Sean Taylor (musician)
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Sean Michael Maurice Taylor (April 1, 1983 – November 27, 2007) was an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
for the Washington Redskins of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He was selected fifth overall in the
2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
by the Redskins, where he played four seasons until his murder in 2007. As a high school player, Taylor led Gulliver Prep to a Florida state championship and set the state record for single-season touchdowns. Taylor played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
, where he was a member of the 2001 BCS National Championship team and won the Jack Tatum Trophy. With the Redskins, he gained a reputation as a hard-hitting player and was nicknamed "Meast" from the expression "half man, half beast." He made one
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
appearance in 2006. During the 2007 season, Taylor was shot by intruders at his Miami area home and died the next day on November 27. His death led to an outpouring of national support and sympathy, especially in the Washington, D.C. and Miami areas. Posthumously, he earned a second Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors. Taylor was inducted to Washington's Ring of Fame in 2008.


Early life

Sean Taylor was born in Florida on April 1, 1983 to Pedro Taylor, a policeman, and Donna Junor. He spent his early years growing up with his great-grandmother Aulga Clarke in Homestead, Florida and later moved to his father's home at the age of 11. Taylor was baptized at the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church in
Florida City Florida City is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is the southernmost municipality in the South Florida metropolitan area. Florida City is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area. As of the 2020 census, it h ...
by Pastor David Peay. He grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Miami, on a street lined with candy-colored houses. Taylor played high school football in Pinecrest, a suburb of Miami. He originally began his high school football career at Miami Killian High School, a Class 2A public school, but transferred to Gulliver Preparatory School, a Class prep school, where he was a three-sport star in football, track and basketball. He played both
offense Offense or offence may refer to: Common meanings * Offense or crime, a violation of penal law * An insult, or negative feeling in response to a perceived insult * An attack, a proactive offensive engagement * Sin, an act that violates a known m ...
and
defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...
. Despite missing the first game of the season (the team's only loss), he helped Gulliver win the Florida Class 2A State Championship in 2000 with a 14–1 record. Taylor was a star on both sides of the ball during that season, playing
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
,
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
and
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
.Beras, Erika
NFL's Taylor responsive after shooting
''
The Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a city in western Miami-Dade County and the Miami metropolitan area, several miles west of Downtown Miami.Marianna High School Marianna High School is a public high school in Marianna, Florida. It enrolls 657 students in grades 9–12, and is the largest of five high schools in the Jackson County School Board. It is accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Scho ...
. In
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
, Taylor won the state 2A
100-meter dash The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
in 2000 and was also one of the state's top
400-meter dash The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is on ...
sprinters. Taylor was considered the No. 1 prospect in
Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most populous county in ...
by the ''
Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a List of communities in Miami-Dade County, Florida, city in western Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and the M ...
''. He was also rated the nation's No. 1 skill athlete and an All-American by ''
Super Prep ''Super Prep'' is a sports magazine based in Laguna Beach, California, published in since 1985. It was founded and is published by Allen Wallace, a lawyer. Its main focus is to provide recruiting information on high school football players. In 19 ...
''. Taylor was also an ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'' Super Southern Team selection, the No. 1 athlete on the '' Florida Times-Union'' Super 75 list and rated the No. 1 player in Florida by '' The Gainesville Sun''. In 2007, he was also named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team, which selected the Top 33 players in the 100-year history of high school football in the state. After his death, Taylor was honored at Gulliver by a plaque that was placed in the school's cafeteria. The football field at Gulliver Prep was renamed Sean Taylor Memorial Field on September 5, 2009.


College career

Taylor was recruited to play for coach Larry Coker's
Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football team represents the University of Miami in college football. The Hurricanes compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Coastal Division of the Atlanti ...
team at the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
. He was also a member of the Hurricanes
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
team, competing in events such as the 100-meter and 200-meters.


2001 season

As a freshman (one of four true freshmen to play for the team), Taylor carved a niche for himself in Miami's secondary in nickel and dime defensive schemes. During the season, Taylor was named Big East Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Hurricanes won the national championship in 2001.


