Gina Seau, Junior’s widow, told the New York Times she was “very surprised” to find out the Hall would show a video to introduce him, rather than a video followed by a speech from a chosen presenter.

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Sydney, his daughter, was to introduce him. But Gina said she did not “think Sydney or any of us were going to use the Hall of Fame as a platform.”

Seau committed suicide in 2012, and his family has sued the NFL for wrongful death over the brain trauma that was posthumously discovered. That suit is not part of the class-action suit that includes more than 5,000 former players, which has not officially been settled.

“It’s frustrating because the induction is for my father and for the other players, but then to not be able to speak, it’s painful,” Sydney Seau told the Times. “I just want to give the speech he would have given. It wasn’t going to be about this mess. My speech was solely about him.”

The video at the induction will be five minutes long, instead of the usual two, according to the report.

The Hall of Fame issued a three-sentence statement Friday afternoon to explain what Hall officials attempted to in the Times story.

“The policy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 2010 regarding individuals enshrined posthumously provides for an expanded presenting video (longer than the videos of living inductees) followed by the traditional unveiling of the bronzed bust and no additional comments made from the podium,’’ the statement read. “This policy is not precedent setting and was implemented for the first time in 2011 when former Los Angeles Rams great Les Richter was inducted posthumously. The Pro Football Hall of Fame looks forward to honoring the careers of Junior Seau and the seven other members of the Class of 2015 during the upcoming Enshrinement Ceremony.''

Richter, the Rams’ star linebacker from the 1950s, died in 2010, six months before his election to Canton. According to a 2010 Los Angeles Times story, Richter, then 79, had been diagnosed with dementia and was suffering from multiple physical and mental issues – “the ravages of playing football for all those years,” his son, Jon, was quoted as saying.

Jon Richter spoke in his father’s induction video in 2011 but did not speak in person.

David Baker, the Hall of Fame’s executive director, told the Times there was a clear distinction between the Hall and the NFL, and added: “Our mission is to honor the heroes of the game and Junior is a hero of the game. We’re going to celebrate his life, not the death and other issues.”

Just last week, the Hall announced who would present each of the eight members of the Class of 2015 at the August 8 ceremony in Canton. On the list was Sydney, whom Seau had long said would be his presenter when/if he made it. Less than a week before that announcement, the family was told about the policy of not giving a speech for a deceased player. Seau was elected to the Hall in late January.

The circumstances of his death were not a factor in the decision to use a video instead of having the family speak, Hall of Fame official Joe Horrigan told the Times. Horrigan added that speeches following the video for deceased inductees had become “redundant.” 

As recently as 2009, both Derrick Thomas and Bob Hayes were inducted posthumously. Carl Peterson, Thomas’ former Chiefs general manager, introduced him with a speech. Hayes was introduced by Roger Staubach, his former quarterback with the Cowboys.