Fans made an impromptu memorial celebrating the life of former San Diego Charger linebacker Junior Seau. (Credit: US PRESSWIRE)

The news that all-time great Junior Seau had committed suicide last week was both shocking and heartbreaking. Seau might be the biggest name player who has suffered with depression and the difficult transition period after leaving the game, but he certainly wasn’t the first. Not even close.

Unfortunately, suicide amongst ex-players has become a relatively frequent event. As recently as last year former Chicago Bear Dave Duerson committed suicide by gunshot to the chest; the same method that was chosen by Junior Seau. Duerson specified he wanted his brain to be studied in his suicide note, and researchers at Boston University found that his brain had suffered severe degenerative damage due to constant head impacts from his playing days. Seau’s brain will also be studied soon, and many expect the findings to be similar.

Seau played 20 seasons in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. He played his high school football in Oceanside, a small city just north of San Diego, and became a local legend after he found success at the University of Southern California and the NFL. Drafted by the Chargers in 1990, he played in 12 consecutive Pro Bowls starting in his second year in the league. He also played in 2 Super Bowls after the 1994 and 2007 seasons with the Chargers and Patriots, respectively, but those teams lost both games.

Junior Seau was a force on and off the field. He had a large presence in the San Diego community and gave more than his share of time and money to charities and local causes. By all accounts, his bubbly personality and positive attitude were always present and they rubbed off on anyone who got a chance to meet him.

Unfortunately, Seau fought a silent battle with some internal demons. No one may ever know exactly what Seau was going through but depression seems to have been a primary factor. If that’s the case, 20 years of collisions on a pro football field could have certainly played a part in that.

I don’t pretend to know what it feels like to suffer from depression. Nor do I have any clue what it’s like for a person to seriously consider taking their own life. However, I do know that depression is a real and serious condition, and it’s an issue that needs to be discussed more openly. The fact that ex-NFL players can’t find a way to get help when they reach their lowest point is heartbreaking. These men are members of a prestigious fraternity that comes with an abundance of resources and avenues of support. Yet their reluctance to simply ask a friend for help shows the stigma that is associated with mental illness in our society.

Not to minimize other tragic events that have come before, but the weight the Seau name carries around league circles has forced everyone to take an even closer look at mental illness and the long term effects of playing a violent sport. The NFL has been making a push to make the game safer in recent years and Seau’s death will kick those efforts into overdrive.

The NFL’s campaign for player safety is primarily a response to the lawsuits the league faces today that threaten the long-term viability of the league. However, they do have a genuine interest in keeping players healthy. Marketable stars do not have much value when they are on injured reserve for an entire season, and most importantly, no one wants to see good men such as Junior Seau reach a point where they feel suicide is the only way out.

Sadly, I don’t have a final answer. I don’t think many people do. But a good place to start is to win the battle against concussions. More research needs to be done on the brain and the equipment protecting it. Every football player needs to wear protective gear that is on the cutting edge of technology, and that goes for college and high school players as well. Rules need to be refined every year. Even though the league has already legislated out some of the most dangerous types of contact, they need to continuously look at ways to make the game safer. Lastly, the NFL needs to do a better job taking care of their own after they leave the game. Ex-players need to be monitored in the long term and a better support system is needed so players who are suffering can find help.

The NFL has a long ways to go with these issues, but they have the resources to accomplish them. I think I can speak for every NFL fan out there. Let’s get this figured out so that other players don’t end up paying the ultimate price like Junior Seau.

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Brandon Marshall could be a great target for Manning in Miami. (Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE)

It’s not just down to the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals for Peyton Manning now. The Miami Dolphins have thrown their hat into this popular race.

Manning met with Dolphins’ new head coach Joe Philbin Monday in the same city that let him go. The two met in Indianapolis for 5-6 hours according to Chris Mortensen.

If you ask me, Miami probably looks very appealing to Manning who already has an off season home there.

The Dolphins won six of their last nine games in 2011 with Matt Moore as quarterback. The team has good run support with Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas, and they have a big name receiver in Brandon Marshall (1,214 receiving yard in 2011). Their defense ranked 6th in the league as well.

Things look sunny and bright in South Florida, maybe more so than in Denver (lack of receivers) and Arizona (lack of an offensive line). The team also has a great offensive mind in Philbin who was the Green Bay Packers’ offensive coordinator before arriving in South Beach.

Free agency begins at 2:00 p.m. MST, and Manning could announce his decision as early as today. Preliminary contract talks started Monday, but won’t move much past that until Manning makes a decision as to where he wants to finish his illustrious career.

Things could get wild Tuesday afternoon.

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Denver Broncos punter Britton Colquitt (4) warms up before the first quarter of the 2011 AFC wild card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Sports Authority Field. (Chris Humphreys-US PRESSWIRE)

Each month, I will showcase a current Denver Broncos player and inform you of their lives and accomplishments before coming to Denver. In doing so, I hope to shine a light on each players own unique journey on the road to Mile High. This month’s featured player is punter Britton Colquitt.

Britton Colquitt was born on March 20, 1985 in Knoxville, Tennessee. He played his high school football at Beardon High School in Knoxville, where he also played soccer. He was a three year kicker and punter for the football team and he earned AP and Sportswriters All-State honors in both his junior and senior seasons.

After high school, Colquitt decided to stay home and join a long family tradition of playing at the University of Tennessee. His father, Craig, uncle, Jimmy, and older brother, Dustin, all played at the punter position for the Volunteers and later went on to play in the NFL. From 2005-07, Britton Colquitt was the first team punter for Tennessee and earned consensus first-team All-SEC honors in 2006 and second-team All-SEC honors in 2007. He finished his college career second all-time on Tennessee’s punting list behind his uncle Jimmy.

Colquitt went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft and was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t make the cut with the team at the beginning of his career and was waived during preseason cuts. After three months, Colquitt was signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad, but was then signed by the Broncos again a few days later and promoted to the team’s active roster. In his NFL career, Colquitt has made 187 punts for 8,618 yards and has earned a 46.1 yards per punt average.

Colquitt was one of the most underrated players in the Denver Broncos miraculous 2011-12 season, but he no doubt had a big part in the Broncos success. He will look to continue to be a part of the Broncos’ winning ways come next season.

Follow Dustin on Twitter.

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