Given the incredible backlog of talent waiting to be voted into the Hall of Fame, it takes a truly transcendent player to get in during his first year of eligibility. Junior Seau was that once-in-a-generation player.

Seau’s resumé is certainly deserving. A 12-time Pro Bowler who was named to the All-Decade Team of the 1990s by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he was the proverbial tackling machine. He averaged 116 tackles during his 13 years with the Chargers; for his 20-year career, he recorded 10 or more tackles in a game 64 times (that’s four full seasons worth of 10-tackle games).

Seau also recorded 56.5 sacks and 18 interceptions in his career. He led the Chargers to their only Super Bowl appearance after the 1994 season and also made it back to the Big Game with the Patriots following the 2007 season.

But anyone who followed Junior Seau can tell you his induction into the Hall of Fame is about much more than numbers. Seau was famous for his infectious personality and love for the game. Even during his 20th and final season in the league, he would be the first person at the stadium watching film and running on the treadmill.

While his time with the Patriots (2006-2009) and Dolphins (2003-2005) allowed Seau to showcase his incredible longevity, he will always be remembered as the face of the Chargers. In fact, it is difficult to imagine any player ever being more closely ingrained with the city he represents.

Seau, who was born in San Diego and played his college ball nearby at USC, often spoke of surfing and playing the ukulele. His Samoan heritage also helped endear him to the city, as San Diego has among the nation’s highest percentage of residents with Samoan heritage.

His charitable exploits were boundless. His namesake project, the Junior Seau Foundation, worked to help children avoid and overcome hardships. He even opened a restaurant in town, Seau’s, although it was closed shortly after his suicide in May 2012.

I remember after Seau’s death I called Vincent Brown, a receiver with the Chargers at the time who had worked with Seau at events such as Shop with a Jock.

“I was shocked,” Brown told me. “I couldn’t believe it. He was one of the greatest players, greatest Chargers, greatest people of all time.”

I also checked in with Ryon Bingham, who played nose tackle for the Chargers from 2004-2008. Despite his Chargers career not overlapping with Seau’s, Bingham had plenty of stories to tell about No. 55.

“He came in and spoke with us a few times,” Bingham said. “His talks were just phenomenal. This guy had high intensity and a non-stop motor … he never let down. Every time he spoke to us he seemed to have his head on square. He was one of those guys who came across as very prominent.

“It wasn’t just football. He talked to us about surfing up in Oceanside and the spiritual nature of that. He was amazing.”

Seau was a regular on the highlight reels, thanks to his relentless playing style and sideline-to-sideline range. But his signature move was anticipating the snap and shooting the A-gap, diving over the middle and blowing plays up before they ever got started.

Bingham got a first-hand view of one such play when his Chargers faced Seau’s Patriots in the playoffs.

“I remember one play where Junior lined up out of position,” Bingham said. “But somehow he rushed the line and smacked (LaDainian Tomlinson) in the backfield for a 3-yard loss on a big goal-line play. The guy was unbelievable.”

Seau’s performance was always hard to believe. And now, because he will live forever in the Hall of Fame, it will be impossible to forget.

Want to talk more about Seau and the rest of the Hall of Fame Class of 2015? Join Michael Lombardo for his weekly NFL Chat on Friday at 2pm EST. But you don’t have to wait until then … ask your question now!