Death of Junior Seau met with sadness in WMass

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Fans across New England and around the country are reacting with sadness to the death of football favorite, Junior Seau .

The 43-year old former Patriots linebacker and longtime San Diego Charger was found dead with a gunshot wound to the chest. Authorities believe Seau shot and killed himself.

“I think it's tragic,” football fan Pete Rivera said. “He was vibrant. He was full of life. He was playing golf the day before.”

Sergey Bratnichenko said he too was surprised to hear the news. “Everytime I saw him on TV, he always seemed upbeat. He always seemed full of life,” he said.

Seau had recently been arrested for drunk driving and was also questioned after his car drove over a cliff in California. He said that he had fallen asleep at the wheel.

For a look back at the successful football career of Junior Seau, we have a gallery of his life in pictures on WWLP.com