Former NFL Star Junior Seau Dead This Morning At His Home

Former NFL star Junior Seau was found shot to death at his home Wednesday morning in what police said appeared to be a suicide. He was 43.

Police Chief Frank McCoy said Seau's girlfriend reported finding him unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest and lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful. A gun was found near him, McCoy said.

Seau's mother appeared before reporters, weeping uncontrollably.

"I don't understand ... I'm shocked," Luisa Seau cried out.

Her son gave no indication of a problem when she spoke to him by phone earlier this week, she said.

"He's joking to me, he called me a `homegirl,'" she said.

Seau was a standout linebacker with the University of Southern California before going to the San Diego Chargers, whom he led to the Super Bowl following the 1994 season.

"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," the team said in a statement.

Seau's death follows the suicide last year of former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson, who also shot himself in the chest.

Seau remained with the Chargers until 2003 and went on to play with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots before retiring after the 2009 season.

In October 2010, Seau survived a 100-foot plunge down a seaside cliff in his SUV, hours after he was arrested for investigation of domestic violence at the Oceanside home he shared with his girlfriend. The woman had told authorities that Seau assaulted her during an argument.

There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involved in the crash and Seau told authorities he fell asleep while driving. He sustained minor injuries.

Seau spent parts of 20 seasons in the NFL, including his 1990-2002 stint with his hometown Chargers. He helped them to their only Super Bowl appearance, was voted to a team-record 12 straight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro six times.

He amassed 545 tackles, 56 1/2 sacks and 18 interceptions in his career.

"Twenty years, to be part of this kind of fraternity, to be able to go out and play the game that you love, and all the lessons and the friends and acquaintances which you meet along the way, you can't be in a better arena," Seau said last August after the Chargers announced he would be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame.

Seau was the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft out of Southern California, and stayed with the Charges until being traded to the Dolphins. He came out of retirement a few times to play with the Patriots in search of a Super Bowl ring and was with the team when they lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl following the 2007 season, which ended New England's quest for a perfect season.

Read More

5:03 PM | 0 comments

LaMichael James To 49ers With 61st Pick In 2nd Round In 2012 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers have selected Oregon running back LaMichael James with the 61st overall pick of the NFL draft in the second round, adding depth behind Frank Gore.

San Francisco has made two surprising picks so far, getting James on Friday night to join Gore, Kendall Hunter and newly acquired Brandon Jacobs on the reigning NFC West champions. The Niners chose Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins with the No. 30 pick in the first round Thursday.

James — also a reliable returner — rushed for 5,082 yards and 53 touchdowns on 771 career carries in three seasons with the Ducks.

He had 49 carries for 382 yards and four TDs in two games against Jim Harbaugh's Stanford team before Harbaugh jumped to the Niners last year.

Read More

10:41 AM | 0 comments

Quinton Coples Says Jets Opponents Should Be Wary Of Defensive Line

Quinton Coples heard the boos when his name was called as the New York Jets’ first-round draft pick.

The big defensive end also knows all about the doubters who questioned his work ethic and wondered about his so-so senior season at North Carolina. Just wait, Coples said, until he gets on the field for the Jets.

“I always play with a chip on my shoulder,” the 16th overall pick said at a news conference Friday at the Jets’ facility. “I always want to get better. There’s always room to improve. That’s how I live my life.”

There was a time when Coples was considered a potential No. 2 selection behind Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. But then an inconsistent season for the Tar Heels caused him to slip down some teams’ draft boards. There were also questions about his desire and passion for football.

“Well,” said Coples’ mother Gail, “they don’t know Quinton.”

The Jets think they know enough, though. So, they were thrilled Coples was still available when their turn to pick came up Thursday night at No. 16.

“They got a great value,” the soft-spoken but confident Coples said.

New York traded up four spots in the second round Friday night, acquiring the No. 43 overall pick from Seattle to select Georgia Tech wide receiver Stephen Hill.

Coples tied for third in Tar Heels history with 24 sacks, including 17 1/2 in his last two years, despite having four position coaches and two head coaches during his college career. That didn’t satisfy many vocal fans who were hoping to get South Carolina’s Melvin Ingram, but instead booed the selection of Coples at the draft site at Radio City Music Hall.

“The Jets fans are definitely passionate about their team,” said Coples, appropriately decked out in a light green shirt and tie. “I’m willing to exceed their projections or whatever that they have for me.”

Coach Rex Ryan certainly has high hopes for Coples, whom he compared to former Jets pass rushers Shaun Ellis and Trevor Pryce. The Jets finished fifth in overall defense last season, but they were hardly dominant when it came to putting consistent pressure on the quarterback. New York’s 35 sacks ranked tied for 17th in the league, and Aaron Maybin led the team with just six.

The imposing Coples — he’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 284 pounds — should give the pass rush a big boost playing alongside veterans Sione Pouha, Mike DeVito and Muhammad Wilkerson, the team’s first-round pick last year.

