The Legacy of Sean Taylor

Yesterday marked the 29th birthday of the late Redskins safety Sean Taylor.  Even though he has since passed away at the age of 24, his legend has grown into mythical proportions since that dark day on November 27, 2007.  At the time of his untimely & tragic passing, Taylor was on the path to becoming the most feared & dominating safety of his generation and even possibly of all-time.  If anyone can remember the path of devastation he left at The U (in only 3 years might I add), then they knew that the NFL wasn't safe for anyone that crossed his path on the field.  Gregg Williams was once quoted saying that Taylor was the greatest natural athlete he ever had the chance to coach.  Former teammate & current Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark said that Taylor was the best player he ever played along side.

There are many that will argue that Ronnie Lott was the greatest safety in NFL history, some will say Larry Wilson of the St. Louis Cardinals was the greatest or even Paul Krause of the Minnesota Vikings.  In this generation, Ed Reed gets the overall vote along side Troy Polamalu.  What set Sean Taylor apart from the safeties that I mentioned was that he wasn't one dimensional.  Some safeties can only cover, while some can only hit.  Sean was the complete package.  He could hit like a middle linebacker, but could cover a lot of space with the speed & grace of a finesse shutdown cornerback. Ed Reed is known for his play-making ability once he got his hands on the ball, but Sean wasn't far behind in that regard as well.  Whenever Taylor got his hands on the ball, something special was going to happen.  How could people forget the two fumble touchdown returns he had at the end of the '05 season & in the Wild Card playoff game against Tampa Bay? Even though he made his mistakes on & off the field, the "thug" that the media portrayed was far from it.  He was misunderstood if anything.  A reserve, quiet man, all Taylor wanted to do is play football & be a father to his newborn daughter, that's all he wanted to do.  His love for his newborn daughter Jackie changed his life completely & he found a happiness that many might search an entire life for.

What I loved about Sean Taylor's game was how rooted in the old-school it was.  If you didn't wear the same jersey, it was gonna be a long day.  He was a quiet enforcer, who had no mercy for an opponent & would let them know that if they crossed his path, they would know it.  Sean Taylor's legacy is the same as Len Bias in this area. Both were beloved by the DC metro area & their untimely deaths have affected the area in more ways than the casual out of town person sees on ESPN. The question that stays on many people's minds are "What could've been? or Would they both be legendary players in the pros?"  The day that Sean passed, I was in my first year at Frostburg State University & getting the phone call from my older brother before going to class will always stay with me.  My neighbor Marty seen me wear my Sean Taylor jersey that day & gave me a hug when I got off the elevator.  Both of us were in disbelief because the man was loved by every Redskins fan & football fan.  It's 2012 & the Redskins have yet to fill the legendary void that #21 left behind.  Taylor's #21 jersey is the last Redskins jersey that I brought & will probably stay that way for a while now.  How I think Sean Taylor should be honored by the Redskins? Retire his number along side Sammy Baugh's #33.  Its only right.