2002 season

In 2002, his first season as a starter, Taylor was a second-team All-Big East selection by the league's head coaches. He finished third on the team in tackles with 85 (53 solo), broke up 15 passes, intercepted 4 passes, forced one fumble, blocked one kick and returned a punt for a touchdown. He led all Miami defensive backs in tackles, interceptions and passes broken up, and had a career-high 11 tackles (2 solo) and intercepted 2 passes in the
Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been playe ...
loss to
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. He made a critical play during the game, in which he intercepted Buckeyes quarterback
Craig Krenzel Craig Krenzel (born July 1, 1981) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Ohio State University. As the starting quarterback, he led the 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team to a national championship. He pl ...
in the endzone and returned the ball out of the endzone. Buckeyes running back Maurice Clarett ran Taylor down, and in the process stripped the ball away from him. Clarett recovered the ball for Ohio State, allowing them to kick a field goal to go up 17–7 at the time.


2003 season

Taylor produced an historic season during his final year at Miami that culminated with a plethora of honors and awards. He was named a unanimous first-team All-American, the Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back. He led the Big East Conference and ranked first nationally in interceptions with 10, tying the record for interceptions in a season with former Hurricanes standout
Bennie Blades Horatio Benedict "Bennie" Blades Sr. (born September 3, 1966) is a former American football cornerback and safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami. College career Blades played a big ...
. Taylor also finished first in total tackles with 77 (57 solo). He intercepted two passes in Miami's impressive 28–14 win over
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
, playing a key role as the Hurricanes limited All-American receiver Larry Fitzgerald to just three receptions for 26 yards. He returned interceptions for an average of 18.4 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown return at
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, a 50-yard scoring runback at
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
and a 44-yard scoring runback against
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
. His three touchdown returns of interceptions is a Miami single-season record. Taylor also competed in
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
as a senior for the Hurricanes. He placed 4th in the 100-meter at the Gatorade Invitational in
Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables, officially City of Coral Gables, is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city is located southwest of Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 U.S. census, it had a population of 49,248. Coral Gables is known globally as home to the ...
with a time of 10.77 seconds, behind teammates Terrell Walden,
Roscoe Parrish Roscoe Parrish (born July 16, 1982) is a former American football wide receiver and kick returner. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the second round (55th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college foo ...
and Travarous Bain. His best efforts for the season came at the Big East Outdoor T&F Championships in
Storrs, Connecticut Storrs is a village and census-designated place (CDP) in the New England town, town of Mansfield, Connecticut, Mansfield in eastern Tolland County, Connecticut, Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 15,344 at the 2010 Unite ...
, where he ran personal-bests of 10.74 seconds in the
100-meter dash The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
and 21.60 seconds in the
200-meter dash The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
. He also participated as a member of the 4x100 relay.


College statistics


Professional career

Following his 2003 season, Taylor announced that he was entering the
NFL draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
. He attended the
NFL Scouting Combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
in
Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...
, but opted to skip all of the combine drills and only met with team representatives and personnel.


Washington Redskins

The
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
selected Taylor in the first round (fifth overall) of the
2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
. He was the first of a record six players selected in the first round from the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...
; the other five players were
Kellen Winslow II Kellen Boswell Winslow II (born July 21, 1983) is an American former professional football player and a convicted sex offender. He was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) and played college football at the University of Miami, wh ...
, Jonathan Vilma, D. J. Williams,
Vernon Carey Vernon A. Carey Sr. (born July 31, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for eight seasons with the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dolphins with the 1 ...
and Vince Wilfork.


