Team Chaplain Says Seau Family Will Donate Brain for Research The family of the former N.F.L. linebacker Junior Seau will allow his brain to be examined by researchers who study head trauma, according to a chaplain for the San Diego Chargers. Seau, 43, was found dead in his Oceanside, Calif., home Wednesday morning of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. He did not leave a note. Shawn Mitchell, the Chargers" chaplain and a pastor with New Venture Christian Fellowship, had been in touch with the Seau family and said that they avoided making any immediate decisions regarding whether to donate the brain. On Thursday, however, they decided to allow researchers to examine it, to try to determine if Seau had experienced any brain trauma during his 20-year N.F.L. career. "Junior was philanthropic," Mitchell said. And he got that from his mom and dad. Their hope is that it can serve athletes down the road. He added: "There's been an incredible amount of emotion. And it's been a very difficult time for the parents. You don't expect to outlive your kids and you don't expect them to take their own lives. In February 2011, the former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson shot himself in the chest, saying in a note that he wanted his brain donated to the study of football head injuries. After studying Duerson's brain, doctors determined he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative, progressive brain disease. Duerson's son, Tregg, is suing the N.F.L., claiming the league did not meaningfully warn players about the potential risks of concussions. Seau was the second former N.F.L. player to commit suicide in the past two weeks. Ray Easterling, a safety for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1970s and a plaintiff in a high-profile lawsuit against the league over its handling of concussion-related injuries, died April 19 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Eighteen of 19 former N.F.L. players whose brains were studied at Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy were found to have had C.T.E. It was not clear where Seau's brain would be studied. "It is our policy to not discuss any completed, ongoing or potential research cases unless at the specific request of family members," the center said in a statement. Our primary goal is to learn more about the long-term effects of repetitive brain trauma by conducting meaningful scientific research. At this time our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Seau's family, his many friends and former teammates. Over his career, Seau played for three teams, most prominently the Chargers, and made 12 Pro Bowls. He played in two Super Bowls and was named to the 1990s All-Decade Team by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.