Sean Taylor (1983-2007)

Usually I am itching to get on here to write about someone or something from the world of sports who I want to give a sarcastic spanking and/or face kicking to. Not this time.

By now, I think most people know that Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was killed yesterday at his home when an intruder broke in and shot him smack dab in the femoral artery. After a full day of unconsciousness, Taylor was pronounced dead this morning. For those who never saw Taylor play football you need to go and Youtube some of his hits. I have watched football for many years and have seen very few hit like Taylor. There is a lot of footage of him mercilessly crushing running backs and wide receivers...and punter Brian Moorman on a fake punt...at the Pro Bowl! (Seriously, you must Youtube that one). This year he was leading the NFL in interceptions when he was injured a few weeks back. And he was only 24 years old!

The football side of Sean Taylor was nothing short of spectacular. The other side of Sean Taylor was the opposite. He was a young guy who had a history of run ins with the law highlighted by DUI and weapons convictions. However, there was word that he had recently been cleaning up his life and making positive changes. Like I have written about before, I will reserve any judgments for a good period of time until the whole story emerges. The information I have does not grant me the right to say that Taylor was shot because of his lifestyle. A lifestyle that seemed to embrace the darker sides of life. I don't have the right to make that declaration.

I will however say this. When a fellow teacher told me yesterday that news had come out that a Washington Redskins player had been shot....Sean Taylor immediately came to mind. And thats kind of sad. And a part of me really wanted to go home and find out I was wrong. And that part of me was disappointed to come home and find out I was right. Despite any of the circumstances surrounding his death and the junk that is going to be played up so that newspaper/tv writers can slant his death to voice their own opinions...the fact is this: that a 24 year old man with all the god-given talent anyone in this world could ever want, is dead. And that seems like a tragedy to me.