I'm not retiring. I am graduating. Today is my graduation day. Retirement means that you'll just go ahead and live on your laurels and surf all day in Oceanside. It ain't going to happen.

Second retirement
Seau announced his intention to retire for a second time on the television program Inside the NFL on January 13 2010. He transcended the game. '" This prompted him to apologize to his coaches teachers and principal at Oceanside High.

Later studies by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) concluded that Seau suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) a type of chronic brain damage that had also been found in other deceased former NFL players. Seau retired from pro football after the 2009 season.