Was Junior Seau a legend? (1 Viewer)

[FUBAR]

There is nothing borderline about Seau as a Hall of Famer. He played for 20 years, made 12 Pro Bowls and -- far more importantly -- SIX All Pro teams. He was the dominant player at his position for a good chunk of years before the likes of Ray Lewis even came onto the scene, and then was an effective contemporary to him many years after that.

Ummm, yeah. I pretty much ignored that comment, especially given who typed it.The question is... is he a LEGEND?

Someone who has more spare time than me can come up with a list of legit, no-doubt-about-it NFL legends. Might be interesting.

He should be legendary for his longevity and excellent play. He is a legend among players and true fans, but not a legend to the masses.

 

[FUBAR]

Ray Lewis is a legend, Seau just a borderline HOFer. He's the Chris Carter of LBers.

Good grief. He was the best or second best LB in the last 20 years. He was the number one LB in the all decade team, super bowl winner, 12 time pro bowler, 13 time all pro, re-invented his position and made the rover position what it is today.Chris Carter was none of those. He was a really good WR that was great at nothing. There has never been a more correct description of Carter when he was constantly described as "all he does is catch TD's".

yet guys like Brian Urlacher would be named by most casual fans before Seau. Seau might be the most underrated player in recent years by the masses.

 

[houndirish]

If you were to have an NFL Mt. Rushmore, here are among some of the choices...Jim BrownUnitasRiceLT MontanaBarry SandersNot everyone's mug can be etched on Mt. Rushmore, and there certainly are more names that deserve consideration. But, these guys are legends. Junior Seau is not a legend.

Well said, and I think you can reasonably add Butkis to that list, he was a transcendent defensive player and considered the best before LT. Seau doesn't make a defensive Mt. RushmoreLTButkisRay LewisReggie WhiteBruce SmithRay Nitszke

I'm not sure how we decided on six players for a defensive Mt. Rushmore.I'd also leave Smith and Nitschke out of that group. Lot of names that have to be considered. Mean Joe Greene. Deacon Jones. Night Train Lane. Deion Sanders. Bob Lilly. Gino Marchetti. Merlin Olsen.There were a lot of greats.

Tough to justify Bruce Smith as a legend. I get it, he put up great sacks and was a highly respected passrusher during his days in Buffalo. But I don't see how he's considered a legend. When I think legendary passrusher I think Deacon Jones as far as D-Linemen are concerned. Being a legend isn't about the stats. Chuck Bednarik might qualify too. These guys played angry. They were feared. That's the stuff of legends.

 

[Raider Nation]

If you were to have an NFL Mt. Rushmore, here are among some of the choices...Jim BrownUnitasRiceLT MontanaBarry SandersNot everyone's mug can be etched on Mt. Rushmore, and there certainly are more names that deserve consideration. But, these guys are legends. Junior Seau is not a legend.

Well said, and I think you can reasonably add Butkis to that list, he was a transcendent defensive player and considered the best before LT. Seau doesn't make a defensive Mt. RushmoreLTButkisRay LewisReggie WhiteBruce SmithRay Nitszke

I'm not sure how we decided on six players for a defensive Mt. Rushmore.I'd also leave Smith and Nitschke out of that group. Lot of names that have to be considered. Mean Joe Greene. Deacon Jones. Night Train Lane. Deion Sanders. Bob Lilly. Gino Marchetti. Merlin Olsen.There were a lot of greats.

Tough to justify Bruce Smith as a legend. I get it, he put up great sacks and was a feared passrusher during his days in Buffalo. But I don't see how he's considered a legend. When I think legendary passrusher I think Deacon Jones as far as D-Linemen are concerned. Being a legend isn't about the stats. Chuck Bednarik might qualify too. These guys played angry. They were feared. That's the stuff of legends.

Bruce was a monster in his day with the Bills. But the image of him hanging on in Washington - a shell of his former self - just to get the all-time sacks record, left a bad taste in my mouth. But hey, if he got someone to pay him, I guess I can't blame him.

