Report: Junior Seau, Famed Football Player, Commits Suicide at 43

USMagazine, Wednesday, May 2, 2012, 12:38pm (PDT)

Football has lost one of its greats.

On Wednesday, Junior Seau, who had a 19-year-run in the NFL before retiring in 2009, was found dead inside his Oceanside, Calif. home. He was just 43 years old.

Sources tell TMZ that the famed linebacker had suffered and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. The apparent suicide case is still developing.

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Celebs immediately took to Twitter to react to the tragic news.

"R.I.P Jr. Seau one of the greatest players to play the game!" Kim Kardashian's ex-boyfriend and Miami Dolphins running back Reggie Bush posted.

"I'm so sad. RIP JUNIOR SEAU. He was an amazing player and an amazing man. I looked up to him when I was young. :(" Kendra Wilkinson, whose hubby is NFL free agent Hank Baskett, tweeted.

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Seau's height of his career was in the 1990s when he was on the San Diego Chargers. He later played for the Miami Dolphins for two years, followed by a three-year run with the New England Patriots.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Chargers released a statement on their official website.

"Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now. We ask everyone to stop what they're doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family."

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The athlete was a 10-time All-Pro selection and a 12-time Pro Bowl selection. He was also on the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.

In addition to being one of the NFL's most legendary players, Seau was also a philanthropist. In 1992, he started the Junior Seau Foundation, which aims to encourage and promote youth betterment through drug and alcohol awareness, anti-juvenile delinquency efforts and child abuse prevention.

Seau is survived by his daughter Sydney and sons Jake and Hunter, his three children with his ex-wife Gina Deboer, who he divorced in 2002.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Report: Junior Seau, Famed Football Player, Commits Suicide at 43