Sean Taylor was one of the up-and-coming young players in the NFL, only to have his career tragically cut short. Taylor played football in high school, and became the hottest prospect in the Miami area. Picked by the University of Miami, he picked up the nickname "Meast" - half man, half beast - in reference to his ferocity on the field. He was drafted to the Redskins in 2004, and secured his starting position early in the season. 2006 saw a bit of an inconsistent year for the young star, but he came back in 2007 and was regaining his position on the top of the heap, when it all came crashing down.
On November 18, 2007, Taylor's home was burglarized, but no one was home. The same group that committed this earlier intrusion returned on November 26, and this time Taylor and his family were there. What happened is unclear, except for the fact that Sean Taylor was shot in the upper thigh, critically wounding him in his femoral artery. His girlfriend and their daughter were hiding in the room, and police and an ambulance were called.
Taylor was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital, but the blood loss had been too severe, leaving the young man in a coma. Just over 24 hours after his shooting, Taylor died. Four days later, four men were arrested for the crime, and the team and the NFL mourned. On December 2nd, the first Redskins game since the tragedy, the team ran their first defensive play of the game with only ten men, symbolizing their lost teammate. The team has focused its efforts on trying to cope with their loss, and rebuilding around the missing member of the Redskins family.
