Why Is Taylor's Death So Troubling To Us?

[mheisig]

It's troubling for a number of reasons, and I think particularly troubling given the circumstances.

He was the best player on the defense, if not the whole team, so obviously someone everyone paid a lot of attention to. I think, like Matty mentioned, he seemed to be getting his life straightened out and really getting on the right track. I think everyone loves to see someone pull themselves out of a mess and really make a better life.

The most poignant, painful aspect for me is that he's my age, he's got a daughter the same age as my daughter, and he died defending his family.

Not to speak poorly of anyone else, but there are famous figures who have died under less than stellar circumstances. Fights at strip clubs, overdose on cocaine, you name it.

Sean died while he was at home, with his family, trying to protect he people he loved. It doesn't get more tragic or heart rending than that.

[12thMan]

You know for me...I don't know...but it's like Taylor was right in between true greatness. I mean Hall of Fame greatness. He was beyond the collegiate level, and so we knew for sure he could compete at the professional ranks at a very high level. Then on the other hand, he wasn't quite there yet. It was the "on his way" that kills me so much. As bright as his star was beginning to shine, you knew it was only going to get brighter. That's the tragedy. We never got see that brightness fulfilled, and its fuc*in killing me.

[VTSkins897]

i think understand somewhat where you're going with this. my brother and i had just agreed when were in tampa before the game that he was our favorite player...

there's just something about sean and actually seeing, albeit from simply a fans eyes, him grow. as i look at pictures you really get a feel for just how young he is, he even seems younger than 24.

i guess i cant really explain what im thinking very well

[sportscurmudgeon]

I probably had more negative things to say about Sean Taylor over the past four years than 99% of the folks on this board and the reason this is such a tragedy for me is the way in which he died.

It wasn't from a disease or some terrible accident. It was a homicide. Some other person(s) killed him. And that makes it doubly hard to deal with.

There is the loss of a player on an NFL football team who was becoming an icon to the fans of that team.

And there are the questions about why all of this happened because it wasn't a freak accident or a terrible disease. Who did it? Why? Could the teragedy have been averted by mediation? by intervention? by whatever?

When you add all those questions - none of which are answerable at the moment - to the tragic loss, that is why this loss is so troubling.

[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.

But then at the same time, it just reaffirms the mortality of all of us, no matter how skilled you are at anything. And the suddenness (is that a word?) of it all. And it's scary.

[12thMan]

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.

But then at the same time, it just reaffirms the mortality of all of us, no matter how skilled you are at anything. And the suddenness (is that a word?) of it all. And it's scary.

To be honest, that's one of things I'm sort of struggling with today. I wonder if I would mourn more or less, lose sleep over this, had it been another player. Say, somone not as note worthy?

Is that wrong, guys? Am I being shallow? Am I a bad person for thinking this of feeling this way?

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

To be honest, that's one of things I'm sort of struggling with today. I wonder if I would mourn more or less, lose sleep over this, had it been another player. Say, somone not as note worthy?

Is that wrong, guys? Am I being shallow? Am I a bad person for thinking this of feeling this way?

I have thought about that and I don't know whether to embarassed to say that for me another player probably would not be getting to me this much. The grief would be similiar but the feeling that we've all had something stolen from us would much less. It is undoubtedly selfish and I guess I am embarassed to say that but I think it is true. And I venture to guess a lot of us feel the same way.

[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.

[Defensewins]

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.

But then at the same time, it just reaffirms the mortality of all of us, no matter how skilled you are at anything. And the suddenness (is that a word?) of it all. And it's scary.

Great post.

Why ST of all people?
I have not felt like this since Len Bias died.
As you can tell by my Warpath name defense means a lot to me. We have not had a player of ST ability and most importantly HEART and LOVE FOR THE GAME in decades. I will miss him. A true Redskin.
I admired and loved ST's game even before we drafted him. What made me realize what a special player he was when they asked many of the great players on ST's freshman year national championship Miami team, which teamate would you want with you, almost all of them said Sean Taylor.
When you can be great and combine that with the love and respect from of your teamates...that is by definition a special player.

[FRPLG]

I think when we look at it most of us probably share the same amount grief when ANYONE dies as it applies to family. I feel for any son/daughter/brother/sister/mother/father when their loved one dies. In this case we get the added grief of him being a Redskin. And on top of that he was just so damn awesome. He represented greatness. Not just as a football player but someone who had the chance to be the best ever.

[GridIron26]

It's very good question, actually.. I do not know the answer to this question - because almost all of us on this forums either never met him (including myself) or met him for short time.. But I really think that it's because all of us watched him grew up.. When he first came into NFL, he was a "really rookie." Until this year, I am sure we all can say that he is different than before.. And he gave Redskins a brand of toughness..

Just like someone said in earlier posts, when I was in HS and played football.. In my senior year, I told my coach that I wanted to move from CB to safety.. And it's all because of Sean, he made me want to be better player and want to be like him.. Even though my coach decided to move me to safety, I did not really achieve the goal but I played pretty good and better than I did at CB.. So I thank Sean for that..

And I mentioned in another post in another thread, in some ways I understood him.. In some ways, I am like him.. That's probably the mainly reason why it hit me hard..

[Cowell]

Originally Posted by GridIron26

It's very good question, actually.. I do not know the answer to this question - because almost all of us on this forums either never met him (including myself) or met him for short time.. But I really think that it's because all of us watched him grew up.. When he first came into NFL, he was a "really rookie." Until this year, I am sure we all can say that he is different than before.. And he gave Redskins a brand of toughness..

Just like someone said in earlier posts, when I was in HS and played football.. In my senior year, I told my coach that I wanted to move from CB to safety.. And it's all because of Sean, he made me want to be better player and want to be like him.. Even though my coach decided to move me to safety, I did not really achieve the goal but I played pretty good and better than I did at CB.. So I thank Sean for that..

And I mentioned in another post in another thread, in some ways I understood him.. In some ways, I am like him.. That's probably the mainly reason why it hit me hard..

I asked my coach the same thing, to move me from RB to safety, I also changed my jersey # to 21 when the senior that had it before me left. Even before Sean was dead I played every down to the fullest like I thought he would and now that he is, I'm going to try even harder.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

He was the rock of our defense. He was the best player on our team. He was a fan favorite. He was a brother, a son, a friend, a fiance, a teammate, and a hero. He had an 18 month old baby daughter. He was cut down in his prime. He had turned his life around. He had a big heart.

Simply put, he was Sean Taylor.

[Slingin Sammy 33]

Obviously he was one of the "Core Redskins", but I think the part that bothers me so much is that he was a bright young man who had turned the corner and "figured it out" after the birth of his daughter.

He made a few immature 18-22 year old mistakes (who hasn't), learned from them and was on the road to becoming a Hall of Fame caliber player, but more importantly a great husband and father.

His work ethic was unmatched as well as his enthusiasm for the game. To see a young man, who is doing all the right things, taken in the prime of his life by a low-life piece of vermin is what I believe is troubling us the most.

[GridIron26]

Originally Posted by Slingin Sammy 33

Obviously he was one of the "Core Redskins", but I think the part that bothers me so much is that he was a bright young man who had turned the corner and "figured it out" after the birth of his daughter.

He made a few immature 18-22 year old mistakes (who hasn't), learned from them and was on the road to becoming a Hall of Fame caliber player, but more importantly a great husband and father.

His work ethic was unmatched as well as his enthusiasm for the game. To see a young man, who is doing all the right things, taken in the prime of his life by a low-life piece of vermin is what I believe is troubling us the most.

Yes I agree with that.. It is no question at all one of the reasons why Sean's death has impacted us all..