Sean Taylor

Sean Taylor, a Hero both on and off the Field

            Sean Taylor, arguably the best safety ever to play the game of football, had a career and life cut tragically short. Remembered as a hero, his teammates, family, and everyone who watched him play know his legacy. He gave the ultimate price, his life, ten years ago on November 27th, 2007, defending his family, but if you ask his players, they would say it feels like they still know him because of his outgoing and generous personality. He changed the game of football as we know it and showed us all what real bravery is by standing up for their family.

Sean Taylor in Redskins uniformSB Nation           Though his career was cut tragically short, Taylor was a menace on the fields. With the nickname “meast”, a combination of monster and beast, it was evident that his teammates respected him on the field. In one of his most memorable matchups, against Eric Frampton, he taunted him prior to the game and met his pre-game claims on the field when he leveled him on a punt return. Sean Taylor’s dedication to the game was unmatched. Rather than driving home he would run to keep his stamina and energy up in game. Though his final season was cut short about halfway through the season, he already had five interceptions and was a thorn in opposing quarterback’s sides. As stated by Richmond.com “A generation of young defensive backs came to idolize Taylor for his ferocious hits, his speed, his style, his swagger. They loved him. They still do.” His playstyle was inspirational and people wanted to be as great as him. He set a new bar for defenders to meet.

         Taylor’s on field traits transferred over to his family. Since his parents divorced when he was a child, he wanted to use his football fame to bring them back together. Having stood up for his team on the field, he now stood up for his family off the field. While Taylor was playing in his final season, his Miami area home was broken into and the intruders attempted to break into his safe and failed. Thankfully no one was home for this invasion but it was a scare. Taylor then hurt his knee, forcing him to return home to recover. He and his family planned to move to Virginia to be closer to the Redskins and to get away from the people who broke into their home. Taylor was throwing a birthday party for his sister at his home and hired some of her friends to clean the party up. When they saw the lavish lifestyle he was able to live, they decided to break into his house. Taylor, who was supposed to be playing but due to his injury was home, heard the commotion and grabbed a machete from under his bed. When he got to his bedroom door, an armed man was standing there, Two shots were fired, one into Taylor’s leg and the other into the wall next to him. The doctor was quoted saying “I’ve never seen a man fight so hard for his life” Other players were quoted saying that the transfusions they were trying to give him just kept coming right back out. On November 27th, 2007, Taylor was pronounced dead.

Sean Taylor Kneeling on the fieldSB Nation         The legacy Taylor left was much more than just a player, but a hero because of his great generosity and love for his team and family. The game following his death was dedicated to him. The first defensive play of the game, the Redskins started ten rather than eleven to show that his spot can never be filled. They also all wore a sticker bearing his number and undershirts that had his picture on it. University of Miami still remembers him as one of their best defensive players to have ever played. Even the Ravens official website  reported, “Former Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was a legend, one of the ultimate bone-crushing, play-making safeties of all-time.” Players today, such as Ha Ha Clinton-Dix still remember him and look up to the way he played and acted even ten years after his death.

         Today we need more people like Sean Taylor. He was passionate and had no fear. Though we can not talk to him today, we can still tell his story through his family, friend, and teammates who knew him daily or through the people following in his footsteps trying to recreate his amazing career. He will be remembered as a hero and a legend.

EXTRA RESOURCES

Kimble, Julian. “Sean Taylor gave a generation of Washington fans a reason to love football.” SBNation.com, SBNation.com, 27 Nov. 2017, www.sbnation.com/nfl/2017/11/27/16701224/sean-taylor-death-washington-anniversary.

McNally, Brian “A decade after his death, Redskins players still remember Sean Taylor.” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 26 Nov. 2017, www.richmond.com/redskins-xtra/a-decade-after-his-death-redskins-players-still-remember-sean/article_010e0a10-aaaa-5352-b977-6486e2461cb2.html.

Press, Associated. “Florida man gets 57 years in prison.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 23 Jan. 2014, www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/10340041/man-gets-57-years-prison-sean-taylor-death

“Sean Taylor.” Google Image Result for https://cdn2.Vox-Cdn.com/imported_assets/2396922/Sean-Taylor-Killer-Life-Red-Skins-Bso.jpeg, Google, www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn2.vox-cdn.com%2Fimported_assets%2F2396922%2Fsean-taylor-killer-life-red-skins-bso.jpeg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stateoftheu.com%2F2014%2F9%2F26%2F6847819%2Fsean-taylor-a-football-life-NFLnetwork-documentary-hurricanes-2001-safety-washington-redskins&h=405&w=450&tbnid=AvQzBhsuG2MwvM%3A&tbnh=180&tbnw=200&usg=__K19qhjj_DxjRTG4aLhnHVq6ARp4%3D&vet=10ahUKEwjhsJmzy_PXAhVCKWMKHc6jCt4Q_B0IswEwFg..i&docid=VbOdY15KBXqS4M&itg=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhsJmzy_PXAhVCKWMKHc6jCt4Q_B0IswEwFg.

“Sean Taylor.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Dec. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Taylor.

“Sean Taylor Stats.” Pro-Football-Reference.com, www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TaylSe20.htm.

zdc4bama. “A Football Life Sean Taylor.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Oct. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y55TysdVVxk.