Seau’s Family To Speak At Hall Of Fame After All

Sydney will be able to speak in an interview after a video tribute is played and her father’s bust is unveiled, according to Fox Sports. She will join her three brothers in unveiling Seau’s Hall of Fame bust. Normally, the unveiling is only done by the presenter and enshrinee. The six and a half minute video presentation about Junior’s life and career will still be seen in its entirety. The normal highlight video lasts three minutes.

The Hall of Fame was criticized after the New York Times reported that it would not allow Seau’s family to speak at his induction ceremony, citing its policy on posthumous enshrinements. Sydney also will take part in the Thursday night “Gold Jacket” ceremony, the first major event of induction week, and will speak during the NFL Network broadcast.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has decided to allow Junior Seau’s daughter to speak at the induction ceremony next Saturday in Canton, Ohio.

“Contrary to the most recent statement by the Hall of Fame, the family does not support the current policy that prevents family members from delivering live remarks on behalf of deceased inductees”.

Sydney Seau told the Times she intended only to give the speech her father would have, not delve into the issues and circumstances surrounding his suicide. It’s cowardly, even by football’s lofty standards, to allow all the legends to chest-bump and bro-hug and tell the old by the light of the jukebox yarns but refuse a 21-year-old woman the chance to say, on her own terms, just what her father’s sacrifice really means to her. This is the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s call, not the NFL’s, but that makes it worse.

It’s on secret that the violent impact his NFL career had on him lead to the untimely death of Junior Seau. The family filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL in 2013. “The Seau family looks forward to celebrating Junior’s extraordinary accomplishments at the Hall of Fame”.