How will you remember Sean Taylor?

by Skin Patrol on Nov 27, 2007 5:39 PM EST in Miscellaneous Comment 15 comments

44.3%
Hardest, most feared tackler in NFL
29.5%
A great Redskin, a great teammate
23.7%
A young father coming into his own

Total Votes: 32225

And there's nothing wrong with that. While his greatest impact on the world was as a father, which is a more important role than football player -- as Taylor knew as well as anyone -- the vast majority of us were not connected to him in that capacity. I voted: Hardest, most feared tackler in the NFL, because that's what I loved about Sean Taylor. I loved being able to watch him lay wood on opposing players and claim him as my own. I loved writing about Sean Taylor no fewer than 130 times. I loved that AOL Sports considered him the 2nd Baddest Man of all time for emulating a "runaway train" to great effect against opposing players. I loved cheering for him as Sports Illustrated's Top Hitter in the NFL. I'll love that in his KSK memorial, the original Meast (Man-Beast) is tagged eloquently and completely as "Badass". Because that's what Sean Taylor was: A total, complete, and absolute bad ass. He played the game, more than any person I've ever seen play the game, as though it mattered, as though he cared about every single play like it were the last one he'd get. Whereas many were questioning whether Sean Taylor's Pro Bowl hit on Brian Moorman was out of line, I was absolutely loving it. Afterall, that's what made Sean Taylor such an outstanding entertainer; he played the most aggressive sport exactly how we all know it should be played: with awe-inspiring reckless abandon. And that is exactly how he felt about the game. From my all time favorite Sean Taylor quote per The Washington Post:

"It's almost like we play a kid's game for a king's ransom," Taylor said, "and if you don't take it seriously enough, one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have did this, or I could have did that.' I'll just say that I'm healthy right now, and I'm going into my fourth year, so why not do the best that I can? Whether it's eating right, whether it's training myself right, or whether it's studying harder. It's whatever I can do to better myself."

That is how I will choose to remember Sean Taylor the football player.

Unfortunately, that's the only extent that I really knew Sean Taylor. I never had the pleasure of meeting him as a fan, though I'm told by Extreme Skins that there was never a nicer person more willing to hang out and sign things for Redskins enthusiasts like myself. And thus what I knew about Sean Taylor the man was limited to whatever little bit of his character I could glean from his play and the few but impressive quotes shy #21 was willing to grace the rest of us mere mortals with. Those both told volumes about him as a man.

But more importantly, and although facts are still coming in, here's what I think I'll remember about Sean Taylor the man: Knowing full well that someone had tried to break into his house earlier that week, Sean Taylor asked Coach Gibbs if he could return home to protect his house and family, walked into a gun fight armed with a knife and almost fucking won. He survived a mortal arterial wound for 24 hours despite flatlining twice and losing huge volumes of blood. Why? Because even Death gets alligator arms when the Real Grim Reaper goes at him Brave, on the Warpath.

At least that is how I'll remember it. And years from now, when my own children are watching old highlights of Sean Taylor launching himself from sideline to sideline, ruining the opposition, I'll make sure that's how they remember him too. Gone but never forgotten.

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A Repost Incase others Didn't see..Smile

Remember when Freddie mitchel of the eagles was going over the middle and he saw the MEAST and completly ducked for his life and was booed mercessly in philly?! LMAO or the Comeback in dallas when he seperated P. Crayton from the ball and his soul! And i mean the Pro Bowl HIT!! You know it caused some seismic event somewhere on the planet...i mean did you see the Tecmo Bowl version?! Priceless!

Sean Taylor is gone which is very said but is in a better place.

PS...or the time he took Randy Moss out of the game by himself during his last time in a Vikings uni

by CptChaosSidekick on Nov 27, 2007 5:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

yes that was well writen

yes that was very well written...the redskins have lost a great safety friend and family member....he will be missed and he will always be in our hearts...

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by skinsfan3018211 on Nov 28, 2007 7:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Skin Patrol

That was a incredibly well written, and fitting tribute. You've done well.

by Chiefs Fan on Nov 27, 2007 6:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Love this story

That quote is incredible. This man is the definition of a core redskin, he loved playing here. The real man of steel and a true warrior till death.

Shocked and heart broken.

by Sincethebeginning on Nov 27, 2007 7:43 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

R.I.P Sean Taylor

God needed a safety. He got a great one.

by bigyankeefan02025 on Nov 27, 2007 8:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

R.I.P Sean Taylor

Today, as a Cowboys fan, I'm doing something I never thought I'd do. Post on a Redskins' blog. Just wanted to give my best and wish God speed to the family and friends of Sean Taylor. Can't really imagine what they're going through. Such a promising young player and man gone. As a hardcore football fan this really hits home to us all I guess. Nothing I say can really impart what I feel so I'll just say that his family will be in my prayers.

