OF: Sean's Gone

[Om]

There was no good way to say it when it happened,
there is no good way to say it now.
But this was how Sean's death struck me then,
so I will continue to make this my silent tribute
for as long as the feelings remain unchanged.

(Reprinted from November 28, 2007)​

It’s not a long drive to my son’s high school, maybe 15 minutes.

Most mornings, we share sleepy wise cracks—which of us looks worse; whose day projects out the bigger pain; the lameness of a certain radio commercial.

Sometimes we talk daily routine—remembering to turn in an order form; calling if he needs to be picked up; the logistics of an upcoming outing with friends.

Sometimes we talk a little sports. Redskins, mostly.

Once in a while, as events dictate, we talk real life—there will be other girls; they just discovered an Earth-like planet 20 light-years away; it’s junior year partner, these grades count.

Tuesday morning, we rode in silence.

More...

 

[Goaldeje]

Was looking for a place to put this. I guess this will work.

RyanClark25 Ryan Clark
3 Years ago today we lost a great 1. He was an amazing football player growing into and amazing man. We miss you Sean Taylor. R.I.P S.Dot

RIP Sean.

 

[Chris]

His death still affects me to this day. As maudlin as it sounds, a small part of me left with him.

What a waste.

What a shame.

 

[Boone]

I've always felt that Taylor was one of the least understood athletes of our generation. I 'get' the conventional wisdom...from refusing to return calls from the great Joe Gibbs, to off-the-field clashes with law enforcement, to self-imposed silence with DC media, it was easy to characterize Sean Taylor as 'problem child', 'selfish', even as a 'thug'. Except that he was never any of those things.

I was lucky enough to get to see him up close and interview him on multiple occasions during his first two seasons as a Redskin. He got burned early with exceedingly harsh media coverage, and you could see it in his eyes, he just didn't trust them after that. But he found a lot of trust in his coaches, eventually I think building great relationships with Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams. He was really coming into his own, both on and off the field, before the end.

I have two favorite ST memories, both of them occurring in Sunday night Philly games. One was being on the sidelines covering the final game in 2005 when we had to a fifth consecutive game to make the playoffs for the first time in forever. Running down the sidelines right alongside ST as he made that famous aerial leap into the endzone - sealing the deal for the Redskins - that was just an amazing, goosebumps on the neck, moment. The other memory that stands out was a home game against Philly when both ST and Portis wore the burgundy and gold striped socks. After the game, for the first time in 'I don't know when', ST not only took media questions, but seemed to truly enjoy opening up with reporters.

The thing that bothers me as much as the tragic death of ST is not just the loss of the man, but the loss of the opportunity to see the man he was becoming live up to his potential. Both on and off the field, I think he was really blossoming.

And Chris, you're exactly right. It is just a shame that we have sub-humans in this world that would take a life for something as petty and meaningless as money.

 

[Henry]

He was a hell of a player. To this day, at least once a game, I stop and think 'how much better would this defense be if Sean were back there.'

And that's all I have to say about that.

 

[riggins44]

It was a tragic loss on so many levels. Redskins fans will never forget Sean and his loss was like losing a family member. I guess for fans he was family.

Never met Sean, but like OM my son and I both were in a state of shock. We watched all the replays and tributes, but we were numb for awhile.

Today even think what if he was still our FS.

Miss you, Sean!

 

[Jimbo]

He was a hell of a player. To this day, at least once a game, I stop and think 'how much better would this defense be if Sean were back there.'

I do the same thing. I also wonder if Joe Gibbs would have stayed one more year. I wonder if Shanahan would have replaced Gibbs instead of all of us suffering through the Zorn experiment. Then again, had Gibbs stayed then perhaps Danny never would have fired Vinny.

Sean's death set so many things in motion for the Skins, most of them bad but perhaps some of them good. Even if it helped to get rid of Vinny, I'd still rather have Sean back there patrolling the secondary and laying down the "law" to all those who dared to venture into his territory.

 

[Goaldeje]

There are very few games that pass when I don't find myself saying to myself, "they never would have completed that long pass if Sean was back there".

Such a waste.

 

[Burgundy Burner]

I have never seen such an outpouring of emotion for an athlete since the death of Dale Earnhardt. Yes, Redskins fans were expected to mourn, but Sean's senseless murder reverbated throughout the league and most fans of football. Most of the fans have moved on and understandably so, but Redskins fans will never get over this tragedy.

