Riptide to Honor Seau at Home Opener
March 23, 2004 - arenafootball2 (af2)
San Diego Riptide News Release
SAN DIEGO – The Riptide will have one of San Diego’s greatest football players in uniform for their home opener on April 9th. Unfortunately, he won’t be playing. Junior Seau, the long-time Charger and current member of the Miami Dolphins, will be presented with an official San Diego Riptide jersey before the game in honor of his numerous contributions to the city, both on and off the field.
The Riptide will play their home opener on April 9 against the Green Bay Blizzard at 7 p.m. at the Sports Arena. The first 5,000 fans in attendance for the game will receive “Junior Seau” t-shirts, featuring the Riptide logo and Seau’s name and number 55 emblazoned on the back.
“We’re very excited to welcome Junior back to San Diego,” said Ernie Hahn, one of the Riptide’s managing operators. “This is a great opportunity for fans to come to the Sports Arena and see some exciting football and welcome home one of San Diego’s true icons. We’re very pleased to be involved with Junior and the Junior Seau Foundation.”
Seau, who is an Oceanside High graduate and USC alum, spent 13 seasons with the San Diego Chargers from 1990-2002, leading the team in tackles eight times before being acquired by the Miami Dolphins before the 2003 season. He is a 12-time Pro-Bowler, having been selected to the NFLÂ’s all-star game every year from 1991-2002.
Among his many honors, Seau was named the San Diego Chargers' Most Valuable Player five times, and in 2000, he was named to the Chargers 40th Anniversary All-Time Team. Seau has also been named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the '90s and the NFL Alumni Association's Linebacker of the Year. in 1994, he was selected as the True Value NFL Man of the Year, and led the Chargers to Super Bowl XXIX against the San Francisco 49ers.
In addition to his exceptional football career, Seau has had an even bigger impact on the San Diego community through his off-field activities, most notably the Junior Seau Foundation.
The Junior Seau Foundation was established in 1992 to raise money and resources for programs that inspire young people to face lifeÂ’s challenges with enthusiasm, hope and dignity. Seau uses his platform in the National Football League to raise money and resources for programs that help young people face their challenges with confidence.
For 12 years, the Foundation has given San Diego–area youth ongoing support in the form of scholarships and financial support for a variety of programs. While each of these programs is unique, all satisfy the Foundation’s overall mission. To find out about specific programs, please visit www.juniorseau.org.
The Riptide kick off their third af2 season on April 3 in Little Rock, Ark. against the Arkansas Twisters before returning home for the home opener Friday, April 9. Fans can get their tickets for “Junior Seau Night” at the Sports Arena for as little as $12 each at the Sports Arena box office, Ticketmaster, or by calling the Riptide offices at 866-RIPTIDE.
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