Junior Seau’s suicide last week sent shock waves through the National Football League, and shook its current and former players to their cores.

Seau, 43, was apparently a happy, fun-loving former NFL star who enjoyed life. He was enthusiastic. He always smiled. He seemed to be a man on top of the world. At least, that’s the man we saw publicly. Privately, however, it appears Seau was battling depression and other demons, and could no longer cope ”“ as he shot himself in the chest in his southern California home.

For 20 years, Seau scared opposing offenses. He was a warrior on the field who played through injury and inflicted punishment on teams as he roamed the defense as one of the NFL’s best linebackers. He loved the limelight.

The intensity with which he played every week demonstrated his love for the game.

Unfortunately, the game he loved took a toll on him. How much of a toll will be known later, as his family is allowing researchers at Boston University to study his brain for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease usually caused by multiple concussions.

According to WebMD, the disease is usually diagnosed post-mortem. People who suffer from CTE also become forgetful, have severe headaches and depression.

In the past year, the NFL has been criticized for not taking concussions in the sport more seriously. More than 1,200 former players have filed a lawsuit against the league, claiming it didn’t do its due diligence in protecting them from serious head injuries and further diseases associate with brain trauma.

The NFL has taken steps to make the game safer and is doing more to protect its current players. The league, however, must do a better job in helping its former players get the help they need to cope with life after football.

Seau is not the only former NFL player to commit suicide. Last year, former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson killed himself. He suffered from CTE.

Football players inherently play through pain, including concussions. Pain and injury are a normal part of a football player’s life. Former San Francisco quarterback and Hall-of-Fame player Steve Young experienced seven concussions during his career, and the last one forced him to retire. Young is an example of the hundreds of current and former football players who have also played through or had multiple concussions.

How many like him, and like Seau, are feeling the same pain? How many former players feel alone and don’t know where to go for help?

Seau’s death should be a warning to the league that it has a serious problem that could become worse if it is not dealt with soon.

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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.