RIP 21
Sean Taylor #21, Free Safety, Washington Redskins
April 1, 1983 – November 27, 2007
Sean Taylor was my favorite football player on my favorite football team. By now you all know that he was killed in his own home, in his own bedroom, when an intruder shot him in the femoral artery Monday morning. I have several thoughts on this matter, and a lot I want to say.
First and foremost is the media. You always hear people say “the media…” blah, blah, blah. Well, as Chris Rock said “the media never killed nobody” (except maybe Princess Di) but that’s another story. Here is what the media did do. They have made Sean Taylor look like a low life thug, when nothing could be further from the truth. You see Sean Taylor did not talk to the media. He talked to ONE reporter and that was Kelly Johnson from Comcast Sportsnet, a local television station here in the D.C. area. He did not trust the media. He had a few very good reasons for that, and now I see why. Ever since his death, they start his story by showing him in court, talking about his past indiscretions, and basically saying he had this coming.
Here are the facts. He was arrested for a DUI. He was acquitted. If anybody has ever been arrested for a DUI, DWI, etc. they automatically cannot pass judgment – you can be excused now. If anyone has ever had too much to drink and gotten behind the wheel, you can also be excused – you just weren’t caught! I am included in that one by the way. Sean was also ACCUSED of waving a loaded handgun at a group of guys who stole his ATV. He denied ever having a gun, but admitted he beat up the guy who stole it. Now, the D.A. in the case was fired when they found out that he had ZERO evidence, and only went after Sean to promote his own DJ career. Sean pleaded to misdemeanor charges. Again, I have thrown down a few times in my life and could have been charged with the same misdemeanors. If you are included in this, stand up and say “Aye”. Those are the facts. Hardly a thug! That was the only trouble he was ever in! Period.
Here are some more facts. Sean Taylor was 20 years old when he was drafted. He signed a $15 million dollar contract and was full of himself. That is from the coach, Joe Gibbs, himself. His daughter was born in May of 2006 – two months after my daughter. Ever since then, he did not go out at all! That is from his best friends – the ones who knew him best. The mother of his child, Jackie Garcia, was his fiancé. They had been together since high school. She said that he would go to practice, come home, and spend every waking moment with her and their daughter. Then he would watch film for the upcoming opponent. That was his daily schedule. He was a good guy, a good father, and a good man to the love of his life.
What happened here? Sean was not allowed to travel with the team to Tampa because of his knee injury. His fiancé and child went to Miami on Friday to visit family for the Thanksgiving weekend. Sean met them down there and was going to have a second opinion on his knee while in town. According to his fiancé, as told by Clinton Portis, Sean woke up Sunday, worked out, and watched the Redskins game. He was frustrated by the loss, so he jumped on his bicycle and rode about 30 miles. He came home and watched some film. He, his fiancé, and his daughter ate dinner, and they went to bed around 8:30pm that night. We all know what happened next.
He is gone now. There is nothing anyone can do to bring him back. I am not going to recite all of the stories that have come out about what kind of father he was, and how good he was to everyone that came in contact with him off of the field. I will only say this: decide for yourselves. Don’t listen to the media. Go and listen to Clinton Portis’s interview with John Thompson on sportstalk980.com
You can also listen to audio from Sean himself about being a father, being a teammate, and just trying to be the best he can at everything. Go to the Redskins website and read the stories from the people that knew him best. See what kind of man was taken away from this world.
How do I feel? Well, I’m hurting. I wanted to write this two days ago, but I was too distraught. I didn’t even know Sean Taylor, but I feel like I lost a family member. Again, he was my favorite football player! There are other reasons too. We both have daughters the same age. There is nothing scarier for me than the thought of dying with my daughter so young. It tears my heart out to think of her growing up and not knowing who I was or remembering me. Sean felt that way too. It hits home! I love my daughter with everything I have, and to think that she wouldn’t know that hurts more than you can know. My son is at the age where he would at least have memories. Not that it would make it any easier on him, but you get my point.
It also hurts because of something that Joe Gibbs said Tuesday. He said that Sean had been in chapel every week since his daughter was born. He was living the straight and narrow, and was just doing everything he could to be a better man for his daughter. He told Coach Gibbs during a one on one talk this past off-season that he found his purpose in life. Coach asked him what that was and Sean said “God made me to play football. The reason I am here on earth is to be the best football player that has ever played the game.” Coach Gibbs said that he knew that Sean was on his way to do just that. At the time of his death, Sean was leading the NFC in interceptions – despite missing the last two games! He was also the most feared safety in the league a la Ronnie Lott. His opponents respected him as much as his teammates did.
He had his entire life in front of him, family, football, and whatever else was coming his way. One shot in the dark and it’s gone. A little baby girl loses the father she will never remember; a young lady loses the love of her life; a father and mother lose their son; a football team loses their emotional leader; and Redskin Nation loses our most cherished player – on and off the field. There is a term we have about being a “true Redskin”. Sean was that to us. He exemplified what it meant to leave it all on the field week in and week out, for every play of the game. He also did his part off of the field. If there was a kid around, he had a handshake, and autograph, and most importantly, a smile. He made people feel comfortable around him. The pain runs deep, and hurts more than can imagine to a great deal of people. And to think that this was just one person.
RIP 21 – you and your family will forever live in our hearts. May God bless your soul, and give strength to your family and the many you touched while on this earth.
P.S. This will set up my next blog…coming soon to a webpage near you.
Sean Taylor #21, Free Safety, Washington Redskins
April 1, 1983 – November 27, 2007
Sean Taylor was my favorite football player on my favorite football team. By now you all know that he was killed in his own home, in his own bedroom, when an intruder shot him in the femoral artery Monday morning. I have several thoughts on this matter, and a lot I want to say.
First and foremost is the media. You always hear people say “the media…” blah, blah, blah. Well, as Chris Rock said “the media never killed nobody” (except maybe Princess Di) but that’s another story. Here is what the media did do. They have made Sean Taylor look like a low life thug, when nothing could be further from the truth. You see Sean Taylor did not talk to the media. He talked to ONE reporter and that was Kelly Johnson from Comcast Sportsnet, a local television station here in the D.C. area. He did not trust the media. He had a few very good reasons for that, and now I see why. Ever since his death, they start his story by showing him in court, talking about his past indiscretions, and basically saying he had this coming.
Here are the facts. He was arrested for a DUI. He was acquitted. If anybody has ever been arrested for a DUI, DWI, etc. they automatically cannot pass judgment – you can be excused now. If anyone has ever had too much to drink and gotten behind the wheel, you can also be excused – you just weren’t caught! I am included in that one by the way. Sean was also ACCUSED of waving a loaded handgun at a group of guys who stole his ATV. He denied ever having a gun, but admitted he beat up the guy who stole it. Now, the D.A. in the case was fired when they found out that he had ZERO evidence, and only went after Sean to promote his own DJ career. Sean pleaded to misdemeanor charges. Again, I have thrown down a few times in my life and could have been charged with the same misdemeanors. If you are included in this, stand up and say “Aye”. Those are the facts. Hardly a thug! That was the only trouble he was ever in! Period.
Here are some more facts. Sean Taylor was 20 years old when he was drafted. He signed a $15 million dollar contract and was full of himself. That is from the coach, Joe Gibbs, himself. His daughter was born in May of 2006 – two months after my daughter. Ever since then, he did not go out at all! That is from his best friends – the ones who knew him best. The mother of his child, Jackie Garcia, was his fiancé. They had been together since high school. She said that he would go to practice, come home, and spend every waking moment with her and their daughter. Then he would watch film for the upcoming opponent. That was his daily schedule. He was a good guy, a good father, and a good man to the love of his life.
What happened here? Sean was not allowed to travel with the team to Tampa because of his knee injury. His fiancé and child went to Miami on Friday to visit family for the Thanksgiving weekend. Sean met them down there and was going to have a second opinion on his knee while in town. According to his fiancé, as told by Clinton Portis, Sean woke up Sunday, worked out, and watched the Redskins game. He was frustrated by the loss, so he jumped on his bicycle and rode about 30 miles. He came home and watched some film. He, his fiancé, and his daughter ate dinner, and they went to bed around 8:30pm that night. We all know what happened next.
He is gone now. There is nothing anyone can do to bring him back. I am not going to recite all of the stories that have come out about what kind of father he was, and how good he was to everyone that came in contact with him off of the field. I will only say this: decide for yourselves. Don’t listen to the media. Go and listen to Clinton Portis’s interview with John Thompson on sportstalk980.com
You can also listen to audio from Sean himself about being a father, being a teammate, and just trying to be the best he can at everything. Go to the Redskins website and read the stories from the people that knew him best. See what kind of man was taken away from this world.
How do I feel? Well, I’m hurting. I wanted to write this two days ago, but I was too distraught. I didn’t even know Sean Taylor, but I feel like I lost a family member. Again, he was my favorite football player! There are other reasons too. We both have daughters the same age. There is nothing scarier for me than the thought of dying with my daughter so young. It tears my heart out to think of her growing up and not knowing who I was or remembering me. Sean felt that way too. It hits home! I love my daughter with everything I have, and to think that she wouldn’t know that hurts more than you can know. My son is at the age where he would at least have memories. Not that it would make it any easier on him, but you get my point.
It also hurts because of something that Joe Gibbs said Tuesday. He said that Sean had been in chapel every week since his daughter was born. He was living the straight and narrow, and was just doing everything he could to be a better man for his daughter. He told Coach Gibbs during a one on one talk this past off-season that he found his purpose in life. Coach asked him what that was and Sean said “God made me to play football. The reason I am here on earth is to be the best football player that has ever played the game.” Coach Gibbs said that he knew that Sean was on his way to do just that. At the time of his death, Sean was leading the NFC in interceptions – despite missing the last two games! He was also the most feared safety in the league a la Ronnie Lott. His opponents respected him as much as his teammates did.
He had his entire life in front of him, family, football, and whatever else was coming his way. One shot in the dark and it’s gone. A little baby girl loses the father she will never remember; a young lady loses the love of her life; a father and mother lose their son; a football team loses their emotional leader; and Redskin Nation loses our most cherished player – on and off the field. There is a term we have about being a “true Redskin”. Sean was that to us. He exemplified what it meant to leave it all on the field week in and week out, for every play of the game. He also did his part off of the field. If there was a kid around, he had a handshake, and autograph, and most importantly, a smile. He made people feel comfortable around him. The pain runs deep, and hurts more than can imagine to a great deal of people. And to think that this was just one person.
RIP 21 – you and your family will forever live in our hearts. May God bless your soul, and give strength to your family and the many you touched while on this earth.
P.S. This will set up my next blog…coming soon to a webpage near you.
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1 comment:
I don't have much to add. It's just so sad. Maybe we'll learn more about what happened, but at this point it sounds like some improbable bad luck. The femoral artery. Man. That's tragic.
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