence when they spotted the destroyed phone. ''At the time, it was not something we were looking to make an arrest for,'' Golden testified. Friedman said the former football star repeatedly called Prosper police until they arrested his wife. The attorney also said Deion Sanders violated a gag order in the case by doing TV interviews and posting updates on Twitter. ''It's never about anybody but Deion Sanders,'' Friedman said. Rick Robertson, Deion Sanders' attorney, said Pilar Sanders has failed to take their children to school on time and has ''been physically abusive'' to them. ''His children are one of the main reasons he's here,'' Robertson said of his client. ''His role of father exceeds the role of most fathers.'' Jeffery Shore, an attorney for the children, ages 12, 10 and 8, said they are struggling in school and need counseling. ''They live in a combat zone,'' Shore said. The hearing was expected to continue Friday and into next week."

"  ATLANTA (AP) More than 100 former NFL players have filed a federal lawsuit in Atlanta claiming that pro football didn't properly protect its players from concussions. NFL AND CONCUSSIONS Police say Easterling killed self New suit cites Saints' bounties The Daily: Players don't understand Players willing to hide concussions Former players sue league Marvez: Duerson's impact Bradshaw: A personal account The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include former Atlanta Falcon Jamal Anderson, ex-Georgia star Lindsey Scott and veteran quarterback Don Majkowski. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in Georgia, claims the league failed to protect NFL players from brain injuries linked to football-related concussions. They are among more than 1,000 former NFL players suing the league. The cases say not enough was done to inform players about the dangers of concussions in the past, and not enough is done to take care of them today. The league has said any allegation that the league intentionally sought to mislead players is without merit."

"  McKINNEY, Texas (AP) The recent arrest of the estranged wife of Deion Sanders following accusations that she attacked the Hall of Fame cornerback was ''a complete setup,'' the woman's attorney in their tumultuous divorce case said Thursday. EX-FACTOR Celebrity couples often don't have a Hollywood ending. Check out sports couples who split up. Pilar Sanders was arrested April 23 at the couple's home in Prosper, north of Dallas. Deion Sanders filed for divorce in December, but the pair still shared the home until the woman's arrest. The former NFL star and Pilar Sanders both appeared in a Collin County court for a hearing in their battle over custody of their three children and who will keep their $5.7 million home. Larry Friedman, an attorney for Pilar Sanders, accused her husband of repeatedly calling Prosper police until they arrested her. The attorney also said Deion Sanders violated a gag order in the case by doing TV interviews and posting updates on Twitter. ''He can do anything he wants, anytime he wants to anybody he wants because he's 'Prime Time,''' Friedman said, referring to Deion Sanders' nickname from his playing days. Rick Robertson, Deion Sanders' attorney, said Pilar Sanders has failed to take their children to school on time and has ''been physically abusive'' to them. Get more NFL news from Scout.com or check out your favorite team. ''His children are one of the main reasons he's here,'' Robertson said of his client. ''His role of father exceeds the role of most fathers.'' Jeffery Shore, an attorney for the children, ages 12, 10 and 8, said they are struggling in school and need counseling. ''They live in a combat zone,'' Shore said. Prosper police were called to the Sanders home last month and arrested Pilar Sanders on a misdemeanor assault charge. Police later charged Deion Sanders with the same offense, but said his charge didn't warrant an arrest. Deion Sanders tweeted that she attacked him, and he even posted a photo of his children filling out police reports. He later removed the photo."

"  Junior Seau died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the San Diego County Medical Examiner confirmed on Thursday. LOSS OF A LEGEND Junior Seau found dead at home Sports world reacts to tragedy Chaplain: Family revisits brain donation Examiner: Seau's death a suicide Reaction from San Diego Chargers Another tragedy for '94 Chargers Seau leaves Trojan family behind Dolphins mourn the passing of Seau Death puts focus on brain injuries Photos: Seau through the years Papadakis: Sad day for football Glazer: Seau larger than life Dick Enberg remembers Seau Patriots react to loss of Seau The medical examiner’s office said in a news release it is awaiting a decision by Seau’s family to release the deceased linebacker’s brain for study. Boston University researchers reportedly have requested an opportunity to examine Seau’s brain to further its study of the brain ailment Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Deputy medical examiner Craig Nelson conducted the autopsy, which included a full examination of Seau’s body and organs, county spokesman Sarah Gordon said in a news release. Seau was found Wednesday morning at his home in Oceanside, Calif. Medical workers called to the scene by Seau’s girlfriend failed to resuscitate him. A final report from the medical examiner — which includes lab test on tissues — could take up to 90 days to complete. Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Seau sustained concussions during his 20-year career. She said she didn't know if the effects of concussions contributed to Seau's death. Seau's death follows the suicide last year of former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson, who also shot himself in the chest. Duerson's family has filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat concussions that severely damaged Duerson's brain before he died in in February 2011. Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who had joined in a concussion-related lawsuit against the league — one of dozens filed in the past year — died last month at age 62. His wife has said he suffered from depression and dementia after taking years of hits. Seau is not known to have been a plaintiff in the concussion litigation. JUNIOR SEAU: 1969-2012 Let's take a look back at the career of the former All-Pro linebacker. Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy has analyzed the brains of dozens of former athletes, including Duerson's. While saying it was saddened by Seau's death, center officials would not say if they have reached out to the Seau family or would be interested in studying his brain. ''It is our policy to not discuss any completed, ongoing or potential research cases unless at the specific request of family members,'' according to a statement released by the center. ''Our primary goal is to learn more about the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma by conducting meaningful scientific research. At this time our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Seau's family, his many friends and former teammates.'' The Associated Press contributed to this report."

