NFL: Selecting the best player in each franchise’s history
By Brad Rowland
![New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) warms up prior to a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) warms up prior to a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/62b94fd4d29f77180b0ef5a7760c6dcbff436996a6a5856622ae112d880a04a6.jpg)
San Diego Chargers – Junior Seau
It is incredibly sad to think of the way that Junior Seau passed away, but in this space we will focus on the fantastic career he put forth on the football field.
Seau played for the Chargers from 1990 through 2002, and he is the team’s all-time leading tackler with 1,286 stops over that time. He was a ball-hawk of the highest order, but Seau wasn’t a one-dimensional player by any stretch. He also contributed 47.0 sacks (56.5 total in his career) while helping to defend against the pass in a quality fashion.
Seau was selected as a first-team All-Pro on six different occasions, and was awarded 12 trips to the Pro Bowl during his career. It would be fair to argue in favor of Lance Alworth (who remains one of the more underrated offensive players in NFL history) or Dan Fouts in this space, but Seau’s longevity and big-time peak make him a very solid choice to represent the Chargers in this all-time fashion.
Seau was selected to the Hall of Fame in 2015, and will forever be remembered as one of the best linebackers to play in the NFL.
Next: San Francisco 49ers