2004

On July 27, 2004, the Washington Redskins signed Taylor to a six-year, $18.5 million contract that included a $13.4 million
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
and could have been worth $40 million with incentives and bonuses. His contract also included a seventh-year option. Taylor became the first top ten pick to sign his contract in 2004. On August 4, 2004, it was reported that Taylor fired his agents Eugene Mato and Jeff Moorad after he became unsatisfied with his contract. He fired them after other top ten picks signed their contracts and felt their deals were better in comparison. This marked his second time firing agents within five months after he fired agent
Drew Rosenhaus Drew Jordan Rosenhaus (born October 29, 1966) is an American sports agent who represents professional football players. He owns the Miami-based sports agency Rosenhaus Sports, and has negotiated over $7 billion of NFL contracts. Early life an ...
two days after the NFL draft. He immediately rehired Rosenhaus, who served as his agent for the remainder of his career. Taylor also had an incident that involved his early departure during the NFL's Rookie Symposium which was mandatory for every incoming player from the draft and was held over four days. He left after the first day, but returned for the last two days at the urging of representatives from the Redskins. Over his first three seasons, Taylor also was fined at least seven times for late hits, uniform violations and other infractions. Throughout training camp, Taylor competed for the job as the starting free safety against Andre Lott. On August 9, 2004, Taylor made his professional NFL debut in the Redskins' preseason-opener as part of their second unit defense against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
. He recorded two interceptions in the second half off passes by rookie quarterback Matt Mauck. During the third quarter, Taylor intercepted a pass intended for
Jeb Putzier Jebediah Lee Putzier (pronounced PUTT-zeer) (born January 20, 1979) is a former American football tight end. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. Putzier also played for the Houston Texans, Seattle Seaha ...
and returned it for a three-yard touchdown to put Washington in the lead 10–9. Head coach Joe Gibbs named Taylor the backup free safety to begin the regular season, behind starter Andre Lott, after Taylor failed to surpass him on the depth chart. He made his professional regular season debut in the Washington Redskins' season-opener against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
and assisted on one tackle in their 16–10 victory. In Week 3, Taylor earned his first career start after surpassing Lott on the depth chart and recorded four combined tackles and deflected two passes in the Redskins' 21–18 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. On October 18, 2004, Taylor made four solo tackles, a pass deflection, a sack, and returned his first career interception for 45-yards during a 13–10 win at the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. He made his first career interception and sack during the game, recording both on quarterback Brian Griese. In Week 12, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo) and broke up a pass in a 16–7 loss at the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. He finished his rookie season in with 76 combined tackles (60 solo), nine pass deflections, four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack in 15 games and 13 starts.


2005

Before the season started, Taylor switched his jersey number from No. 36 to No. 21 after it was available due to the departure of cornerback
Fred Smoot Fredrick Smoot (born April 17, 1979) is a former American professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for Mississippi State University, and was recogniz ...
to the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. Taylor kept the number when Smoot rejoined the Redskins in 2007, with Smoot opting to wear No. 27. Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Gregg Williams opted to retain Taylor as the starting free safety to begin the regular season, alongside strong safety Ryan Clark. He started the Washington Redskins' season-opener against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
and recorded four solo tackles and broke up a pass in their 9–7 victory. On November 11, 2005, it was reported that Taylor and teammate Clinton Portis received fines from the NFL due to violating the league's uniform code during the Redskins' 17–10 home victory against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in Week 9. Taylor's fine was for $5,000 due to his choice of wearing white socks with a burgundy and gold striped pattern instead of the required all white socks. He was inactive for the Redskins' Week 10 loss at the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
due to an injury. On January 1, 2006, he collected a season-high nine combined tackles and deflected two passes during a 31–20 win at the Philadelphia Eagles. Taylor finished the season with 70 combined tackles (60 solo), a career-high ten pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack in 15 games and 15 starts. The Washington Redskins finished second in the
NFC East The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys ...
with a 10–6 record and received a wildcard berth. On January 7, 2006, Taylor started in his first career playoff game and recorded seven combined tackles and returned a fumble recovery for a 51-yard touchdown in the first quarter of their 17–10 victory at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Referee Mike Carey ejected Taylor in the third quarter after he spit in Buccaneers' running back Michael Pittman's face. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams stated Taylor denied the claim and he believed and stood by his player. During his rookie season, he allegedly spit in the face of wide receiver
T. J. Houshmandzadeh Touraj Houshmandzadeh Jr. ( ; born September 26, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the seventh ...
, but was not reprehended due to the NFL being unable to recover clear video evidence. Two days later, the NFL fined Taylor $17,000 for the incident. The Redskins were eliminated the following game after losing 20-10 to the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
in the NFC Divisional Round. Taylor finished the loss with seven combined tackles and a pass deflection.


