Sister of late Chargers linebacker Junior Seau opens up about his life, death and how she’s dedicating her life to his legacy

There’s new personal family details about the life and death of a Chargers linebacker.

Last week FOX 11's Laura Diaz had an extraordinary conversation with Mary Seau, the sister of the late Junior Seau, the NFL Hall of Famer who committed suicide in 2012.

She opened up about her brother in an hour-long interview you'll see just on one station.   

Mary believes the speculation that Junior shot himself in the chest to preserve his brain for research. Her family, of course, sent Junior’s brain tissue to U.S. government researchers who concluded that the linebacker suffered from CTE, a condition associated with repeated blows to the head.

Two years before his death, Junior went to Mary with an unusual request. In retrospect, Mary believes it was a cry for help disguised as a request. Junior asked his sister, who works in the medical field, to conduct research on the brains of kids who play football. At the time, she laughed and dismissed the conversation. Mary told me she lives with that pain every day.

Seau played for the San Diego Chargers from 1990 to 2002 and was seen as a Southern California icon.

The tragic events inspired her to start the Mary Seau C-T-E Foundation to let children and their parents know about the dangers of C-T-E. She has partnered with several distinguished doctors to disseminate the information.

It’s obvious that Mary has a complicated relationship with football. She understands how important the sport is to so many kids. The dangers are real, and Mary wants to make sure families have all the details before they sign up their children to play.

For more information on the foundation and risks associated with football click here.