National Football League

Chaplain: Seau family revisiting decision

Published May. 6, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Junior Seau's family is revisiting its decision to donate the former NFL linebacker's brain for research into football-related injuries.

Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell said Sunday that the family, which is of Samoan descent, is consulting with a group of elders on a number of matters.

He said it doesn't necessarily mean that the family won't donate Seau's brain for research.

''They really want to do everything right,'' Mitchell said.

The medical examiner's office said Friday it was awaiting a decision by the family on whether to turn over Seau's brain to unidentified outside researchers for study.

The 43-year-old Seau committed suicide Wednesday at his home in suburban Oceanside. He played parts of 20 seasons in the NFL, including 13 with the Chargers.

At least two groups of researchers have been studying athletes' brains for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Officials from the Boston University Center for the Study of CTE expressed their condolences to Seau's family but said they do not comment on individual cases.