NFL San Diego Chargers Great Junior Seau Dies At Age 43

Tiania Baul Seau Jr., more commonly known as Junior Seau, the former San Diego Chargers linebacker and one of the most respected NFL veterans of all time with a 20-season career, was found dead in his Oceanside, California home on Wednesday at the age of 43.

Seau died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, reports USA Today, and the death is being investigated as a suicide. According to close family and friends, Seau did not seem troubled or depressed immediately preceding his death.

"I don't understand who [did] this to my son," said Seau's mother, Luisa. Just days before Seau's untimely and shocking death, Luisa says that Seau was "talking to me, joking. Junior, why you never tell me?" she moaned, reports the newspaper.

No suicide note was found at the scene of Seau's death when he was discovered in his California home by his girlfriend. Former San Diego Charger Hank Bauer, who saw Seau last month, also spoke of Seau's death as coming out of the blue. "I am in shock; I am crushed," Bauer said. "There was zero warning that anything was wrong with him. He seemed happy and at peace. This is when his life should have been great."

"I think the message is this," said Bauer. "We all forget that people we idolize are just ... people. Do we have unreal expectations of our heroes?"

In some ways, the San Diego Chargers have been considered a doomed team. Eight Chargers who played in the 1994 Super Bowl have died before the age of 45.

Watch the report about Seau's death from ABC News: