Tribute to Sean Taylor

In Memorium of Sean Taylor
Remembering a Great Athlete Who Played With Passion

By: Joshua Fischman

The Washington Redskins have lost two heart-breaking games in as many weeks, but many -- including myself -- have not been watching. As a Los Angeleno transplanted in Washington D.C., I am not a fan of the Redskins. However, I am a fan of football. This is why I stopped watching the 'Skins after Sean Taylor went down with an ankle injury. The hard-hitting, Pro Bowl safety was the heart and soul of the Redskins team. Now, Sean Taylor will never be returning to the defensive huddle. The former Miami Hurricane star has died as a result of a fatal gunshot wound at the age of 24.

Washington defensive coordinator Gregg Williams says that Taylor is the best athlete he has every coached. There has been little question about Taylor's immense talent. However, Taylor used to be perceived as a trouble-maker. The safety would often get called for careless penalties. For example, in a 2006 playoff game against the Buccaneers Taylor was ejected for spitting in the face of Bucs running back Michael Pittman.

However, with the birth of Taylor's first child, he seemingly changed overnight and a new, mature man was patrolling the Redskins secondary. "Ever since he had his child, it was like a new Sean," says longtime teammate Clinton Portis. "He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child."

In addition to his new attitude, Sean Taylor had become a team leader; leading a Redskins team that had five wins in all of 2006-07 to five wins in their first eight games this season.

Now that Sean Taylor is gone, how will this man be remembered? The football community will remember Taylor as a passionate athlete, one of the NFL's hardest hitters and a shutdown safety. Taylor played with a passion that is extremely rare in an age where athletes are usually perceived as people who care most about making money. Others who knew him will likely remember Taylor as a family man and an all-around good guy.

But above all else, Taylor's senseless death serves to reinforce the fragility of life for all of us. If a strong, young athlete's life can be cut short in one second, we are certainly all vulnerable to death. With this in mind, it is important to enjoy our lives as fully as we can.

R.I.P. Sean Taylor (1983-2007).

[Editor's note: Deli writer Paul Topchyan contributed to this report.]

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In Memorium of Sean Taylor Remembering a Great Athlete Who Played With Passion By: Joshua Fischman The Washington Redskins have lost two heart-breaking games in as many weeks, but many -- including myself -- have not been watching. As a Los Angeleno transplanted in Washington D.C., I am not a fan of the Redskins. However, I am a fan of football. This is why I stopped watching the 'Skins after Sean Taylor went down with an ankle injury. The hard-hitting, Pro Bowl safety was the heart and soul of the Redskins team. Now, Sean Taylor will never be returning to the defensive huddle. The former Miami Hurricane star has died as a result of a fatal gunshot wound at the age of 24. Washington defensive coordinator Gregg Williams says that Taylor is the best athlete he has every coached. There has been little question about Taylor's immense talent. However, Taylor used to be perceived as a trouble-maker. The safety would often get called for careless penalties. For example, in a 2006 playoff game against the Buccaneers Taylor was ejected for spitting in the face of Bucs running back Michael Pittman. However, with the birth of Taylor's first child, he seemingly changed overnight and a new, mature man was patrolling the Redskins secondary. "Ever since he had his child, it was like a new Sean," says longtime teammate Clinton Portis. "He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child." In addition to his new attitude, Sean Taylor had become a team leader; leading a Redskins team that had five wins in all of 2006-07 to five wins in their first eight games this season. Now that Sean Taylor is gone, how will this man be remembered? The football community will remember Taylor as a passionate athlete, one of the NFL's hardest hitters and a shutdown safety. Taylor played with a passion that is extremely rare in an age where athletes are usually perceived as people who care most about making money. Others who knew him will likely remember Taylor as a family man and an all-around good guy. But above all else, Taylor's senseless death serves to reinforce the fragility of life for all of us. If a strong, young athlete's life can be cut short in one second, we are certainly all vulnerable to death. With this in mind, it is important to enjoy our lives as fully as we can. R.I.P. Sean Taylor (1983-2007). [Editor's note: Deli writer Paul Topchyan contributed to this report.]