NFL star Junior Seau's autopsy shows no brain trauma at time of suicide

NFL star Junior Seau had no evidence of brain trauma when he killed himself in May, according to an autopsy report released by the San Diego County medical examiner on Monday . Seau, 43, was a much-loved San Diego sports icon and had a 20-year career as a linebacker, an " incredibly violent position ". He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest in May – two weeks after the suicide of another NFL player – prompting speculation that he had incurred brain trauma during his football career. Seau's family decided to send his brain to the National Institute of Health for advanced study. Seau was discovered dead in a spare bedroom of his San Diego home when his girlfriend, Megan Noderer, returned from a morning workout. There were no other weapons present in the home and there were no indications of forced entry or foul play. Deputy medical examiner Craig Nelson wrote that investigators did not find a suicide note or "documents that were suicidal in nature" in the home and Seau had no alcohol or illicit drugs in his system. Autopsy and toxicology reports revealed that the athlete "had an unremarkable medical history" and had no history of illicit drug use and would only drink socially. Seau was taking four prescription drugs at the time of his death, and he was being treated for orthopedic problems under the care of David Chao, physician for the San Diego Chargers NFL team. Seau's death followed the recent suicides of fellow NFL players Roy Easterling and David Duerson. Easterling died on 19 April, and his widow is leading a federal lawsuit against the NFL accusing the league of deliberately ignoring and concealing the risks of head trauma from its players. She is joined by more than 2,000 former NFL players in the biggest challenge against what the plaintiffs believe is a failure of the league to seriously address the issue of head injuries. Duerson died in 2011 and requested his brain be studied in a note. In the examination , doctors found extensive damage from repeated head trauma incurred while playing football. The NFL implemented programs in 2007 to address the quality of life of retired players. The 88 Plan provides as much as $100,000 per year for healthcare, and the NFL Player Care Foundation provides counseling and medical care to former players. According to the report, Seau gave no indication that he planned to kill himself, though there is speculation that he attempted suicide on 18 October 2010 when he drove his vehicle off a cliff. The report said that incident could not be confirmed as a suicide attempt. Seau is a member of the 1994 San Diego Chargers Super Bowl team that has seen eight players die before reaching age 45.