The Cowboys recently signed Tank Johnson and when he was asked about why he kept so many guns around he said he was afraid of these type of home invasions that have been happening to pro athletes. I snickered when I heard it and now it hits home. Someone needs to tell some of these mediots that Sean Taylor was THE VICTIM!!! Not a perpetrator. I don't care about his past. He was attacked in his home and killed. In is and his family's sanctuary. RIP Sean Taylor.

by kameleon on Nov 27, 2007 8:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I appreciate the kind words.

I want to point out that Sean Taylor does not have a criminal history. He has a history of being accused of crimes, but also a history of being acquitted of them.

I will post more on that at a later date. For now, I appreciate all the supportive comments about Sean from Redskins fans and opposing fans alike. You have all been wonderful.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Nov 27, 2007 8:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

RIP Taylor

Much like Kameleon above, I too am a Cowboys fan. I love my team and root for them very hard every week. I personally dislike the Redskins a great deal much like I dislike the Giants and the Eagles. It is rather safe to say that there is a mutual dislike between our fans and the fans of this board, (maybe even hatred by some).

With that said, this is just a game. Terrible incidents like this really put misplaced hatred and even passion into perspective. I used to hate Sean Taylor the football player, but I never knew the man. I never knew his past but just believed stereotypes about him. He was a thug in my eyes and, to be honest, was up until today. I don't know for certain if he really ever was that stereotype now after hearing so many speak of him in high regard. It really is a shame the way labels can follow a person in all professions.

I will still wake up tomorrow with true dislike for the Redskins as a competitor of the Cowboys; however, during times like this I believe all fans of the sport get brought together. I can't even imagine the feelings I would have if Ware were shot and killed, but the equivalent happened to you as fans today. You lost your best defensive player and a member of your community. But again, as I mentioned above, this goes well beyond football. The sport is just a way we are all brought together. This is about murder and a family no longer having a son, father, or partner. For that I am terribly sorry for the family, friends, and fans of Sean and I just wanted to offer my sincere condolences.

Rest in peace Sean. You will be missed.

Daniel

by Male26Dan on Nov 27, 2007 8:39 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

suspicious

Something is very suspicious about this death. ESPN just reported Taylor's phone lines were cut to his house.

by dcowboys247 on Nov 27, 2007 11:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Word on this...

980 reported that Taylor's attorney had clarified this. He spoke with Taylor's girlfriend and it was determined that the phone lines were merely down and not cut. This is unconfirmable currently via a link, though I'm sure more on this will be written about tomorrow.

The "phone line cuts" certainly was a suspicious and terrifying bit of anectdote to the entire incident, though an easily confirmed one (since it would simply be a function of checking with the phone company to see if they experienced any area-wide service outtages).

Obviously, if the phone lines were cut, it would strongly suggest that what happened was not a random home-invasion but rather premeditated murder. There are Dangerous People out there.

In either event, Sean Taylor defended his family against an attacker willing to kill. That makes him a hero.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Nov 27, 2007 11:40 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Re:

This should clear up some of it: Redskins Insider.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Nov 27, 2007 11:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Still not buying the botched burglary.

JLC posts that "Sharpstein said the intruder/intruders kicked in the door, immediately fired two shots into the bedroom - one of which struck Sean, ultimately killing him - the retreated without ever entering the bedroom". (See Redskins Insider link above).

It doesn't take a wise man to realize that, if that's really how things went down, the intruder(s) had one goal, and one goal only. The same goal that was unrealized the Saturday before.

And while he neither confirmed nor denied that the phone lines were cut, he did report that a dial tone could not be immediately obtained by ST's girlfriend.

I admit, speculation's got the best of me.

Just when I thought I was at peace with what happened, reading your tribute has me welling up like a 10 year old boy who just lost his puppy. Again. Well done sir Skin Patrol. I'm relatively new to your blog and wouldn't know it if I bumped into you, yet somehow I feel like we've been through something together.

Hardest, most feared tackler in the NFL. That's the Sean Taylor I will always remember.

by ReggieBullits on Nov 28, 2007 1:01 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Appreciate the ones still with us

and learn to move on when others leave us. We have to be strong for those that depend on us.

by Arctic Bronco on Nov 28, 2007 12:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Great tribute

While I'm not a Redskins fan, I do live around D.C. and I don't have DirecTV so I end up watching a lot of Redskins games. I can honestly say that Sean was one of my top 5 favorite non-Colt players in the NFL to watch and you did an awesome job of putting into words what made him such a joy to watch on Sundays. He'll be dearly missed.

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by JakeTheSnake on Nov 28, 2007 12:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs