San Diego Chargers owner Dean Spanos announced Friday night that the team will officially retire Junior Seau's jersey No. 55.
"Junior's accomplishments on the field speak for themselves," Spanos said. "His play on the field combined with his leadership and charisma became the face of this team for more than a decade. I can't think of anyone more deserving of this honor."
La Canfora: San Diego Super Charger
Junior Seau was San Diego's hometown hero -- the can't-miss kid who never did. Jason La Canfora remembers an icon. **More ...**
The team will formally retire the number in a halftime ceremony during the Chargers' regular-season home opener against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 16. Chargers players will wear a decal bearing number 55 on their helmets during that game, and a giant No. 55 banner will be hung at Qualcomm Stadium and flown at every future home game.
"What a class move," former Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson told NFL.com's Steve Wyche after the ceremony. "Whenever people think about Junior Seau, it's number 55. ... whenever you think about that jersey, when that guy turns around, it has to have Seau on the back."
Seau played the first 13 of his 20 NFL seasons in San Diego. He was the fifth overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft and led the 1994 Chargers to the Super Bowl.
Many fans in attendance at Friday's memorial at Qualcomm Stadium wore Seau's No. 55 jersey -- in Chargers blue, USC cardinal and gold (Seau played for the Trojans in college) and Miami Dolphins aqua and orange.
Dan Fouts' No. 14 and Lance Alworth's No. 19 are the only other jersey numbers retired by the Chargers. Fouts and Alworth also are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Seau committed suicide May 2 at his Oceanside, Calif, home. He was 43.
