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Sean Taylor Tribute

Sean Taylor Tribute

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Sean Taylor passed away on Nov. 27, 2007, as a result of an injury from a shooting at his home. He was 24 years old.

Taylor is the son of Pedro Taylor and Donna Junor. His long-time girlfriend is Jackie Garcia. He is survived by his young daughter, also named Jackie.

As a player, Taylor was regarded as the prototype NFL free safety, blessed with the quickness of a cover cornerback and the size of a strong-side linebacker. He had a rare combination of size, speed, strength and agility, and was a hard hitter.

He was named to the Pro Bowl following 2006, a year in which he led the Redskins in tackles. For his career, Taylor had 344 tackles (245 solo), 12 interceptions, 41 passes defended and four forced fumbles. He was named to the 2007 Pro Bowl posthumously.

Height: 6-2

Weight: 212

College: Miami (Fla.)

Born: 04/01/1983

Years Pro: 4

On Nov. 30, 2007, the Redskins announced the establishment of a trust fund to benefit Taylor's daughter Jackie.

Sean Taylor Redskins Career
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Taylor Inducted Into Redskins Ring of Fame

"21" was everywhere at FedExField on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008 -- a reminder of the unlimited potential of the late Sean Taylor.

Taylor was inducted into the Redskins' Ring of Fame at FedExField in an emotional ceremony prior to the Redskins-New York Giants game.

It was the Redskins' first game following the anniversary of Taylor's tragic death at the age of 24.

"It's appropriate that Sean joins our Ring of Fame after a stellar career cut short far too soon," Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder said. "His life touched so many of us in such deep and lasting ways. His presence is all around us, in our organization and among our fans."

Taylor became the 43rd member admitted into the Redskins Ring of Fame, which honors those who have made distinguished contributions to the team.

The ceremony featured a tribute and messages from former teammates, as well as comments from Taylor's family and the presentation of commemorative plaques to members of Taylor's family after his memorial was added to the stadium wall.

With his combination of size, speed, athleticism, ferocity and instincts, Taylor was one of the most unique and dynamic athletes the game has ever seen, despite playing less than four seasons.

He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection after the Redskins made him the fifth pick of the 2004 NFL draft following an All-American career at the University of Miami.

Ring of Fame

The Ring of Fame includes 49 members of the most hallowed names in Redskins history.

Taylor Voted 80 Greatest Redskins Of All Time

The Redskins celebrated the franchise's 80th Anniversary season by inducting 10 more deserving players into the ranks of the Greatest Redskins of All-Time.  The decision was put to an unprecedented fan vote, weighed against the insight of a blue ribbon panel of Redskins leadership and former greats.

A surprise to no one, Taylor was one of the top vote-getters, a tribute to his enduring legacy as a playmaker and a reminder of all that could have been. His name was announced to fans at the team's Welcome Home Luncheon on Aug. 24, 2012, as he was voted in alongside former teammates Clinton Portis, LaVar Arrington, Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen.

His introduction was given with the following description:

"Taylor played in parts of four seasons in Washington from 2004-07 before his tragic passing. The No. 5 overall pick by the Redskins in the 2004 NFL Draft, Taylor twice earned Pro Bowl honors, including becoming the league's first posthumous selection in 2007. The Miami (Fla.) product spent his three-plus seasons as one of the league's most-feared hitters and one of its most athletic safeties, notching 12 interceptions and eight forced fumbles in his 57 career combined regular season and postseason games."

The '10 for 80' inductees were honored during Alumni Homecoming Weekend in Week 9 against the Carolina Panthers at FedExField.  Inductees were presented to the fans during a halftime ceremony, and Sean was represented by his father, Pedro Taylor, who graciously accepted the award on his late son's behalf.

Taylor's name drew an emotional response from the crowd, who gave Taylor a final standing ovation as his highlights played on the stadium scoreboards. Many fans still sported his No. 21 jersey and gave tribute with Santana Moss's '2-1' hand sign in the air.

History by the Decades

Learn about the history of the Washington Football Team decade by decade.

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Sean Taylor's Biography

How Acquired:Taylor was selected by the Redskins in the first round with the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.

2007: Taylor played free safety opposite promising rookie LaRon Landry and recorded 46 tackles (34 solo) and five interceptions. He also had one forced fumble and eight passes defended.

-- In Week 3 vs. the New York Giants, Taylor recorded five tackles and one interception off of Eli Manning.

-- In Week 5 vs. Detroit, Taylor recorded three tackles and two pass deflections. His interception of Jon Kitna in the fourth quarter helped set up a field goal. In addition, he recorded one special teams tackle.

-- At Green Bay in Week 6, Taylor intercepted Brett Favre twice, both in the second half. He recorded four tackles.

-- In Week 7 vs. Arizona, he intercepted Kurt Warner in the first quarter and returned it 48 yards, a career long. He had four tackles and one pass deflection.

-- In Week 10 vs. Philadelphia, Taylor recorded four tackles. He left the game in the second half with a knee injury.

2006: Taylor was named to his first Pro Bowl following a season in which he led the Redskins' defense in tackles with 129 (89 solo). He started 16 games and also logged one interception, three forced fumbles and 17 special teams tackles.

-- Led the defense in tackles in Week 2 at Dallas with nine, and also had one forced fumble.

