Taylor has left a lasting impression

Prominent athletes losing their lives unexpectedly have affected many sports and their teams greatly throughout history. Many remember the career of Loyola Marymount basketball player Hank Gathers, whose death occurred in 1990. Two years ago, New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle lost his life after flying his plane and crashing into a New York City apartment complex. But few athletes that can attest to the kind of career Sean Taylor has had. He was one of the greatest defensive backs to play at the University of Miami and was a Pro Bowl selection in the NFL. His life was tragically cut short after being shot during a home invasion robbery. Taylor died on Nov. 27, 2007, at age 24. His legacy lives on with his family, friends, fans and many others he has touched throughout his career.

Taylor, a Miami native, was one of the top high school football recruits after a stellar season Guilliver Prepartory School. He then took his superior talents to Miami, where he became an All-American selection, Conference defensive player of the year award winner and a finalist for the Jim Thorpe award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back every year. Playing a great junior season was enough for Taylor to enter his name in the 2004 NFL Draft. The Washington Redskins took Taylor with their No. 5 overall pick in hopes he would become one of the most feared defensive players in the game. He would sign a five year, $18 million dollar deal with the team but troubles would begin after his contract was finalized.

Skipping a mandatory NFL rookie seminar was the beginning of Taylor’s problems. He then was charged with a DUI but the charge was later dismissed in 2004. Following this he was several times during the season by playing dirty and making late hits after the whistle was blown. In 2005, he was accused of armed assault after reportedly brandishing a gun at a man following a dispute at Taylor’s home. He later pleaded no contest to the two misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to 18 months probation. Eventually Taylor would be able to get his NFL career on track.

In his rookie season, Taylor would finish second on the team in interceptions with four in addition to 89 tackles, two forced fumbles and one sack. The next season, Taylor would follow up with similar numbers but a little bit down from his first season in the league. In 2006, Taylor had an off-year but was still named to the Pro Bowl squad. It would not be until a year later that Taylor turned it all around. He was named one of the hardest hitters by Sports Illustrated and was tied for the most interceptions in the league before his untimely death. The league had begun to feel the impact of Taylor on the NFL and the Redskins but it would short-lived.

Taylor’s death sent shock waves across the media and those directly involved with the NFL. His game was finally starting to emerge as one of the best and his family had become a huge part of his life. Before the 2007 season, Taylor’s life changed dramatically because of the birth of his then 18-month-old daughter, Jackie, who had become a major force in his life. His game and improvement could be seen through his change in his personal life and people were beginning to forget the thug image he had embodied for such a long time.

With Taylor gone, those in the media close to the Redskins and those who follow the NFL have all consistently agreed that Taylor’s affect on the game has been unique and distinct.

Will Allensworth, a loyal Redskins fan and blogger on the Web site hogshaven.com, wrote a narrative on Sean Taylor following his death. He believes that Taylor was a once in a lifetime type player that affected not only the culture of the Skins but of the NFL.

“He was the unique type of player that could turn a loss into a win on his own. He gave our defense an attitude and a sense of purpose and I think all teams both benefit and need players like that to succeed,” Allensworth said in an e-mailed interview. “He really was a special, once in a lifetime caliber competitor.”

On an NFL level, Allensworth knows that the league and its fan will never forget what Taylor brought to the gridiron every Sunday.

“I think the impact is enormous because he was such a phenomenal football player that represented what many fans love about the game; big hits as a result of Sean's uncompromising passion for providing them,” Allenswroth said. “His on-field legacy will be that of a guy who played the game in the right kind of way; incoming NFL players can watch his highlights and immediately recognize that Sean Taylor exemplified the way the game should be played.”

Alex Marvez, a senior writer for FOXSports.com, who wrote his piece “Taylor was starting to figure the game out,” on Nov. 27 2007, believes that the former Miami star was turning into the player many envisioned him to be when he was lost but also a responsible young person.

“He was one of the NFL's top young players and a human highlight reel based upon his hard-hitting style of play. But Sean also was someone who, by all accounts, was starting to mature into a responsible young man,” Marvez said in an e-mailed interview. “He could have been a role model for young players who got into trouble early but ultimately turned their lives around.”

Marvez also insists that Taylor’s death was more unsettling because of the way it happened compared to the deaths of other athletes in the past.

“What separated Taylor's death from the others was how it transpired. This was a young man trying to defend himself and his family from a home invasion that, sadly, had roots to family members who knew the intruders,” Marvez said. “That is a true tragedy.”

One tragedy is hard to compare to another said Charles Robinson, a national NFL writer for Yahoo! Sports, who wrote a piece on the many burglaries occurring with athletes on Nov. 28, 2007.

“I think it's hard to compare the death of one athlete to another, but anytime someone loses their life as a victim of a crime - rather than an accident or something more natural - it creates a more elaborate outpouring of emotion. The deaths of Gathers and Lidle were viewed as both tragic and preventable, but they were also deaths that we could learn to cope with because there was some sense of reasoning behind them. We knew why they happened,” Robinson said in an e-mailed statement. “But in Taylor's case, there will always be an element of anger and questioning, because we can easily point the finger. In effect, we can easily look at someone and hold them responsible. The fact that Taylor died because of someone else's choice is what makes it more jarring and emotionally difficult to deal with.”

Robinson also agrees that Taylor has left a legacy for his performances on the field but eventually the game will move on without him despite him trying to become a positive individual.

“Without a doubt, Taylor has left a legacy in both Washington and Miami in terms of the way he played and the standard he set on the field. But in reality, that will fade,” Robinson said. “In a perfect world, we'd look at Taylor and his legacy would be to teach players (and maybe even fans) the fragility of their careers and lives, and help them to embrace every moment they are given. But that's not likely.”

Taylor was a player that did not deserve to be taken away. However his legacy has served as a way to educate the NFL and its future on how tragedies shape the way teams do things now and how great of a player he had become. His game was certainly one that was distinct and should last through many more lifetimes. His legend will continue despite being taken away from the game he loved early in his life. Time will tell if this indeed is the case.