Junior Seau Drives SUV Off Cliff: Latest in Line of Troubled Athletes

Too often our sports news is littered with tragic and disturbing events of the mishaps of professional athletes.

It once again reminds us that although we may respect and idolize these professionals, we do not truly know what goes on in their personal lives. We do not understand the demons that haunt them. We do not truly know the real person outside of the uniform.

Junior Seau, a surefire Hall of Fame linebacker, is just another one added to the long, growing list of troubled athletes.

It was reported midday Monday by TMZ.com that Junior Seau, who recently retired from the NFL in January, was arrest Monday morning on the suspicion of domestic violence. After posting bail, he apparently drove his “Cadillac SUV off a cliff as it was found on the beach 30 feet below roadside in Carlsbad, CA,” according to ESPN.com.

Seau escaped major injury and was hospitalized with just a few minor injuries.

It is good news that Seau escaped a major injury, but this reminds us that athletes go through their own issues and are just as troubled as anybody else, even someone who appeared to be as level-minded as Seau.

Too often we see professional athletes fall due to tragic events.

Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick have come full circle from their respective mishaps with the law.

Vick was convicted of dog fighting and was sentenced to prison for 21 months. In July 2008 Vick filed for bankruptcy after losing his NFL endorsements and salary.

It seems the general public is finally forgiving Vick for his actions after serving such a lengthy sentence. Vick started two games for the Philadelphia Eagles this season and looks better than ever after his fall from grace.

Roethlisberger was accused of raping a college girl in Milledgeville, Georgia in March 2010. Roethlisberger was not convicted of rape but it was not the first time he was caught up in sexual allegations.

It was also not the first time Roethlisberger was viewed to be in trouble. In June 2006, Roethlisberger was involved in a motorcycle accident and was not wearing a helmet.

Roethlisberger has been repeatedly criticized for making immature decisions such as not wearing a helmet when riding and his sexual allegations.

Commissioner Roger Goodell even suspended Roethlisberger four games to open the 2010 season.

In 2009, we lost one of the greatest gridiron warriors of all time when Steve McNair was the victim of an alleged murder-suicide case July 4. He was shot multiple times by Sahel Kazemi, with whom McNair was believed to be having a relationship with outside of his marriage.

Plaxico Burress was riding high in 2008. He received a new contract from the New York Giants after helping the team defeat the previously undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

He threw it all away when his hand gun accidentally went off inside a night club in New York City, shooting himself in the leg. Burress was arrested for criminal possession of the hand gun and sentenced to two years in prison with two additional years of supervised release in his plea agreement.

In 2008, Gilbert Arenas signed a gigantic six-year deal worth $124 million with the Washington Wizards.

In 2009, Gilbert Arenas admitted to storing guns in his locker at the Verizon Center in Washington.

Arenas violated state laws and was under investigation by police.

He was suspended by Commissioner David Stern for the remainder of the season and has since taken a major reputation hit by the media and endorsements. Finally, he was “sentenced to two years probation and 30 days in a halfway house in April 2010,” according to Fanhouse.com

In March 2009, Donte’ Stallworth killed a man while driving under the influence. He was charged with second degree manslaughter and served 24 of his 30 day prison sentence. Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Stallworth for all of 2009. He was extremely remorseful for his hand in the tragedy and reached a civil agreement with the victim Marion Reyes’ family.

He has since returned to the Baltimore Ravens but has yet to play due to injury.

We’ve witnessed several tragedies of professional athletes breaking down and doing tremendous harm to themselves and others.

In June 2007, professional wrestler Chris Benoit was part of a double murder-suicide. Benoit killed his wife and son before hanging himself at their home.

Tests were done on Benoit’s brain.

“There was so much brain damage that his brain resembled that of an 85 year old Alzheimer’s patient,” according to ABC News.com.

A family oriented man and one of the most well respected at his profession, Benoit successful life is just another tragic story of a man breaking down and snapping leading to horrific events.

Ugueth Urbina helped the Florida Marlins win the World Series in 2003.

Two years later he was out of baseball.

He was sentenced to “14 years in prison for…attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family’s ranch, about 25 miles south of Caracas, Venezuela.”

Urbina denies attacking the workers, but is serving the sentence nonetheless.

These are just a short list of the tragic and horrific events associated with professional athletes over the past five years.

Unfortunately, more will likely come.

We’ve seen some athletes come back after suffering a fall from grace such as Michael Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, and Donte Stallworth. Gilbert Arenas and Plaxico Burress will attempt to do the same.

Others have not been as fortunate and are no longer with us.

We’ll have to wait to see which way Seau chooses to go.