-- In Week 9 vs. Dallas, he logged nine tackles. He also recovered a blocked field goal by Troy Vincent with six seconds remaining in the game and returned it 30 yards to set up a game-winning field goal.

-- In Week 11 at Tampa Bay, he led the defense with 10 tackles (seven solo) and one forced fumble. He also logged two special teams tackles.

-- Against Carolina in Week 12, Taylor recorded six tackles, one interception and one special teams tackle. He tackled Panthers' wide receiver Drew Carter short of a first down on a fourth-down play in the fourth quarter. He collected the interception on the Panthers' last offensive possession.

-- In Week 14 vs. Philadelphia, he recorded five tackles and three special teams tackles.

2005: Taylor started 15 games and both of the Redskins' playoff games, continuing his reputation as one of the league's hardest hitters. He finished the season with 80 tackles, third-best on the team, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and one sack. He also logged 13 special teams tackles.

-- Recorded his first interception of the season in Week 7 vs. San Francisco. He returned it 32 yards.

-- In Week 13 vs. St. Louis, he had six tackles (five solo) and one sack of Ryan Fitzpatrick for an 8-yard loss. Taylor also led the Redskins' special teams units with three tackles.

-- In Week 14 at Arizona, Taylor recorded six tackles, one interception of Kurt Warner, a forced fumble and two special teams tackles. He made the key defensive stop of the game when he tackled running back J.J. Arrington on a fourth down play to solidify the victory.

-- In Week 17 at Philadelphia, Taylor tied for a team-high 11 tackles (seven solo). He also scooped up a fumble (forced by Phillip Daniels) and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown. It was Taylor's first career TD score.

-- In the Redskins' 17-10 Wild Card win over Tampa Bay on Jan. 7, 2006, Taylor recorded seven tackles (three solo). He also recovered a fumble by teammate Marcus Washington, who moments earlier had recovered a fumble by running back Carnell Williams, and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown, giving the Redskins a 14-0 lead. Taylor was later ejected from the game after an incident with a Buccaneers player.

2004: Taylor had a stellar rookie campaign. He started 13 games and recorded 89 tackles (62 solo) with four interceptions, one sack and two forced fumbles.

-- Taylor made his first career start in Week 3 vs. Dallas.

-- He had his breakthrough game in Week 7 at Chicago, recording six tackles and a sack. His first career interception came in the fourth quarter on the Bears' final drive and sealed a Redskins win.

-- In Week 10 vs. Cincinnati, he recorded a career-high 10 tackles and one interception.

-- In Week 11 at Philadelphia, he recorded eight tackles and one interception.

Sean Taylor Redskins Career
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College/Personal​

-- During his final year at Miami, Taylor produced a historic season that culminated with a plethora of honors and awards. He was a named a consensus first-team All-American, the Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation's best defensive back.

-- He led the Big East Conference and ranked first nationally in interceptions per game (0.83) with 10, tying the record for interceptions in a season at Miami. He finished third in total tackles with 77 (57 solos).

-- Taylor produced a team-best 13 pass breakups along with seven tackles for losses, one quarterback sack and two quarterback hurries. He was also a force on special teams, having blocked a punt, taken back four punts for a total of 52 yards (13.0 avg.) and returned three kickoffs for 86 yards (28.7 avg.), including a 68-yard return against Florida.

-- He returned interceptions for an average of 18.4 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown return at Boston College, a 50-yard scoring runback at Florida State, and a 44-yard scoring runback against Rutgers. His three TD returns of interceptions is a Miami single-season record.

-- He picked off two passes in Miami's impressive 28-14 win over Pittsburgh, playing a key role as the Hurricanes limited All-American receiver Larry Fitzgerald to three receptions for 26 yards.

-- He earned Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors for his play against Florida State (Oct. 11).

-- In 2002, Taylor was a first-team All-BIG EAST selection by the league's head coaches in his first season as a starter. He finished third on the team in tackles with 85 (53 solos), broke up 15 passes, intercepted four passes, forced one fumble, blocked a kick and returned a punt for a touchdown.

-- He led all defensive backs in tackles, interceptions and passes broken up and had a career-high 11 tackles (two solos) and intercepted two passes in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.

-- Taylor was named Big East Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against Pittsburgh.

-- In 2001, he was one of just four true freshmen to play for Miami in the 2001 national championship season, carving a niche for himself in Miami's secondary in nickel and dime coverage packages.

-- Taylor played in 10 games, making an impact on special teams, posting 26 tackles, 20 of which were unassisted.

-- Taylor played at Gulliver Prep in Miami and was finished as the No. 7 prospect in Dade County by the Miami Herald. He was also rated the nation's No. 18 skill athlete by SuperPrep and was a SuperPrep All-American.

-- He was the No. 23 overall prospect in Florida, regardless of position, by SuperPrep and was an Orlando Sentinel Super Southern Team selection. He was listed as the No. 1 athlete on the Florida Times-Union Super 75 list.

-- Taylor accounted for three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) in the state title game victory over Marianna. He helped lead Gulliver to the Florida Class 2A State Championship in 2000.

-- A star on both sides of the ball in 2000, Taylor rushed for 1,300 yards and a state-record 44 touchdowns. He played running back, defensive back and linebacker at Gulliver.

-- He rushed for more than 200 yards twice during Gulliver's state playoff run and racked up more than 100 tackles during the 2000 season.

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