2006

Head coach Joe Gibbs named Taylor the starting free safety to start the regular season in 2006, along with starting strong safety
Adam Archuleta Adam Jason Archuleta (born November 27, 1977) is a former professional American football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at Arizona State, and was selected in the first round o ...
. On October 15, 2006, Taylor collected a season-high ten combined tackles (eight solo) and deflected a pass during a 25–22 loss to the Tennessee Titans. In Week 9, Taylor made eight combined tackles and returned a blocked 35-yard field goal attempt by Mike Vanderjagt for a 30-yard gain with less than six seconds left in the game. A facemask on Taylor by
Kyle Kosier Kyle Kosier (; born November 27, 1978) is a former American football guard who played in 143 games in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions, and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Arizona State U ...
added a 15-yard penalty and placed the Redskins in field goal range with an untimed down. Vanderjagt's game-winning field goal was blocked by
Troy Vincent Troy Darnell Vincent (born June 8, 1970) is a former American football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Dolphins as the 7th ...
and allowed Redskins' kicker
Nick Novak Nicholas Ryan Novak (born August 21, 1981) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Maryland. Novak has played for the Washington Redskins, A ...
to kick a 47-yard game-winning field goal to defeat the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
22–19. On November 26, 2006, Taylor recorded five combined tackles, two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by quarterback Jake Delhomme in the Redskins' 17–13 win against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
. He made a key fourth down tackle on Delhomme in the fourth quarter and his interception sealed the Redskins' victory. He was voted as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance. He finished the season with a career-high 111 combined tackles (86 solo), six pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and an interception in 16 games and 16 starts. During the season, Washington Redskins assistant coach Gregg Williams frequently called Taylor the best athlete that he had ever coached. Even while playing on a struggling Redskins defensive unit, Taylor's impact on the field was recognized when he was named a first alternate to the NFC's
2007 Pro Bowl The 2007 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2006 season. The game took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super B ...
team. When the NFC's first choice for safety,
Brian Dawkins Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr. (born October 13, 1973) is an American former football safety who played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Clemson and was drafted b ...
of the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, chose not to play in the Pro Bowl due to an injury, Taylor was named to the vacated spot, marking his first and only Pro Bowl appearance. A crushing hit by Taylor on
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
punter Brian Moorman in the Pro Bowl created much fan and media discussion.


2007

Prior to the start of the 2007 season, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
'' named Taylor the hardest-hitting player in the NFL. Before the season, in a rare interview, he was quoted as saying, " u 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.'" The season appeared to represent a personal turnaround for Taylor, as teammates said that he had finally gotten his life straightened out because of his daughter. Prior to the season's start, the Redskins decided to use Taylor in a more traditional free safety role with less responsibility. At the time of his death, Taylor was tied for the most interceptions in the
National Football Conference The National Football Conference (NFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL), the highest professional level of American football in the United States. The NFC and its counterpart, the American Football Conference ...
and second in the league with 5 despite having missed Weeks 11 and 12 with a knee injury. Taylor had also compiled 42 tackles, 9 passes defended and a forced fumble. On December 18, 2007, Taylor was
posthumously Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' (E ...
voted to his second Pro Bowl, becoming the first deceased player in NFL history to be elected to the Pro Bowl. During the Pro Bowl, the Redskins players who had been selected,
Chris Samuels Chris Samuels (born July 28, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Alabama, and ...
, Chris Cooley and
Ethan Albright Lawrence Ethan Albright (born May 1, 1971) is a former American football long snapper who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Washington Redskins. From 1995 to 2010, he was a member of the Redskins for ...
, wore #21 to honor Taylor. Like the Redskins had done earlier in the season, the NFC lined up with just one safety on the first play of the game.


NFL career statistics


Legal issues

In October 2004, Taylor was arrested in
Fairfax County, Virginia Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
, on a charge of
driving under the influence Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
of
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
following a birthday party in Washington, D.C., for former Redskins receiver Rod Gardner. Pulled over for driving 82 mph on the Beltway, where the speed limit is 55 mph, Taylor failed a field sobriety test and then refused a
blood alcohol Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes; it is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume or mass of blood. For example ...
(BAC) test, which resulted in his arrest. A Fairfax County judge acquitted Taylor of the charges in March 2005 after viewing a videotape of Taylor's roadside sobriety tests that, according to the judge, failed to demonstrate obvious
intoxication Intoxication — or poisoning, especially by an alcoholic or narcotic substance — may refer to: * Substance intoxication: ** Alcohol intoxication ** LSD intoxication ** Toxidrome ** Tobacco intoxication ** Cannabis intoxication ** Cocaine i ...
. Taylor was, however, convicted for refusing to take a blood alcohol test requested by a
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
state police officer. But when this case was heard on appeal in March 2005, Taylor was acquitted of refusing to take the BAC test, with the judge ruling there was a lack of probable cause for the request. Taylor was sought by police following a June 2005 incident in which bullets were fired into a stolen vehicle. During an April 2006 trial, Taylor pled
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal Trial (law), trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the def ...
to misdemeanor battery and assault charges; he was placed on 18 months probation and ordered to support ten Miami-Dade County schools by speaking about the importance of education and donating $1,000 to each school.


