Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died early Tuesday, a day after he was shot at home by what police say was an intruder. He was 24.
Family friend Richard Sharpstein said Taylor's father told him the news around 5:30 a.m.
"His father called and said he was with Christ and he cried and thanked me," said Sharpstein, Taylor's former lawyer. "It's a tremendously sad and unnecessary event. He was a wonderful, humble, talented young man, and had a huge life in front of him. Obviously God had other plans."
He said Taylor died early Tuesday at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he had been airlifted after the shooting early Monday.
Doctors had been encouraged late Monday when Taylor squeezed a nurse's hand, according to Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' vice president of football operations. But Sharpstein said he was told Taylor never regained consciousness after being transported to the hospital and that he wasn't sure how he had squeezed the nurse's hand.
"Maybe he was trying to say goodbye or something," Sharpstein said.
Taylor was shot early Monday in the upper leg, damaging an artery and causing significant blood loss.
"According to a preliminary investigation, it appears that the victim was shot inside the home by an intruder," Miami-Dade County police said in a statement.
But police were still investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor's home. Officers were dispatched about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor's girlfriend called 911.
Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, Sharpstein said. Taylor's 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house, but neither she nor Taylor's girlfriend were injured.
Police found signs of forced entry, but have not determined if they were caused Monday, or the previous burglary.
The shooting happened in the pale yellow house he bought two years ago in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay. Eight days before the attack someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed at Taylor's home, according to police.
"They're really sifting through that incident and today's incident," Miami-Dade Detective Mario Rachid said, "to see if there's any correlation."
Born April 1, 1983, Taylor starred as a running back and defensive back at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami. His father, Pedro Taylor, is police chief of Florida City.
A private man with a small inner circle, Taylor rarely granted interviews. But, behind the scenes, Taylor was described as personable and smart - an emerging locker room leader.
Sean Taylor died Tuesday morning after his femoral artery was severed in a shooting early Monday morning. (Nick Wass / Associated Press)
Especially since the birth of his daughter.
"From the first day I met him, from then to now, it's just like night and day," Redskins receiver James Thrash said. "He's really got his head on his shoulders and has been doing really well as far as just being a man. It's been awesome to see that growth."
An All-American at the University of Miami, Taylor was drafted by the Redskins as the fifth overall selection in 2004. Coach Joe Gibbs called it "one of the most researched things" he'd ever done, but the problems soon began. Taylor fired his agent, then skipped part of the NFL's mandatory rookie symposium, drawing a $25,000 fine. Driving home late from a party during the season, he was pulled over and charged with drunken driving. The case was dismissed in court, but by then it had become a months-long distraction for the team.
Taylor also was fined at least seven times for late hits, uniform violations and other infractions over his first three seasons, including a $17,000 penalty for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a playoff game in January 2006.
Meanwhile, Taylor endured a yearlong legal battle after he was accused in 2005 of brandishing a gun at a man during a fight over allegedly stolen all-terrain vehicles near Taylor's home. He eventually pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.
Taylor said the end of the assault case was like "a gray cloud" being lifted. It was also around the time that Jackie was born, and teammates noticed a change.
"It's hard to expect a man to grow up overnight," said Redskins teammate and close friend Clinton Portis, who also played with Taylor at the University of Miami. "But ever since he had his child, it was like a new Sean, and everybody around here knew it. He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child."
On the field, Taylor's play was often erratic. Assistant coach Gregg Williams frequently called Taylor the best athlete he'd ever coached, but nearly every big play was mitigated by a blown assignment. Taylor led the NFL in missed tackles in 2006 yet made the Pro Bowl because of his reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the league.
This year, however, Taylor was allowed to play a true free safety position, using his speed and power to chase down passes and crush would-be receivers. His five interceptions tie for the league lead in the NFC, even though he missed the last two games because of a sprained knee.
"I just take this job very seriously," Taylor said in a rare group interview during training camp. "It's almost like, you play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that.'
"So I just say, 'I'm healthy right now, I'm going into my fourth year, and why not do the best that I can?' And that's whatever it is, whether it's eating right or training myself right, whether it's studying harder, whatever I can do to better myself."
His hard work was well-noted.
"He loved football. He felt like that's what he was made to do," Gibbs said. "And I think what I've noticed over the last year and a half ... is he matured. I think his baby had a huge impact on him. There was a real growing up in his life."
Sean Taylor, Redskins Player, dies from gunshot wound.
:(
Sean Taylor, Redskins Player, dies from gunshot wound.
they may be copper,
annoying little coins! but,
they might be giants.
annoying little coins! but,
they might be giants.
I was shocked
I sat in my parked car for 10 min when I learned that he had passed away just after he was showing signs of improvement. Not only was this guy a great guy off the field, but this was the best player the Redskins had produced from the draft in over a decade. Sean, was to be the corner of a dominating defense for many many years to come. Now, not only am I saddened for his loss, but the Redskins just took a HUGE hit in becoming contenders down the road.
For those who don't follow football, this would if someone like Dwayne Wade, Cal Ripken, or Jonathan Papelbon were killed just at the beginning of their prime. This is a truly devastating lost.
I sat in my parked car for 10 min when I learned that he had passed away just after he was showing signs of improvement. Not only was this guy a great guy off the field, but this was the best player the Redskins had produced from the draft in over a decade. Sean, was to be the corner of a dominating defense for many many years to come. Now, not only am I saddened for his loss, but the Redskins just took a HUGE hit in becoming contenders down the road.
For those who don't follow football, this would if someone like Dwayne Wade, Cal Ripken, or Jonathan Papelbon were killed just at the beginning of their prime. This is a truly devastating lost.
The Gospel:
Holy God in love became
Perfect man to bare my blame
On the Cross He took my sin
By His death I live again
Holy God in love became
Perfect man to bare my blame
On the Cross He took my sin
By His death I live again
Hehe, this is NOT what the media wants to hear. Because Sean Taylor had been a trouble maker early in his career (DUI, large number of NFL fines, accused with possession of a firearm), many sports writers are eager to make this Sean's fault and assume that he was doing more things that he shouldn't have been doing and thus, brought this murder upon himself.Laurie wrote:I heard on the radio this morning that police have confessions from four suspects ranging in age from 17 to 20 and according to the confessions, the suspects thought that Mr. Taylor's home was vacant and it was a robbery gone wrong.
Unfortunately, the media in general is very skeptical to the fact that Taylor actually changed his life completely around over a year and a half ago.
The Gospel:
Holy God in love became
Perfect man to bare my blame
On the Cross He took my sin
By His death I live again
Holy God in love became
Perfect man to bare my blame
On the Cross He took my sin
By His death I live again
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