Why Is Taylor's Death So Troubling To Us?

[Southpaw]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

I don't think we'd mourn the same way if this had happened to say Asante Samuel or even Reed Doughty. It's not a bad thing, it's just the way it is. Sean Taylor was a Redskin (part of our favorite team). Not only that, but he was a uniquely gifted athlete who we are blessed to have seen play albeit for only a brief period of time. Speaking specifically about Taylor the player, guys like him come along once every decade or so in any sport.

I asked myself this question yesterday, and honestly, I don't think I would be nearly as upset, even if it was another Redskin like Rock Cartwright(one of my favorite Redskins).

Taylor was my favorite player, and has been since he was drafted. Like others have said, it has a lot to do with how he played the game; 100 miles an hour, balls to the wall, and fearless. He's the type of player that makes football fun to watch. He was the true anchor of this team. Even the other fan favorites get debated; Is Campbell the Answer?, Portis vs Betts, What's Wrong with Santana, but I don't ever recall a discussion about whether Taylor was the answer at free safety. As closed off as he was to the media, he was still a fan favorite because of his actions on the field.

I honestly feel like a distant friend of mine has died. It's strange. Outside of family and friends, I've never been this messed up about someone's passing. The only other athlete's passing that was mildly upsetting to me was Walter Payton, and that didn't eff my head up nearly as much.