Death

On November 18, 2007, burglars pried open a window to Taylor's empty home and rummaged through a desk and safe. On November 26, Taylor heard noises in his house and, while investigating the cause, he was shot in the upper leg by an intruder. His fiancée, Jackie García, and their 18-month-old daughter, Jackie, were unharmed. Taylor's femoral artery was severed, causing extensive blood loss, and he died the following day. Taylor's funeral was held at the Pharmed Arena at
Florida International University Florida International University (FIU) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest uni ...
in Miami on December 3, 2007. On November 30, four menVenjah K. Hunte, 20; Eric Rivera, Jr., 17; Jason Scott Mitchell, 19; and Charles Kendrick Lee Wardlow, 18were arrested. Police said more than one confessed. All four men were charged with felony second-degree murder, armed burglary, and home invasion robbery with a firearm, charges which carried a maximum of life in prison. In May 2008, a fifth suspect, 16-year-old Timothy Brown, was charged with
first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...
and burglary. All the murder charges were subsequently increased to first-degree murder. The death penalty, however, was not sought because the gunman, Rivera, was 17 years old.


Remembrance

The
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
recognized the death of Taylor by placing a No. 21 decal on the back of all NFL players' helmets during all Week 13 games; additionally, a moment of silence was held before each game that week. Players on other teams were given the option to continue wearing the decals in subsequent weeks. Taylor was posthumously voted starting
free safety Safety is a position in gridiron football on the defense. The safeties are defensive backs who line up ten to fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. There are two variations of the position: the free safety and the strong safety. Their dut ...
for the
NFC NFC may refer to: Psychology * Need for cognition, in psychology * Need for closure, social psychological term Sports * NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game * NCAA Football Championship (Philippines) * Nati ...
team for the
2008 Pro Bowl The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am l ...
and voted a second team All-Pro. The Redskins had the number 21 painted on the field, at a parking lot entrance and in the Redskins Ring of Fame, all three of which became temporary memorials. In addition to the black No. 21 sticker on the back of every NFL helmet, the Redskins also wore the number as a patch on player uniforms, warmup shirts and coaching staff jackets, as well as unveiling a banner bearing his name and number. His locker at Redskins Park was encased in Plexiglas and left the same way Taylor had left it. The organization also established a trust fund for Taylor's daughter, Jackie. The first Redskins game after Taylor's death was on December 2, 2007, which was against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
and held at FedExField. The game began with the Redskins defense playing with 10 men on the field instead of the usual 11. Players signaled to the sky, holding up the numbers two and one, on numerous occasions. The team requested that fans arrive 25 minutes before the start of the game at 12:40pm and played a four-minute remembrance video, held a moment of silence and gave attendees commemorative towels with Taylor's number on them in his honor and memory. Teammates Chris Cooley,
Chris Samuels Chris Samuels (born July 28, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He played college football for the University of Alabama, and ...
and
Ethan Albright Lawrence Ethan Albright (born May 1, 1971) is a former American football long snapper who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Washington Redskins. From 1995 to 2010, he was a member of the Redskins for ...
all wore jerseys with No. 21 during the
2008 Pro Bowl The 2008 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2007 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 10, 2008. The game was televised in the United States by Fox and began shortly after 11:40am l ...
. The three jerseys were auctioned off and the proceeds donated to the Sean Taylor Memorial Trust Fund. The murder was covered on the Investigation Discovery show ''The Perfect Murder''. His jersey number was retired by the team in October 2021; he was the third player in the team's history to have that honor. The ceremony also included naming of a road to the stadium in his honor.


