Oceanside Police say Seau died from an apparent suicide shortly after one p-m, after his girlfriend reported finding him with a gunshot wound to the chest.

Seau played linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, advancing to the 1994 Super Bowl with them. He went on to play with the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots before he retired in 2009.

Both Bills general manager Buddy Nix and Bills defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt worked alongside Seau; Nix in San Diego and Wannstedt in Miami, where he was head coach.

A statement from Nix reads:

“I am deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Junior Seau. This is such a tragedy and his passing will be felt by many. Junior was a great player in this league for so many years and he embodied that competitive spirit that all the great linebackers possess. My deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences go out to his children and his entire family, his friends, the Spanos family and the Chargers organization.”

“Hearing this news about Junior...it’s just so tragic…it’s hard to believe. I still to this day remember the day that Junior joined our family at the Dolphins. He brought a sense of renewed energy and a spirit to the field, off the field, in the weight room, just everywhere that Junior went and everyone that Junior was associated with. He instilled a belief that we hadn’t reached our potential and that we could be better and he would find a way to help make that happen. I just feel terrible but I know how much he loved his kids. I remember him coming to me and the first thing we talked about was what the offseason schedule would be and what was going to be our bye week schedule. Everything he was doing was centered around getting back to San Diego from Miami to be able to spend quality time with his kids. I don’t think there’s a better way a man could be remembered than in those terms.”