R.I.P. Sean Taylor
Staff Writer Danny Uscinski

It’s been a sad week for football, and in particular, Washington Redskins fans everywhere. 

The Redskins are in the middle of a tight NFC wild card playoff race, and it all just seems so irrelevant now. Sean Taylor passed away last Tuesday after being shot in his Florida residence early Monday morning. 

The bullet struck and tore through the fibular artery in the upper thigh.  This causes significant blood loss, and the brain cannot compensate.  Speaking with a doctor, I learned that it was amazing Taylor was able to fight as long as he did.  This speaks volumes for the type of person and football player he was. 

Fans have known Taylor as a natural athletic talent on the football field.  Blessed with the frame of a middle linebacker, and the speed of a defensive back, Taylor was the new prototype safety in the league.  A true warrior who struck fear into the hearts of opposing offensive players, Taylor was seen as one of the hardest hitters in the NFL.

On Monday morning, Taylor and his girlfriend were awoken by a noise in his Florida home.  Sean told her to stay put with their one-year-old daughter Jackie, and went to see what the noise was.  An intruder kicked in the bedroom door and fired two shots, one fatally striking Taylor in the leg.  After being airlifted to the hospital, Taylor's chances looked grim. 

Later that day, fans and family received a glimpse of hope when Taylor was able to respond to doctor’s instructions to squeeze their hand.  But Taylor never regained consciousness and passed away at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. 

Speaking about his friend, Clinton Portis said, “that man had changed his life, that man changed his mentality, changed his attitude. He came to work with a defined happiness.”

Friends now say that last squeeze of the doctor’s hand was Sean’s way of saying goodbye. In four short years Taylor has been able to provide us with a plethora of highlight reels including devastating hits, interceptions and game changing plays.  There have been vigils for Sean at Redskins Park in Ashburn, where the outcry of fans can be seen and heard for miles.

A Redskins source said, “This is the only thing that could have happened to prevent Sean from becoming one of the, if not the, best defensive backs to ever play the game.” 

A quiet individual that did not pay much tribute to the news media, fans were not able to get to know Sean on a personal level.  But as a football player, fans will miss Sean Taylor dearly. 

Set up as one of the cornerstones for a new Redskins franchise, Taylor was the best player they had on defense.  A talent on the field like no one has ever seen, and an asset to any football team he would have played for. 

The shooter shot Taylor in his leg, but struck the Washington Redskins franchise in the heart.  The loss of Taylor has shaken the Redskins franchise to its very core.  The overwhelming amount of love and support shown to the Taylor family by Redskins fans is a tribute to the kind of beloved player Sean Taylor was.      
                
He leaves behind his girlfriend and his one-year-old daughter Jackie. 

R.I.P. Sean, you will not be forgotten.