JUNIOR and THE CHANCE!
Along with millions of others, we mourn the loss of our friend and brother, Junior Seau. We grieve, we cry, we question, we wonder. We are saddened, shocked and distraught. Yes, death comes to us all, but the realization of such truth doesn’t necessarily alleviate the pain. Especially when it comes to take a hero, a role model, a pioneer, a trailblazer, a game changer, a brother and a friend like Junior.
He was born and raised in the same town we grew up in. Smaller cities are usually recognized by the successes of their own sons. For Oceanside, California, this distinction undeniably belongs to Junior. He put Oceanside on the map. He never forgot where he came from. After playing for USC in LA, living in beautiful La Jolla, Miami and New England, he chose to come back home. He not only represented Oceanside, he defined it. “Oceanside”: Family, friends, music and surfing. In the middle of it all was a life dedicated to giving to the less fortunate.
One of our most recent memories of Junior was working out with him and hundreds of locals on the beach at 6 o’clock on a Saturday morning. He was leading the charge like only he could, training people of all ethnicities from 3 different generations. You would of thought he was still training for the NFL by his passion and attention to detail during that entire workout. At the end of it, he gathered everyone in a huge huddle and gave one of his fiery motivational talks. “Good job everyone, good job! We’re doing it again next week. If you show up and work hard, I can’t guarantee you’ll win, but at least you’ll give yourself a chance”! “A chance”, it’s what he got as a young boy growing up on the east side of the city, and it’s what he made the most of for the rest of his life.
Although we may not understand why he passed so suddenly, we are thankful for a “chance”. We are grateful for the chance to have witnessed such generosity, passion, dedication, and love from such a fun and loving person. Described by many of the NFL greats to be the best teammate and opponent they ever had, let us not take for granted “a chance”. A chance that was given to all of us that knew him well and casually alike. He had a knack of making everyone feel like a part of his family, a part of the team. Cherish the chance when he called us “buddy” and literally lifted our spirit. I hear is voice loud and clear, “Show up, work hard, give yourself a chance”!
We love you Junior.
Your brothers,
The Katinas
