Junior Seau Diagnosed With Disease Caused by Hits to Head: Exclusive

None of the Seau children play football anymore and their mother is glad of that.

"It's not worth it for me to not have a dad," said one of the Seaus' sons, Tyler Seau, 23. "So, to me, it's not worth it."

Following the publication of this story, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy issued the following statement:

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Athlete Junior Seau takes part in the Madden... View Full Size

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Athlete Junior Seau takes part in the Madden NFL 10 Pigskiin Pro-Am on Xbox 360 event, July 24, 2009 in Malibu, Calif.

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"We appreciate the Seau family's cooperation with the National Institutes of Health. The finding underscores the recognized need for additional research to accelerate a fuller understanding of CTE. The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels. The NFL clubs have already committed a $30 million research grant to the NIH, and we look forward to making decisions soon with the NFL Players Association on the investment of $100 million for medical research that is committed in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. We have work to do, and we're doing it."

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story identified the more than 4,000 lawsuits against the NFL as a "class action." The suits are not a singular class action case, but multiple complaints filed in numerous districts.