Junior Seau - ILB or OLB?

[ChaseStuart]

Looking through the AP voting, Seau seemingly was always chosen as the ILB on the AP teams in the mid-'90s, but wasn't he an OLB? According to PFR, Seau was the RLB for most of his time in San Diego. Now Seau played RILB his first two years while SD was in a 3-4, but he was listed as a ROLB beginning in '93. Practically, I dunno how much of a difference there really was for SD between '92 and '93: Leslie O'Neail moved from ROLB to RDE, but probably had the same responsibilities. Ditto Gary Plummer (LILB to MLB) and Henry Rolling (who remained at LOLB).

But was Seau playing inside during these years? PFR has Plummer as the MLB in '92 and '93, Dennis Gibson from '94 to '96, Kurt Gouveia, Lewis Bush, Eric Hill, and Orlando Ruff after that. Was PFR wrong? Or was Seau technically the RLB but wound up playing inside a lot? I'm sure on nickel downs he was inside, but frankly, my memory isn't great here. I know we think of Seau as an inside guy, but just curious about where he actually played.

Also, I'm not all that inclined to defer to the AP voting, because they're inclined to make any non-pass rushing LB and ILB for voting purposes.

[Reaser]

He was OLB but probably was picked as ILB for all-pro teams because they didn't/don't understand over/under and SD's alignment ...

e.g. SD could 'look' like they were playing a 5-2 because the LOLB would be on the LOS and the mike would have the 'look' of a LILB while Seau would have the 'look' of a RILB. So I'm sure watching on TV or from the press box seeing Seau stacked 'inside' he 'looked' like one of two ILB's, to them. That's what I would guess, at least.

[JohnTurney]

He was OLB but probably was picked as ILB for all-pro teams because they didn't/don't understand over/under and SD's alignment ...

e.g. SD could 'look' like they were playing a 5-2 because the LOLB would be on the LOS and the mike would have the 'look' of a LILB while Seau would have the 'look' of a RILB. So I'm sure watching on TV or from the press box seeing Seau stacked 'inside' he 'looked' like one of two ILB's, to them. That's what I would guess, at least.

Seau was an OLBer who always played stacked, as you describe. Same was true of Ken Norton when he was with 49ers. For some reason, in 1995, they listed Plummer OLB and Norton as MLB. That year, Norton was Ap 1st team All-Pro, but he was playing same position as Seau, a stacked OLBer. You have to look at the game films and watch the TE to see strong side, but Plummer was also stacked but he had a LBer on either side of him.

So, the weekly releases by the 49ers called Norton a MLB and the writers voted accordingly. With the Chargers' media releass they lised two ILBers and one OLBer and Seau was one of the two ILBers they listed. So I think both were a product of how the media relations departments handled it.

That still goes on, for the least how many years the 49ers listed Justin Smith as a DT, even though he was a DE. And the Texans listed Watt as a DE, and he and Justin Smith played same position for all intents and purposes.

[Reaser]

With the Chargers' media releass they lised two ILBers and one OLBer and Seau was one of the two ILBers they listed.

I did not know that about the media release. That's interesting, and likely explains how the voting happened - though I would still hope voters could simply look at a defense and see three LB's and that Seau wasn't in the middle. As far as I saw he was never the "mike".

... and I remember you and I discussing Justin Smith on the old forums when he was getting all-pro votes at two positions.

[ChaseStuart]

Thanks, guys.

[JohnTurney]