Sean Taylor 1983-2007

There’s nothing but shock and emptiness left. It’s been a dizzying, sickening, gut twisting 48 hours here in Washington D.C. and the surrounding Redskin ‘burbs.

Sean Taylor died early Tuesday morning. Cruelly, most of us went to bed with “encouraging” reports from the hospital about a hand squeeze, and a possible facial expression.

The news hit like a ton of bricks. Without warning, at 5:54 a.m. I was sitting down ready to begin my national radio show The First Team on Fox. I had mentally prepared for a typical, mostly fun, somewhat serious kind of show. I was hoping that the day would bring more cautious optimism, and perhaps slightly better news on Taylor’s condition.

Then it was over.

I didn’t have much appetite for the usual sports radio nonsense. So we just plowed ahead the best we could, figuring it out along the way. And that’s what the Redskins will have to do now. Figure it out along the way.

For now though, I would like to honor Taylor the football player with a few thoughts on how he played.

In sum, Sean Taylor was the chess piece on the football field that moved in all directions, and jumped every other piece. He was a package of size and speed and instinct that was nothing short of breathtaking.

At free safety, Taylor flowed to the ball, and erased plays. Flow and erase. It was awesome to watch.

Taylor was able to shut down plays with a single heat-seeking hit, and he was able to get into opposing players’ heads. Terrell Owens never had a 100 yard game with either the Eagles or the Cowboys when Taylor roamed the secondary. Missing in Dallas two weeks ago, T.O. roamed free. This was not a coincidence.

Taylor looked like a big effortless cat on the prowl on the football field. Standing next to linebackers, he looked bigger than all of them. Running next to corners, he looked faster. To call him a freak was an understatement. There was no “mold” for Sean Taylor. He defied all football logic for a player.

Instinctively, Taylor had mental software that solved coverages faster than most quarterbacks could read them. The only year as a Redskins he struggled, was last year when Danny and Vinny saddled him with a worthless Adam Archuleta.

Otherwise, he was the most dominant player on the Skins defense whenever he suited up. He will be missed as a person. And irreplaceable as a football player.

May he rest in peace. And may his team find the strength to carry through with the duties of the NFL schedule, as unforgiving as it is.

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There are lots of Taylor montages on YouTube. Sadly, like most things on YouTube, the quality of video is abysmal. But you get the gist of it. Taylor was a badass. In college he flat out owned Florida State. In the pros, he began his career with two picks in the Hall of Fame Game in the summer, and never looked back.

Enjoy.

College Montage

Redskins Montage

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AND NOW YOUR PIC O’ THE DAY!!

Shawne Merriman after the "tainted conveyor belt" (above) and before (below.) Hmmmmm.