"  ATLANTA (AP) Just two miles west of the Georgia Dome, the Atlanta Falcons arebringing hope to one of the city's most troubled zip codes.Falcons owner Arthur Blank joined 180 volunteers from his familybusinesses on Thursday to improve conditions in a neighborhood -''The 30314'' - that has too many problems to overcome byitself.Tony Johns, COO of the nonprofit City of Refuge, says nocommunity in Georgia has a higher rate of homicides, drugtransactions, poverty and children from single-adult homes. Only 49percent of the neighborhood's high school kids graduate.''A lot of markers here, along with having the highest rate ofinfectious diseases and highest infant mortality,'' Johns said.''In fact, our infant mortality rate is higher than many Africannations.''Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, coach Mike Smith andhis entire staff worked to double the size of the City of Refuge'sgarden space, build an indoor playground in the nonprofit'swarehouse and improve onsite residences for single women andapproximately 80 homeless children.Smith helped build benches and haul mulch. Dimitroff anddefensive coordinator Mike Nolan helped construct and raise aretaining wall.Team president Rich McKay helped paint a wall mural for a6,000-square-foot indoor playground funded by a $60,000 grant fromBlank's foundation.No players were present, but that hardly affected the spirit ofDimitroff, who just one week ago was immersed in the NFL draft.''Yes, you're doing everything involved with putting a teamtogether - the financial side and personnel side - and then youjump outside into something like this, it's so incrediblyheartwarming,'' Dimitroff said. ''It's something that toucheseveryone at so many levels.''Local businesses Coca-Cola, GE Energy, Georgia Pacific and theAtlanta Hawks have brought plenty of volunteers for previous workdays at City of Refuge. But Johns had never seen so many projectsstarted and finished in one day, thanks in part to help fromAtlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and his staff.''I have to say this is the largest effort we've had to date,''said Johns, who joined the nonprofit in 1997. ''We've had morevolunteers, but this has been our biggest development yet.''Two years after launching a regional fan promotion that featuredmovie star Samuel L. Jackson, the Falcons have expanded their''Rise Up'' campaign to raise awareness for volunteer service bypartnering with Hands on Atlanta, one of the nation's largestcommunity-based volunteer service organizations.Thursday was the first day that Falcons fans could log on toRiseUpAtlanta.com to sign up for a variety of volunteeropportunities. The team promised a free T-shirt to those who signup and attend a volunteer activity.Efforts can't come soon enough in the neighborhood. Just thereblocks from City of Refuge on Joseph E. Boone Boulevard, Johns saysa major corridor for heroin usage and trafficking has emerged.''It's a crisis of resources right now because of the lack ofinvestment,'' Johns said. ''So a day like today, when thefor-profit world and government agencies make an investment in anunderserved, under-resourced community, it makes a bigdifference.''"

"  OCEANSIDE, Calif. Junior Seau's brain will be donated by his family for research into football-related head injuries. LOSS OF A LEGEND Junior Seau found dead at home Sports world reacts to tragedy Chaplain: Family revisits brain donation Examiner: Seau's death a suicide Reaction from San Diego Chargers Another tragedy for '94 Chargers Seau leaves Trojan family behind Dolphins mourn the passing of Seau Death puts focus on brain injuries Photos: Seau through the years Papadakis: Sad day for football Glazer: Seau larger than life Dick Enberg remembers Seau Patriots react to loss of Seau San Diego Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell said he didn't know where the brain will be sent. ''The Seau family really has, almost like Junior, a philanthropic approach, where they always desire to help others,'' Mitchell said in a phone interview Friday. ''The purpose is not initially to discover anything about their son and what led to these tragic circumstances, but rather the betterment of other people and athletes down the road through anything that can be learned through the study.'' He said the family was not speculating as to whether concussions were a factor in Seau's suicide. Seau, a star at USC before playing for his hometown Chargers for 13 seasons, was found dead Wednesday at his Oceanside home. An autopsy concluded he shot himself in the chest. There's been no medical evidence that brain injuries from football may have played a role in his death. Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he sustained concussions during his 20-year NFL career, during which he also played for Miami and New England. Mitchell said he never heard Seau complain about dizziness or headaches. ''With Junior, that would be so outside of his nature because he had an amazing threshold for pain,'' Mitchell said. Family members and friends have said they weren't aware of any issues that may have led to Seau's suicide. Police said no suicide note was found. ''This is not anything I thought he would ever do,'' former San Diego Chargers safety Miles McPherson said. A few weeks ago, a smiling Seau was videotaped playing a ukulele and singing while attending the spring game at USC, where he starred before being drafted by the Chargers in 1990. Mitchell said that friends of Seau's who were at his charity golf tournament a month ago said his ''spirits were great.'' JUNIOR SEAU: 1969-2012 Let's take a look back at the career of the former All-Pro linebacker. Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy has analyzed the brains of dozens of former athletes, including that of former Chicago player Dave Duerson, who shot himself in the chest last year. While saying it was saddened by Seau's death, center officials would not say if they have reached out to the Seau family or would be interested in studying his brain. Duerson's family has filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat concussions that severely damaged Duerson's brain before he died in February 2011. Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who had joined in a concussion-related lawsuit against the league — one of dozens filed in the past year — shot himself last month at age 62. His wife has said he suffered from depression and dementia after taking years of hits."