Trial

On May 12, 2008, it was announced the suspects, if convicted, would not face the death penalty, but may be subjected to life imprisonment because the suspected gunman, Eric Rivera, was only 17 at the time of the shooting. On May 15, 2008, Venjah Hunte, one of the five suspects in Taylor's murder, accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to 29 years in prison. On April 1, 2009, Hunte petitioned the court to withdraw his guilty plea. Although originally scheduled for April 7, 2008, the trial of the men charged with Sean Taylor's murder was postponed to June 2009. It was postponed by petition of the defense, saying that there were still hundreds of potential witnesses who needed to be interviewed before the trial could proceed. The trial was then delayed for a third time on June 9, 2009, for unspecified reasons. A new trial date was set for January 18, 2010, and was postponed again with a trial date of March 14, 2011. After another delay, the trial was set to begin on January 30, 2012. On January 20, 2012, a judge set a trial date of April 16 for Eric Rivera, Jr., the alleged gunman in the case. However, Rivera fired his lawyer on March 16, eventually causing delays. On July 12, the judge postponed the trial to November 5, but that date was further moved back to April 5, 2013, due to a scheduling conflict with the chief prosecutor. On April 2, 2013, the trial was again postponed to August 12 of that year. Also in August, the trial was postponed to September 16 and later rescheduled to October 15. During his trial, Rivera testified that someone else fired the gun. On November 4, a jury found Eric Rivera, Jr. guilty of second-degree murder and armed burglary, which could carry a life imprisonment sentence. On January 23, 2014, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Dennis Murphy sentenced Rivera to 57 years in prison. On June 10, Jason Scott Mitchell was convicted in Taylor's murder and sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
. On April 1, 2015, Charles Wardlow, the fourth person charged with the death of Taylor, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. A week later, the final defendant, Timmy Lee Brown, was sentenced to 18 years in prison under his plea agreement.


Legacy

Taylor was inducted posthumously as the 43rd member into the
Washington Redskins Ring of Fame Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
on November 30, 2008. Multiple players have honored Taylor by donning his jersey numbers that he wore during his college and professional career. During his college career Taylor wore No. 26 for the Miami Hurricanes. As a rookie in 2004, he wore No. 36 before switching to No. 21 for the remainder of his career. Taylor's former teammate and fellow safety Ryan Clark returned to the Washington Redskins in 2014 after an eight-year stint with the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. During practices, Clark wore No. 21 in Taylor's honor. The Washington Redskins' second round pick in the
2016 NFL Draft The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
,
Su'a Cravens Su'a Kristopher Cravens (born July 7, 1995) is a former American football strong safety. He played college football at USC, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Cravens played the linebacker pos ...
, chose No. 36 upon joining the Redskins as a rookie in dedication to Taylor. Cravens switched to No. 39 in 2017 after safety
D. J. Swearinger Dayarlo Jamal Swearinger Sr. ( ; born September 1, 1991) is an American football strong safety for the DC Defenders of the XFL. He played college football at South Carolina and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2013 ...
requested No. 36 after signing with the Redskins as a free agent. Swearinger wore No. 36 throughout four teams in his professional career as a way to honor Taylor. On April 4, 2018, the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
announced safety Landon Collins would switch from No. 27 to No. 21 to honor Taylor. Collins also wore Taylor's college number (No. 26) during his collegiate career at Alabama as a way to pay tribute. In September 2020 one of the roads leading to FedExField was renamed Sean Taylor Road in Taylor's memory. On October 17, 2021, the Washington franchise retired Sean Taylor's number 21 before a game against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
with his family in attendance. On November 27, 2022, the Washington Commanders unveiled a statue-like display honoring Sean Taylor at FedEx Field. The unveiling was followed by criticism of the design and lack of a physical statue.


References


External links

*
Sean Taylor memorial at ''Sports Encyclopedia''


* ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/02/AR.html "Fourth Taylor Suspect Appears in Court, Denied Bond," ''The Washington Post'', December 2, 2007
Sean Taylor video tribute at Yahoo

Sean Taylor
at
Find a Grave Find a Grave is a website that allows the public to search and add to an online database of cemetery records. It is owned by Ancestry.com. Its stated mission is "to help people from all over the world work together to find, record and present fin ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Sean 1983 births 2007 deaths All-American college football players American football safeties Deaths by firearm in Florida Male murder victims Miami Hurricanes football players Murdered African-American people National Conference Pro Bowl players National Football League players with retired numbers People from Homestead, Florida People from Palmetto Bay, Florida People murdered in Florida Players of American football from Miami Gulliver Preparatory School alumni Washington Redskins players Former Seventh-day Adventists