Seau willing to wait to celebrate

By: JAY PARIS - Staff Writer | Sunday, January 20, 2008 11:30 PM PST ∞

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. ---- In a victorious NFL locker room after a conference championship game, ice is a given.

But there was no chilled champagne being sprayed in the champion Patriots' dressing quarters Sunday. Instead, the biggest chunk of ice hugged linebacker Junior Seau's left knee.

"We are now looking forward to the next opponent,'' Seau said. "As you can see, we are not having a parade, we don't have confetti in the locker room. We are not jumping around. Everyone's gone.''

Many thought the former Chargers and Oceanside High standout would surf off into the sunset in 2006, when he announced his retirement. Instead, Seau got a please-come-to-Boston call from Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Now Seau is riding the Patriots' undefeated wave to his second Super Bowl.

"It's just (giving) an old man a chance,'' Seau said.

But the 18-year veteran was more than window dressing on a team seeking its fourth Super Bowl victory in seven years and a place in NFL history. In the Patriots' 21-12 win over the Chargers in the AFC Championship Game, Seau was racing around and displaying the passion of someone far younger than 39, which the 12-time Pro Bowler turned Saturday.

"You would think he's trying to find his way onto the active roster the way he practices,'' said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who shared a long postgame hug with Seau. "It's exciting for us to be around a guy like that, to learn from him and to understand what it takes and to do everything you can do to help the team win.''

Seau did that Sunday on one of the game's key plays. The Chargers trailed 14-9 midway through the third quarter but had the ball at the New England 4-yard line when running back Michael Turner turned the corner, looking for 1 yard and a first down. Instead, he met Seau.

"They tried to bounce it off our right side, and Junior hit it up in there and made a great play,'' Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "I think if anybody has watched Junior through the course of his career, you've seen him make those kinds of plays where he can shoot the gap, and he did shoot the gap and flattened out and made the play.''

Added Seau: "I just ran it through the hole and Mike was there and I wrapped him up. It was a combination of a lot of things that happened.''

Much like Seau joining safety Rodney Harrison ---- another Charger pushed to the curb ---- in this glorious NFL outpost of New England.

"It's special, it really is,'' said Seau, who triumphantly lifted the Lamar Hunt Trophy right after it was handed to Belichick. "Rodney Harrison is one of the better safeties that has ever played this game. We have shared a lot of years in San Diego, and to have the latter part of our careers meet across the country, and to be able to be part of this special moment with a great coach here in New England is special, it really is.''

Seau was part of the 1994 Chargers team that shocked the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC title game. But there were no surprises Sunday for the Chargers, facing a squad bent on making NFL history.

"We know we have one more game to be part of that forever,'' Seau said.

But something else is everlasting for Seau: his love for his roots and appreciation for his 13 years with the Chargers.

"I am always a Charger,'' said Seau, who finished with six tackles, a sack and two quarterback hits. "That's my home. I took the scenic route to get here.''

His vista now includes a picture of a painted desert ---- he's headed to the Super Bowl in Arizona.

Harrison couldn't hide his delight for his old pal.

"The way he's worked, the sacrifices he's made going through injuries and different circumstances," Harrison said, "I'm just happy and so proud of Junior Seau.''

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.

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