If you are a football fan you most obviously know about the once great Sean Taylor.
With his blazing speed (clocking in a 4.41) and unfathomed athletic ability, he could make a play anywhere on the field. Sean’s college career began at the University of Miami. He was on the roster during the 2001, 2002, and 2003 seasons. Being a part of what is widely considered the greatest college football team of all time his freshman year, the 01′ hurricanes, he was ready to really start picking things up.
Taylor’s sophomore season was his first year starting. He capped the year off with 85 tackles (53 solo), 15 PBU, four interceptions, one forced fumble and one returned punt for a touchdown, which got him named first team All Big East. Following that great year, Taylor still had things to prove, and he did. He ended his year with 10 interceptions, three pick sixes and yet again 85 tackles. 
Taylor entered the NFL draft ready to make a name for himself and prove to the world what he could do. Dennis Green, the coach of the Arizona Cardinals, told reporters in Coral Gables, “Sean Taylor will be one of the best in the league. You saw from today’s workout that he was the whole package at safety.”
Taylor was highly regarded by some scouts for his playmaking skills, but by others not so much. A Southeast scout for an AFC team said: “He looked like shit in his workout. He looked like he didn’t give a shit. That’s not good for one of the top-10 picks. He plays like the best you ever wanted to see. He plays as good as anybody I’ve ever seen play that position in college. But he didn’t work out well.”
But it did end up working out well for Taylor. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2004 with the fifth overall pick. the Washington Redskins signed Taylor to a six-year, $18.5 million contract that included a $13.4 million signing bonus and could have been worth $40 million with incentives and bonuses. His contract also included a seventh-year option. Taylor became the first top ten pick to sign his contract in 2004.
Taylor quickly made a name for himself with his explosive playing style and ability to read offenses perfectly. His outstanding speed allowed him to cover ground quickly, while his hard hitting mentality instilled fear in other players. During his rookie year he recorded 61 solo tackles, 17 assists, a sack and four interceptions in 15 games.
Taylor continued to play great for the Redskins and showed why he was worth the pick. In 2006, he came up with 70 combined tackles (60 solo), a career-high ten pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack in 15 games and 15 starts. The Washington Redskins finished second in the NFC East with a 10-6 record and received a wildcard berth. Following that season in 2007 he recorded 89 solo tackles, 25 assists and an interception in 16 games. This was enough to get him into his very first Pro Bowl, where he delivered his famous hit on the punter Brian Moorman
Going into Taylor’s fourth season he was playing great yet again, when tragedy struck. On Nov. 26, 2007, a group of intruders broke into the Florida home of Sean Taylor while he, his girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, and their 18-month-old infant slept. The noise startled them awake. Taylor told Jackie to hide and grabbed a machete to fight off the intruders. Unfortunately, one of them shot him and fled. Taylor was rushed to the Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
The bullet had severed a femoral artery, and he was losing blood fast. After hours of surgery while Taylor was comatose, he died before he could speak to detectives and help catch his killer. Police soon arrested the four men involved in the home invasion, but it would take another seven years before his killer, Eric Rivera, received his sentence.
If this tragic night had not happened, who knows what could have been? Compared to greats like Ronnie Lott, Ed Reed, and Troy Polamalu, Taylor could have been the greatest, hardest hitting safety the league has ever seen.
Sean Taylor was not only an amazing football player, but he was a great man with a loving family.
