By Jueseppi B.

The Associated Press

Published Wednesday, May. 02, 2012 3:16PM EDT

Former NFL star Junior Seau was found shot to death at his home Wednesday morning in what police said appeared to be a suicide. He was 43.

Police Chief Frank McCoy said Seau’s girlfriend reported finding him unconscious with a gunshot wound to the chest and lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful.

A gun was found near him, McCoy said. Police said no suicide note was found and they didn’t immediately know who the gun was registered to.

“We believe it was a suicide,” said Oceanside police Lt. Leonard Mata. “There is no indication of foul play.”

Seau’s mother appeared before reporters, weeping uncontrollably.

“I don’t understand … I’m shocked,” Luisa Seau cried out.

Her son gave no indication of a problem when she spoke to him by phone earlier this week, she said.

“He’s joking to me, he called me a ‘homegirl,“’ she said.

Seau was a standout collegiate linebacker at Southern California before going to the San DiegoChargers — his hometown team — whom he led to the Super Bowl following the 1994 season. He was voted to a team-record 12 straight Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro six times in a career that lasted two decades.

“Everyone at the Chargers is in complete shock and disbelief right now. We ask everyone to stop what they’re doing and send their prayers to Junior and his family,” the team said in a statement.

“It’s a sad thing. It’s hard to understand,” said Bobby Beathard, who as Chargers general manager took Seau with the fifth pick overall in the 1990 draft. “He was really just a great guy. If you drew up a player you’d love to have the opportunity to draft and have on the team and as a teammate, Junior and Rodney (Harrison), they’d be the kind of guys you’d like to have.

“He was a leader emotionally and he played that way,” Beathard said. “He was great to young kids. I just can’t imagine this, because I’ve never seen Junior in a down frame of mind. He was always so upbeat and he would keep people up. He practiced the way he played. He made practice fun. He was a coach’s dream.”

Seau is the eighth member of San Diego’s lone Super Bowl team who has died, all before the age of 45. Lew Bush, Shawn Lee, David Griggs, Rodney Culver, Doug Miller, Curtis Whitley and Chris Mims are the others.

Seau’s also is among a few recent, unexpected deaths of NFL veterans.

In February 2011, ex-Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson shot himself in the chest. His family has filed a wrongful death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn’t do enough to prevent or treat concussions that severely damaged Duerson’s brain before he died.

Former Atlanta Falcons safety Ray Easterling, who had joined in a concussion-related lawsuit against the league — one of dozens filed in the last year — died last month at age 62. His wife has said he suffered from depression and dementia after taking years of hits.

Seau, however, is not known to have been a plaintiff in the concussion litigation.

Seau remained with the Chargers until 2003 and went on to play with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots before retiring after the 2009 season. He amassed 545 tackles, 56 1/2 sacks and 18 interceptions in his career.

“Junior was a fierce competitor whose passion and work ethic lifted his teammates to greater heights. His enthusiasm for the game was infectious and he passed that on to everyone who was around him. He loved the game so much, and no one played with more sheer joy,” Dolphins CEO Mike Dee said in a statement.

“Junior was one-of-a-kind. The league will never see anyone like him again.”

The Patriots also issued a statement expressing grief over Seau’s death.

Two of the Miami Dolphins’ top defenders in franchise history — former defensive end Jason Taylor and former linebacker Zach Thomas — reacted to the death of linebacker Junior Seau. Taylor and Thomas were teammates with Seau for three seasons in Miami.

Taylor: ”I’m shocked and saddened. Devastated, really. Junior was one of the most positive, uplifting people I have ever known. He was always full of life and energy and had an infectious spirit that lifted everyone around him. Junior called everyone ‘buddy’ and treated them like he had known them forever. It would be easy for me to say he was a great friend and teammate, and a tremendous competitor, but that would be selling Junior short. Junior Seau was an individual of great honor and integrity, a leader of men and someone with a deep rooted passion for giving of himself to make the people, the community and especially the children around him better. This is an immeasurable loss for so many. My heart and prayers go out to Junior’s family, Gina and their children. I’m going to miss you buddy.”

Thomas: “I have never been around a man with more love and passion for the game of football than Junior Seau, and he lived life the same way. Junior was always fun to be around, always positive and made every person who knew him feel like he was their best friend. You never heard one negative word come out of his mouth. Junior just had this energy that followed him around wherever he went, almost like theme music. It was like he never had a bad day. As a young linebacker, Junior was my hero growing up and once I had the opportunity meet him I saw that he was everything I hoped he would be and more. Getting the chance to play alongside of Junior Seau, the greatest linebacker to ever play the game, made my dreams come true. I am absolutely devastated to hear this news. Today I lost my hero, my friend, my buddy.”

Condolences to the Seau family.

In times of death, no words will ease the pain. Take some comfort in knowing Junior Seau was much loved by all how knew him.

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