Sean Taylor

Sean Michael Maurice Taylor (April 1, 1983 – November 27, 2007) was an American professional football safety for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected fifth overall in the 2004 NFL draft by the Redskins, where he played four seasons until his murder in 2007. As a high school player, Taylor led Gulliver Prep to a Florida state championship and set the state record for single-season touchdowns. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, where he was a member of their 2001 BCS National Championship team and won the Jack Tatum Trophy. With the Redskins, he gained a reputation as a hard-hitting player and was nicknamed "Meast" from the expression "half man, half beast." He made one Pro Bowl appearance in 2006. On the night of November 26, 2007, while at home, he heard noises in his house and, while investigating the cause, was shot in the leg by a home intruder. His fiancée, Jackie García, and their 18-month-old daughter, Jackie, were unharmed in the incident. His femoral artery was severed, causing extensive blood loss. He was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he died the following day, on November 27, 2007, at age 24. The NFL recognized the death of Taylor by placing a No. 21 decal on the back of all NFL players' helmets during all Week 13 games; additionally, a moment of silence was held before each game that week. Players on other teams were given the option to continue wearing the decals in subsequent weeks. His locker at Redskins Park was encased in Plexiglas and left the same way Taylor had left it. His jersey number was retired by the team in October 2021; he was the third player in the team's history to have that honor. The ceremony also included naming of a road to the stadium in his honor. He was posthumously voted starting free safety for the NFC team for the 2008 Pro Bowl and voted a second team All-Pro. Also posthumously, he earned a second Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors. He was inducted to Washington's Ring of Fame in 2008.

Birthday: April 01, 1983

Death: November 27, 2007