Five years ago today, Washington Redskins Safety Sean Taylor died from a bullet wound that severed an artery and resulted in fatal blood loss. Taylor was protecting his family, which included his 18-month-old daughter and his girlfriend in his home in Miami. The intruders assumed Taylor would not be in the house but with the Redskins. He was home at the time due to an injury.
His death rocked the sports world and his memory has created a lasting impact.
In honor of Taylor, on the first play of the game following his murder, the Redskins lined up with only 10 people on defense, which left the safety spot that Taylor occupied open against the Buffalo Bills.
At the time of his death, Sean Taylor was tied for the most interceptions in the NFC and second in the league despite missing two weeks with a knee injury. Taylor also had 42 tackles, 9 passes defended and a forced fumble.
On December 18, 2007, Sean Taylor was first NFL player to be posthumously voted to the Pro Bowl, his second in his career. During the Pro Bowl, fellow Redskins teammates Chris Samuels, Chris Cooley and Ethan Albright wore Taylor’s #21 jersey to honor him. Like the game against the Bills, the NFC lined up with 10 players on the first play of the Pro Bowl.
Taylor had been known to be in trouble with the law but many people credit the birth of his daughter for turning his life around.
Before the season, in an interview Taylor was quoted as saying ”You play a kid’s game for a king’s ransom. And if you don’t take it serious enough, eventually one day you’re going to say, ‘Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that.”