“The old saying is that the defensive tackle’s job is to push the quarterback back, and the outside guy’s job is to push the quarterback forward,” Ryan said Thursday night. “I think with this addition, we can push that quarterback back a little bit.”

With Coples in the mix, Ryan and new defensive line coach Karl Dunbar have lots of depth at the position with players of varying skill sets. The Jets could potentially use Coples and Wilkerson, former teammates at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, on the ends with Pouha in the middle of a 3-4 base defense. They could also move DeVito inside, along with Coples or Wilkerson, with a four-man front and constantly rotate linemen to have a fresh and more effective line.

“They should be worried about me and Muhammad and big Bo (Pouha) in the middle and everyone else behind us,” Coples said of opposing offenses. “We can be the No. 1 defense.”

Now, that’s what Ryan wants to hear.

“I want to come in and make an impact,” Coples added.

He did exactly that as a junior at North Carolina, when he had 10 sacks and became a potential top-5 pick. There was some speculation that Coples — nicknamed “Q The Beast” in high school — might consider entering the draft last year, but he thought better of it.’

“I wasn’t ready to become a professional,” he said. “I think I played at a high level my junior year, but I wasn’t ready to make the transition to become a professional on and off the field. That’s why I stayed.”

But he struggled early as he moved from the tackle position to an end in a 4-3 defense, and still finished with 7 1/2 sacks. Coples received his playbook from the Jets, but wasn’t told of the team’s plans for him or how exactly he’ll fit into the 3-4 base defense. He’s not worried about it, though.

“At Carolina, we had a package where we ran the 3-4 and I also ran it at the Senior Bowl,” Coples said. “So I’m definitely familiar with the 3-4 scheme.”

Coples was able to maintain his first-round status despite some adversity at North Carolina, including the program being involved in an agent payment scandal in 2010. He was also investigated by the NCAA for attending a draft party for some teammates last year, and later cleared of any wrongdoing.

“I know my child,” Gail Coples said, “and I knew that he was telling the truth.”

Coples also had to deal with constant change with the Tar Heels, playing for two head coaches and four position coaches. He got through it all, and now, he’s going to be a big part of the Jets’ defense.

“I just had to stay strong for the team,” he said. “It’s just an unbelievable feeling.”

Read More

7:35 PM | 0 comments

Photo: Ryan Tannehill’s Wife Was The Hit Of Thursday’s NFL Draft

Over at ThePostGame, we put together a list of the best and worst dressed from the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. Former Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, now of the Miami Dolphins, was on the latter list, with an ensemble we said was out of Men's Wearhouse.  What we didn't see was that Tannehill's look improved when he had his newlywed wife on his arm.

Below, the No. 8 pick is pictured with his newlywed wife, Lauren Tannehill. As she has many of the qualities admired by the superficial male, Mrs. Tannehill became a trending topic in the hours after the draft.

Darren Rovell (who else?) reports that Lauren was the subject of 800 tweets in 10 minutes after she appeared on TV.

The couple were engaged last May and wed in Mexico this January, just after the end of Ryan's college football season. They met at Texas A&M.

[Related: NFL Draft's Top 50 Busts ft. JaMarcus Russell: Where are they now?]

Lauren works in a cardiology clinic and is an aspiring model. She was excited about her husband's draft destination, tweeting, "FINS ARE UP!!!!! Miami here we come!!!!!!," before the pick.

Read More

7:18 PM | 0 comments

The 28-Year-Old Brandon Weeden in 2012 NFL Draft

How old is Cleveland Browns first-round draft pick Brandon Weeden? Let us count the ways:

• At 28 years, 195 days, he became the oldest player ever taken in the first round of the modern NFL draft.

• He's 48 days older than Aaron Rodgers.

• He's two years older than JaMarcus Russell.

• The man he'll battle for the starting role in Cleveland, Colt McCoy, is entering his third season in the NFL. Weedon was born three years earlier than McCoy.

• He was selected in the same MLB draft as Prince Fielder, Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels, Curtis Granderson and one of the main characters from "Moneyball."

• Will soon be celebrating his 10-year high school reunion.

• Almost definitely used a Walkman when at said high school.

Weeden was selected with the No. 22 pick by the Browns. He'll join third-overall pick Trent Richardson as rookies likely tasked with getting Cleveland back to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Weeden is expected to enter training camp as the team's starting quarterback, especially in light of recent quotes from Browns GM Tom Heckert in which he said the team would consider trading McCoy.

The Oklahoma State quarterback didn't make our list of the 50 best draft prospects, but he earned praise from scouts for his quick release and accuracy.

Browns fans scared off by Weeden's age can take solace in one fact: He's not as old as Chris Weinke was when he was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2001. The Florida State quarterback was older than Weeden by three months, but went in the fourth round, not the first.

Read More

5:45 PM | 0 comments