Junior Seau's brain will be donated by his family for research into football-related head injuries.

San Diego Chargers chaplain Shawn Mitchell said he didn't know where the brain will be sent.

''The Seau family really has, almost like Junior, a philanthropic approach, where they always desire to help others,'' Mitchell said in a phone interview Friday. ''The purpose is not initially to discover anything about their son and what led to these tragic circumstances, but rather the betterment of other people and athletes down the road through anything that can be learned through the study.''

He said the family was not speculating as to whether concussions were a factor in Seau's suicide.

Seau, a star at USC before playing for his hometown Chargers for 13 seasons, was found dead Wednesday at his Oceanside home. An autopsy concluded he shot himself in the chest.

There's been no medical evidence that brain injuries from football may have played a role in his death.

Seau's ex-wife, Gina, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he sustained concussions during his 20-year NFL career, during which he also played for Miami and New England.

Mitchell said he never heard Seau complain about dizziness or headaches.

''With Junior, that would be so outside of his nature because he had an amazing threshold for pain,'' Mitchell said.

Family members and friends have said they weren't aware of any issues that may have led to Seau's suicide. Police said no suicide note was found.

''This is not anything I thought he would ever do,'' former San Diego Chargers safety Miles McPherson said.

A few weeks ago, a smiling Seau was videotaped playing a ukulele and singing while attending the spring game at USC, where he starred before being drafted by the Chargers in 1990.