How did Sean have such an impact on our emotions and the emotions of other fans? I believe there are two reasons. First, he was slowly redefining the way a free safety played in the NFL. He could time a hit and deliver it better than any player I have ever seen. Do you remember how Sean was getting into the head of Eric Frampton before the Detroit game? Then suddenly, Sean delieverd a devastating block against Frampton during a long punt return. How did he do that???

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5WYINtYCuI[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlBHZMWDg6c[/media]

Secondly, Sean died while protecting his family against an intrusion in the middle of the night. That makes him a hero and as the Bible states, there is no greater love than this - when a man lays down his life for his friends. Sean did things on the football field that never ceased to amaze us, but his greatest talent was obviously the love and devotion that he had for family.

We miss you Sean. It should've never happened. Forgive our selfishness as we try to dream about what could have been for the game of football. But family should always come first and you never wavered in that love and devotion.

 

[Boone]

I did my own little video montage/tribute right after Sean's death. With a few exceptions, these are photos I took myself over a two season period.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZnvzJtElUs[/media]

 

[Boone]

I have never seen such an outpouring of emotion for an athlete since the death of Dale Earnhardt. Yes, Redskins fans were expected to mourn, but Sean's senseless murder reverbated throughout the league and most fans of football. Most of the fans have moved on and understandably so, but Redskins will never get over this tragedy.

How did Sean have such an impact on our emotions and the emotions of other fans? I believe there are two reasons. First, he was slowly redefining the way a free safety played in the NFL. He could time a hit and deliver it better than any player I have ever seen. Do you remember how Sean was getting into the head of Eric Frampton before the Detroit game? Then suddenly, Sean delieverd a devastating block against Frampton during a long punt return. How did he do that???

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5WYINtYCuI[/media]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlBHZMWDg6c[/media]

Secondly, Sean died while protecting his family against an intrusion in the middle of the night. That makes him a hero and as the Bible states, there is no greater love than this - when a man lays down his life for his friends. Sean did things on the football field that never ceased to amaze us, but his greatest talent was obviously the love and devotion that he had for family.

We miss you Sean. It should've never happened. Forgive our selfishness as we try to dream about what could have been for the game of football. But family should always come first and you never wavered in that love and devotion.

Nicely put BB, nicely put...

 

[Rymanofthenorth]

what bothered me was that a man who was finally getting his stuff together died so needlessly, when i read the testimony that the robbers went to his house because of the bragging of one of his hangers on that Sean had cash and jewelry around the house, it bothered me that we lost a superlative player because of some douchebags bragging, but it bothered me more that the world lost someone who was showing people that you can change, if you have enough reasons to. I remember early on he would speak in ebonics in interviews, he would talk like a tough guy wannabe gangster, but in some of his last interviews he spoke very clearly and you could tell he was leaving that stuff behind he spoke about his child and how he hoped to leave a legacy in burgundy and gold.

RIP Sean Taylor

 

[Jugband McGillicuddy]

For the third consecutive year, I find myself at an utter loss for words.

Mark, that piece moved me as much today as the first time I read it. There are times when you are able to paint a picture with your words; to make us feel as you felt, and to allow us to see what you saw. This might be the best example of that. And it's the one I most wish had never been written. Still, thanks so much for so eloquently saying what so many of us wish we could. You're a good man, and very clearly, an amazing father.

I'm not going to try to say something profound. I love and miss Sean Taylor, and my heart aches for Jackie still. One of these days I'll be able to share how I feel about Sean's death. Maybe next year. Maybe in 10. Until then, I'll be glad there are people out there who can express those feelings the way I wish I could.

On a personal level, there is light in the darkness for me. The morning of Sean's death was my introduction to some of you. Before that day, you were just a bunch of fellow fans in cyber land, who seemed like some pretty good cats. But on that morning, I began putting faces with names, getting to know who you are, and making friendships that will last the rest of my life. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

God bless and keep Sean Taylor. God bless and comfort his daughter Jackie, and his family. God bless the Redskins family. And God bless you, my brothers and sisters in burgundy and gold. Amen.

 

[SkinsOrlando]

I've been in this thread for over 30 minutes, have typed, then deleted, typed again and then again deleted. For the words themselves cannot express the true emotion that exists in my being.

We miss you Sean