Seau Looks to Make Major Splash, Longer Impression in Dallas

Junior Seau probably won’t start, but this time at least, he plans to finish.

The almost-million-dollar Charger linebacker nearly tripped on his words after Friday’s practice. When told that his coach, Dan Henning, wasn’t planning to start him in Sunday’s regular-season opener at Dallas, Seau began to describe what he planned to do upon entering the game.

“If I don’t start, the play that I do come in is going to be an outrageous play,” he said. “It’s going to be just a blow.”

Pause . . .

“Within football,” he added.

Last time he came off the bench was also a blow, as in he blew his stack. On the second play of his professional career, Seau was ejected from last Saturday’s 34-7 loss to the Raiders for fighting with guard Steve Wisniewski.

Sizing it up six days later, Seau figures it’s a sign that putting his name on a big, fat professional contract doesn’t take every ounce of kid out of a college hero from USC.

“There was a kid out there trying to play a man’s sport and trying to live a life of a professional football player,” he said. “There were a lot of distractions throughout the week and I couldn’t handle it. I learned I’ve got to go out there and do what Junior is capable of doing.”

His plan this week is to leave behind all the sour memories of the summer, which was one long money struggle between the Chargers and Seau’s agent, Steve Feldman. Through it all, Seau didn’t do much more than work out and try to steer clear of the sports page. An Oceanside High graduate, Seau is concerned that his local-boy-made-good image may have been tarnished from the lengthy negotiations, during which he made it clear that he wasn’t satisfied with the Chargers’ offer.

“If there’s an apology needed, I apologize,” Seau said. “I’m here to play for the city of San Diego. People who are buying the tickets deserve us going out there and putting it on the line. We are getting paid well.”

Too well to sit on the bench, and maybe that’s why Seau wasn’t ready to accept Henning’s decision right away. The stubborn side of him emerged.

“They (the coaches) can say all they want, but until we come out of the locker room . . . you can’t really say,” he said. “I’m not sure I’m not starting. You can’t really say. Don’t count me out.”

Confident? Yup. Particularly considering this is a guy who has only practiced three times with pads and hasn’t come close to making a tackle.

But because Seau is an excitable player, Henning worries that he might wear himself down if he plays full time in his first “real” game. That isn’t to say Henning plans to leave him on the bench long. Seau’s desire to succeed has impressed him.

“When he’s been on this practice field he’s been the most businesslike guy I’ve ever been around as a rookie,” Henning said. “I don’t see him fool around. I don’t see him do anything but come out here and act like this is the most important thing to him in the world.”

Charger Notes

Leo Goeas, the Chargers’ backup right tackle who twisted his foot in Thursday’s practice, was back in practice Friday. Charger Coach Dan Henning said Goeas would play Sunday against the Cowboys. “It’s not nearly as bad as we had figured,” Henning said. . . . The Chargers haven’t played Dallas in the regular season since 1986 . . . Henning has said he isn’t opposed to bringing in the backup quarterback if the starter isn’t productive. Sunday, Mark Vlasic will start and Billy Joe Tolliver will back him up. Asked if he was committed to going with Vlasic the entire way, Henning responded: “I’m committed to winning. Whatever it takes to win. . . .”