Boston Tea Party Essay, Research Paper

Thomas Smith February 16, 2001

Mr. Yunker Phys Ed

For this paper, I have chosen to select Junior Seau as my topic. He is an All-Pro linebacker for the San Diego Chargers. Off the field, he is committed to tackling the challenges that the youth of today encounter. He does this through the Junior Seau Foundation. Junior was born in the American Samoa on January 19, 1969, and was the 5th of 7 children. He grew up in Oceanside, California. Drugs, gangs, and violence surrounded him while he was growing up. Each night when he was a kid, he did hundreds of push-ups, sit-ups, and chin-ups. Junior led his high school team to the championship with only 18 players. He was named defensive MVP of the Avocado league in high school. Parade magazine named him an All-American. He lettered in football, basketball and track. Every college offered him a scholarships and he finally decided on U of Southern Cal. to play football. Junior’s professional career began when he was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round (fifth pick overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft. In 92 he was unanimously selected to the Pro-Bowl. In 1993, he led the Chargers to the playoffs for the first time since 1982. He was eventually voted to 8 consecutive Pro-Bowls from 1990 to 1998.

I think that Junior Seau is a great topic for this paper because he is a great

inspiration for all children in San Diego. He has started a great foundation that helps children lead a healthy, athletic, normal life. It gets them out of harms way and into a safe haven where they play ball with kids their own age or where they can just hang out with their friends. If Junior had not set up this program, I think that the community would not be nearly a good as it is now.

In 1992, he started the Junior Seau Foundation. Junior and his wife Gina also give out scholarships to students who demonstrate their desire to reach their dreams through a higher education. The foundation has many different beneficiaries: the Club 55 Teen Center, Vista Hill Foundation, Scholarship of Excellence, Greater San Diego Inner-City Games, San Diego Junior Theater, Child Abuse Prevention Foundation. Club 55 Teen Center is named after Junior Seau #55. It s a place where kids can go to get counseling, work out, or to just spend time with friends. More often than not, it is a last resort for teens that are lacking in family support. The club is open to kids of all races and ages. The Vista Hill Foundation is a family recovery center. The mission of the center is to help reduce the risk of prenatal alcohol or other drug use. Also, to reduce the risk of child abuse and to help pregnant women recover from chemical dependency and create a drug free lifestyle. The Scholarship of Excellence helps provide both men and women who are over the age of 18 who are dedicated to achieving their dreams through a higher education. The Greater San Diego Inner-City Games is an organization whose goal is to help youth through athletics. Finally, the San Diego Junior Theatre is a theatre that provides drama programs for select teens at the St. Vincent DePaul, Joan Croc Center and the Toussaint Teen Center.

Junior Seau has definitely had a huge impact on his team. Without a doubt he is his team leader. He was voted into 8 consecutive Pro Bowls. In high school, Junior led his team to the championship with only 18 players. He was named defensive MVP of the Avocado league in high school. Parade magazine named him an All-American. He lettered in football, basketball and track. In 92 he was unanimously selected to the Pro-Bowl. In 1993, he led the Chargers to the playoffs for the first time since 1982. He was eventually voted to 8 consecutive Pro-Bowls from 1990 to 1998. That is a huge impact on the Chargers and without him I think that they would have stayed horrible for another 10 years.

If I could be like Junior Seau, I would give back to my community just as he has given back to his. My town does not really have good fields for athletic events and their programs for kids is not that good. I would donate my time and money into improving the conditions in my town so that they are up to par. I would make sure all the fields were the best available and that the children s programs are fun and educational for them.

Junior Seau is definitely an important figure both on and off the field. He is a great all pro football player and team leader on the field. Off the field he is an inspiration for thousands of young kids all over the country. He helps his community by giving them a teen center and giving kids scholarships to go to college. He is a great person for all that he does. He should be a role model for all people; kids, adults, and athletes alike.

Works Cited Page

1. www.offthefield.com

2. www.juniorseau.org