 

[houndirish]

If you were to have an NFL Mt. Rushmore, here are among some of the choices...Jim BrownUnitasRiceLT MontanaBarry SandersNot everyone's mug can be etched on Mt. Rushmore, and there certainly are more names that deserve consideration. But, these guys are legends. Junior Seau is not a legend.

Well said, and I think you can reasonably add Butkis to that list, he was a transcendent defensive player and considered the best before LT. Seau doesn't make a defensive Mt. RushmoreLTButkisRay LewisReggie WhiteBruce SmithRay Nitszke

I'm not sure how we decided on six players for a defensive Mt. Rushmore.I'd also leave Smith and Nitschke out of that group. Lot of names that have to be considered. Mean Joe Greene. Deacon Jones. Night Train Lane. Deion Sanders. Bob Lilly. Gino Marchetti. Merlin Olsen.There were a lot of greats.

Tough to justify Bruce Smith as a legend. I get it, he put up great sacks and was a feared passrusher during his days in Buffalo. But I don't see how he's considered a legend. When I think legendary passrusher I think Deacon Jones as far as D-Linemen are concerned. Being a legend isn't about the stats. Chuck Bednarik might qualify too. These guys played angry. They were feared. That's the stuff of legends.

Bruce was a monster in his day with the Bills. But the image of him hanging on in Washington - a shell of his former self - just to get the all-time sacks record, left a bad taste in my mouth. But hey, if he got someone to pay him, I guess I can't blame him.

Agreed ... I don't begrudge Smith for playing too long to set the record. If a team is willing to cut a check, why walk away so close to an all-time mark. I'm really not down on Bruce Smith the player. Amazing complete Defensive End. But he won't be remembered the same way a guy like Deacon Jones has been. Whethere that's right/wrong or inaccurate is irrelevant.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Ray Lewis is a legend, Seau just a borderline HOFer. He's the Chris Carter of LBers.

Good grief. He was the best or second best LB in the last 20 years. He was the number one LB in the all decade team, super bowl winner, 12 time pro bowler, 13 time all pro, re-invented his position and made the rover position what it is today.

Now youre just making stuff up. He has not won a Super Bowl. There is no such thing as the #1 LB on the All Decade Team, he was on the 1st team along with Kevin Greene and Derrick Thomas. He was 6 time first team All Pro, not 13 time even including 2nd team which I dont see the point of counting because then its no different than makiing the Pro Bowl. How exactly did he re-invent the position?! We have rovers, is this baseball?!

 

[Hooper31]

Ray Lewis is a legend, Seau just a borderline HOFer. He's the Chris Carter of LBers.

Oh for ####s sake, why does this tool have to be a Seattle fan? I guess we all have fans of our own home team that embarrass us...

 

[Sabertooth]

12 Pro Bowls. Yeah he's a legend.

 

[Smack Tripper]

If you were to have an NFL Mt. Rushmore, here are among some of the choices...Jim BrownUnitasRiceLT MontanaBarry SandersNot everyone's mug can be etched on Mt. Rushmore, and there certainly are more names that deserve consideration. But, these guys are legends. Junior Seau is not a legend.

Well said, and I think you can reasonably add Butkis to that list, he was a transcendent defensive player and considered the best before LT. Seau doesn't make a defensive Mt. RushmoreLTButkisRay LewisReggie WhiteBruce SmithRay Nitszke

I'm not sure how we decided on six players for a defensive Mt. Rushmore.I'd also leave Smith and Nitschke out of that group. Lot of names that have to be considered. Mean Joe Greene. Deacon Jones. Night Train Lane. Deion Sanders. Bob Lilly. Gino Marchetti. Merlin Olsen.There were a lot of greats.

Tough to justify Bruce Smith as a legend. I get it, he put up great sacks and was a feared passrusher during his days in Buffalo. But I don't see how he's considered a legend. When I think legendary passrusher I think Deacon Jones as far as D-Linemen are concerned. Being a legend isn't about the stats. Chuck Bednarik might qualify too. These guys played angry. They were feared. That's the stuff of legends.

Bruce was a monster in his day with the Bills. But the image of him hanging on in Washington - a shell of his former self - just to get the all-time sacks record, left a bad taste in my mouth. But hey, if he got someone to pay him, I guess I can't blame him.

