Bill Belichick: Can’t imagine a Hall of Fame without Junior Seau

Well, it would mean a lot. It’s obviously got to happen. I can’t imagine having a Professional Football Hall of Fame without Junior Seau in it. The one word that comes to me when I think of Junior in life and football (is) passion. He’s a very passionate guy, lot of energy, lot of enthusiasm. First guy in the building in the morning, watching film, lifting weights, ready for practice, always loved to practice, flying around on the practice field, energy before the game on the sideline (and) during the game, emotional player, but a smart player. Player that played with a purpose; played with good physical skill; but also good concentration, good awareness. Great team player, very supportive of his teammates – I mean, everybody in the locker room loved Junior. They loved what he did and they loved the way that he interacted with the team. He was a great player. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach him. We had a lot of great experiences together. Obviously it was the end of his career; things were a little different than when he was in San Diego and so forth. But he brought a lot of energy and passion to our team, and I personally had a very good relationship with Junior. I loved coaching him and he always expressed how much he enjoyed playing on the New England Patriots and that meant a lot to me.