Junior Seau was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a 20-year career that included 12 trips to the Pro Bowl and six All-Pro selections.

Junior Seau was a lot of things to a lot of people. A San Diego sports icon, a business man, a husband, a father, a son. He lived a life that, to many looking on from the outside in, was as charmed as any individual could live.

Then, sadly, his life was over. Far sooner than it should have been.

Jim Trotter, former Senior Writer for Sports Illustrated and current ESPN NFL reporter was granted the privilege to give us a better understanding of one of the greatest players in NFL history. Trotter helps us understand, better, a supremely gifted man driven to succeed yet incapable of facing his own demons; Demons that, ultimately, led to his death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest at age 43.

Seau struggled to cope after his playing days, but Trotter made it clear he doesn’t believe one thing led to Seau’s death:

As much as we want one specific reason for him taking his life, I believe there were multiple reasons. he had financial issues stemming from gambling losses and bad business decisions. He was an alcoholic. He had debilitating bouts of depression. And, as his brain autopsy showed, he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). That’s a Molotov cocktail of issues. -Jim Trotter

What Trotter does is bring us the story of one of the most recognizable figures in sports; helping us understand the obstacles NFL players face after their playing days are over. By giving us insight into Seau’s life and death, we’re able to further a conversation that needs to be had about concussion, brain trauma, and what can be done to help players while receiving the insight into the life of a man so many adored.

Among the many things Trotter hopes readers will take away from the book, two of them are crystal clear:

One, If you’re hurting or depressed, asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Two, for all of his human faults, Junior was a good and caring man. -Jim Trotter

Junior Seau: The Life And Death Of A Football Icon is available in major book retailers and as an e-book

You can follow Jim Trotter on Twitter @JimTrotter_NFL

You can also follow me on Twitter @DACubbage