Vision Quest: In An Instant

We have all had those moments in our life. We have gotten laid off out of the blue. We have failed at a home improvement project. A child has been hurt and must go to the hospital. A divorce from someone you thought you would grow old with. These moments have been hard and life defining and become bookmarks in the chapters of our lives.

Not many of us have had to deal with the sad news that the Taylor family must deal with this morning.

Last night Sean Taylor, starting Free Safety of the Washington Redskins, but more importantly a loved father and son, passed away after a valiant fight for his life. A victim of a senseless crime just over hours before, his wounds proved to be too much for him to overcome. At the young age of 24, he is survived by his 18 month old daughter Jackie and his fiancé.

We don’t know much about the crime itself but this we do know. Sean Taylor was shot in his home, outside of his bedroom as he went to investigate an apparent robbery attempt. He died while doing the most instinctual of all human behavior, a father’s desire to protect his family and loved ones from harm. He was shot in the leg and it severed his femoral artery. He was airlifted to a nearby trauma center and endured 6 hours of surgery. The news throughout the day looked bleak as he remained unresponsive after surgery, however by the end of the day there was some hope for recovery.

That hope was dashed as he lost his grip on this world early this morning. Football seems so distant right now, so meaningless. But it is through football that we as fans got to meet this humble misunderstood kid. He was born on April fools day in 1983, but on the football field he was no one’s fool. His athletic talent was evident at a very young age. In high school he started at running back and defensive back and linebacker. In 2000 he rushed for over 1300 yards, and rushing twice for over 400 yards in his the state playoffs. He also racked up over 200 tackles in that same season. He was ranked the #1 skill athlete and an All American by SuperPrep.

In 2001 Taylor enrolled in the University of Miami at the Apex of that powerful schools football dominance. During his time there he changed the way a Safety played in college football. His 3 Interception returns for touchdowns in 2003 is a single season record for the University of
Miami. In addition he returned punts and blocked kicks, many times for scores there as well.

However we will remember him for his career in Burgundy and Gold. Taylor’s selection in the 2004 draft in the fifth spot was the subject of much debate amongst Redskin Nation. However shortly after his signing he proved all critics wrong as he displayed a combination of speed and size never before seen at the safety position. He had 89 tackles, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack in his rookie season.

In 2005 despite a tumultuous off season Taylor turned in one of the best years of his now too short career. Stat wise he only recorded 70 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 sack, however he solidified his place as the hardest hitter in the NFL. Wide Receivers now feared crossing the middle of the field. Alligator arms was now a term that was commonly used during Redskin broadcasts as receivers routinely refused to lay out for balls across the middle for fear of a hit from Taylor. And in our only playoff win this millennium; Taylor had a key touchdown return that helped propel the Redskins to victory.

In 2006, Taylor was one of the lone bright spots in a struggling injury depleted Redskins defense. He recorded 129 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 1 interception during this season. Despite the poor play of the Redskins Defensive unit, Sean was selected to his only Pro-Bowl. However he made it memorable as he leveled out punter Brian Moorman on an attempted trick play.

In 2007 Taylor was putting together his best season as a pro. In just 9 games he had already racked up 42 tackles, 5 interceptions, & 1 forced fumble. Playing a true free safety for the first time in his pro-career he had the ability to take away the deep ball single handedly. He was just starting to scratch the surface of his ability when a knee injury sat him down for the last two games. All signs though pointed to a triumphant return, perhaps as early as this Sunday.

However that will never come. We will never know how good Sean Taylor was going to be and the Redskins, in fact the entire NFL, are the lesser for it. Superstar athletes are increasingly becoming targets of crime because of their fame and wealth. We simply do not know at this point why this senseless tragedy happened. And in the weeks to come the investigation into this matter will no doubt answer many of our questions.

But for now we all must deal with the fact that this star athlete, this promising young man, this father, son, and soon to be husband is no longer with us. He was struck down in his home defending his family in the prime of his life. Now his family and friends must find a way to move on. And we as fans must find a way to say goodbye. We will never see the #21 and his bone-jarring hits, game changing speed, and pure athletic ability except in our memories.

And it is there I will remember Sean Taylor. I will remember Todd Pinkston absolutely refusing to catch a ball because Taylor was bearing down on him. I will remember him matching up against the opposing team’s best wide receiver and taking him out of the game. I will remember Brian Moorman digging his way out of the 6 foot hole Taylor planted him in. And I will remember him diving into the end zone in Tampa.

But mostly I will remember how I felt the day we drafted him. I felt proud to be a Redskin fan. I felt that we were drafting the Lawrence Taylor of the new century. I still feel that way, and always will. Sean will forever be in our memory and hearts, and in our collective consciousness he will gain immortality as he goes on to his next defensive assignment; to look down on his daughter from heaven and protect her.

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