Agreed ... I don't begrudge Smith for playing too long to set the record. If a team is willing to cut a check, why walk away so close to an all-time mark. I'm really not down on Bruce Smith the player. Amazing complete Defensive End. But he won't be remembered the same way a guy like Deacon Jones has been. Whethere that's right/wrong or inaccurate is irrelevant.

I was just throwing names out there guys, I would agree Smith doesn't belong on Mt. Rushmore, but he might be an interesting compare to Seau. Smith was a force in the 90s and he did dictate game planning and was the cornerstone of the not-quite-dynasty 4 time loser Bills. My point was, Seau gets in line behind those guys when we are narrowing down to 4.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

I wouldn't call any NFL football player a legend. (A legend is a guy like Norman Einstein.) But in his prime, Junior Seau was one of the best football players I've ever watched.

 

[Raider Nation]

12 Pro Bowls. Yeah he's a legend.

All-Pro is a far better measuring stick. Anyone can make a Pro Bowl when the first twenty guys call in sick.Vince Young played in two Pro Bowls.

 

[Riffraff]

His sideline-to-sideline play changed game plans. No diggety, no doubt. He played the whole field. Wasn't just a pass rushing specialist or a backfield general or a ball hawk. He was everything.

In the great scheme of football, he was in a small fanbase/media location and won 0 Championships. If he was in Chicago or New York, he would have been glorified beyond measure.

He wasn't the media darling with soundbites galore. He had a positive, excitable, and energetic personality... but couldn't articulate very well. His mind was moving a mile a minute and his mouth would only catch a third of what he meant to say. This held him out of potential NFL Analyst type work.

If you ask if he was a legend for San Diego... yes. Born and raised, high school, college (USC), and pros were all in the San Diego area. His foundation and youth center work has made an impact in the community. This is something that a smaller media community can't valuate.

My worry is how a suicide will affect the youths he's been working with over the years. Suicide is never a good lesson to teach to the impressionable who may also have issues in their life that can seem insurmountable.

 

[Team ROFLCOPTERS]

Ray Lewis is a legend, Seau just a borderline HOFer. He's the Chris Carter of LBers.

Good grief. He was the best or second best LB in the last 20 years. He was the number one LB in the all decade team, super bowl winner, 12 time pro bowler, 13 time all pro, re-invented his position and made the rover position what it is today.

Now youre just making stuff up. He has not won a Super Bowl. There is no such thing as the #1 LB on the All Decade Team, he was on the 1st team along with Kevin Greene and Derrick Thomas. He was 6 time first team All Pro, not 13 time even including 2nd team which I dont see the point of counting because then its no different than makiing the Pro Bowl. How exactly did he re-invent the position?! We have rovers, is this baseball?!

I knew he lost against SF but I thought he was on one of the NE winning teams.Obviously there is no number one on the all decade team but Seau was head and shoulders above the rest of the LB's. The others were pass rush specialists. The 13 Pro Bowls is wrong. Colin Cowherd said he had more all pro selections than Pro Bowl births on The Herd. I went with 13 thinking there was a chance of more since he had 12 pro bowls. And yes, he is largely credited with making the roving LB position popular. He lined up where he wanted behind the line and even on the line, and other teams copied that. Guys like Derrick Thomas was given freedoms too but he either lined up further out as a LB or outside the DE.

 

[Matt Bitonti]

saying Seau isn't a legend is nitpicking.

anyone in the hall of fame is a legend and Seau has an excellent resume, with or without the sad ending.

 

[TS Garp]

Have to think that almost anyone who lives in San Diego would answer this question with an emphatic "Yes." Seau was an incredible football player; one of the best ever at his position. But he transcended football and was an iconic figure that was loved by everyone here. The question of what makes someone a legend is up for debate, and I think you'd get 10 different answers if you asked 10 different people, but he was and always will be a legend in San Diego.

 

[johnnyboy8102]

Ray Lewis is a legend only because he should be in prison. Seau played in SD and never got the limelight.

This doesn't make any sense.

 

[SacramentoBob]

Seau played in obscurity for San Diego. The fact that anyone knows him at all is proof of his legendary status.