When former Redskin running back Clinton Portis was asked in an interview if Sean Taylor could have been the greatest safety of all time if he was still in the league, Portis said “he was one of the greatest already.” If you ask players around the league, they would most likely tell you the same thing. Taylor, also known as “Meast”, resembling his fearsome nature, was one of the most highly anticipated safeties in recent memory. He was a one of a kind player who made sure you would not score on him. Taylor, left it all on the field, And you had better hope that you were not the person he lined up against. He won a State Championship in high school, and a National Championship while at the University of Miami. Taylor was perhaps the hardest hitter in the 21st century until November 27, 2007.
All American at Miami
Taylor was part of the 2001 Miami Hurricane National championship team. He was one of only four true freshmen on the whole team. However, he was able to get playing time when the Canes put in extra defensive backs, but he didn’t have a huge impact on the team until his sophomore year. Taylor was named the starter for the Hurricanes in training camp, and never looked back. He earned second-team all-Big East honors that season. They went to their second consecutive National Championship against Ohio State. He made a huge play just before halftime, intercepting a pass in the end zone and trying to run it out.
The Moment He Became A Legend
In one of the most recognizable moments in National Championship history, the Ohio State running back stripped the ball from Taylor and fell on top of it. The Hurricanes lost the game in double overtime after a controversial pass interference call in the second overtime. In his third and final season with the Hurricanes, he was named a unanimous All-American. He was also the Big East Defensive Player Of The Year, as well as a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. Taylor tied an NCAA record with ten interceptions that season, returning three of them for touchdowns.
Becoming the Meast
Miami had four defensive players get picked in the first round of the 2004 draft, and Sean Taylor was the first one picked. He was drafted fifth overall by the Washington Redskins. It did not take long for him to take over the starting job there. He made his first career start in week three of that season, and never looked back. In his first NFL playoff game, against the New York Giants, Taylor returned a fumble fifty-one yards for his first, and only, professional touchdown. He was later ejected for spitting in the face of a Giants player.
He Only Got Better
His third year in the league was highlighted by a blocked field goal return against the Dallas Cowboys. With six seconds left, the Cowboys attempted a field goal to win the game. Teammate Troy Vincent blocked the kick, and Taylor picked up the loose ball. Furthermore, returned it thirty yards, and a flag was thrown for a face-mask on the Cowboys. With the added penalty yards, the Redskins were put in field goal range. The Redskins made the field goal and won the game. He recorded 111 tackles that season, and was voted to the Pro Bowl.
The Hit Heard Round The World
During the Pro Bowl, the AFC team tried to run a fake punt with five minutes left to go in the second quarter. Bills punter Brian Moorman got the snap and took of running towards the right sideline. Taylor came out of seemingly nowhere, and completely decked Moorman. The crowd went into a frenzy, as it was perhaps the hardest hit to ever occur in the Pro Bowl. Taylor and his teammates celebrated the hit, and Moorman walked over and shook Taylor’s hand for the hit.
The day the Meast was just a mortal man
Taylor started the 2007 NFL season hot, as he was expected to be elected to his second consecutive Pro Bowl. Through the first twelve weeks of the season, he was tied for first in interceptions with five. He had four tackles in his last NFL game. After a Week 12 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Redskins had a home game against the Buffalo Bills. Sean Taylor was battling with a knee injury, so he wasn’t required to travel with the team. He instead went to be with his girlfriend and 18-month old daughter in his house in Miami. On November 27, at 1:45 am, Taylor was woken up by his girlfriend, saying that there was a noise in the house. When Taylor went to see what the noise was, he was shot by intruders. He was shot in the femoral artery, and pronounced dead later that day.
His legacy
As news spread of his death, players around the league came out in support of him. The Redskins practice for that day went on as normal, but the practice was anything but normal. Teammates were crying and shouting as the practice continued on. In honor of Taylor, the Redskins only sent ten men to the field on the first defensive play against the Buffalo Bills that weekend. Washington played the down with Sean Taylor’s safety spot being empty. They also had a banner displayed at the stadium with his number 21 jersey on it. Three Redskins players were named to the Pro Bowl that season. All of them wore number 21, in honor of Sean Taylor. His locker at FedEx Field is completely covered in plexiglass, and everything left just the way he left it.
Achieving HIs Rightful Place In Redskins History
He was inducted into the Redskins Ring Of Fame on November 30, 2008. Though his time in the league was short-lived, he will always be remembered as one of the best safeties to ever play the game.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.