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The Legend Of Sean Taylor, a Personal Reflection (link)


BurgundyMalaise

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Hey guys, 

 

It's the offseason so I figured you guys may be thirsty for some new Skins info but I wrote an article on Sean Taylor, just kind of a personal piece about one of our favorite players. I figured this may be a great place to post it (go figure) and although some are more calloused about it (I admit I still think about him and it hurts but not in any excessive degree) I'm sure many felt the same way as I when the tragedy happened. I wanted to write a somewhat personal tribute with some pictures and videos you may recognize. Enjoy and happy memories. 

 

Long Live ST21

 

https://roccocaz.squarespace.com/new-page-2/

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I still MISS him and i ache for what i feel would have come for him.  I believe he was the greatest safety ever, and that as Lott did in the 80's he was redefining the safety position.  I heard the Ravens great safety Reed say that Sean was the best.  I wanted the Redskins to pick him and told all the guys at work that he was the right pick.  When he gave Owens that forearm shiver i knew we had a old fashioned safety with new age physical size and skills. The total package. the tumblers of his life were moving and soon it would have opened up his full potential on and off the field.  I never got to meet him, sure wished i had and  I too wonder how we would have done with him roaming our  secondary over the last 10 years. NEVER FORGOTTEN HTTR

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Yea I should read Pete's book. 

 

 

Talking with a DAL fan who idolized Sean Taylor at the bar dredged up many memories and personal experiences that I thoguht a small composition was in order, it was about time I put a lil sumpin sumpin in writing.

 

 

I'm not one of the obsessive, odd kind of fans that elevate the guy to deity status but what I saw was so special and rare, inspiring with me so much intensity and vibrant passion that it was destiny that I would have many close experiences around his short career

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Aside from his play on the field...

My son and I got to eat with him, Portis and Moss after a game once in the players parking lot along with CPs Mom. He was respectful, quiet and well mannered. The only Redskin to call me Mr. Xxx, yes sir etc. He also signed all of his rookie cards I brought...he NEVER signed ANY of the rookie cards for the sports card companies. He was a great guy the brief few times I met and spoke with him.

My son just got accepted to "The U" which he has wanted since his youth because of the three above. My son still has framed autographed photos of all 3 in his room.

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OK.... I'm as big a Redskins fan as anyone on this forum, if not more. Born and raised a die hard fan out of the womb. I am 32 years old but can recite the score of each and every game of the 1991 season. I cried as a 9 year old when we lost. ( and also when we almost lost to Houston that year) However, I believe Sean Taylor is believed to be a far greater player by many especially the younger fans than he actually was.

 

I understand this is very common in any field post mortem and is sacrilegious in this community. Yes, I saw the hits he made and thought he had all the talent in the world (probably the most talented saftey of all time)  He was on the verge of putting it all together but was generally lacking the mental part of the game. He was never voted to the pro-bowl naturally. He was always an alternate. I'm not trying to Poo Poo Sean Taylor but I think his legacy is a bit skewed. Am I alone here? The start of his career was nothing like Earl Thomas, Eric Berry or Troy Polamalu. We saw the talent but hoped he could eventially put it together and become the safety he was touted (and we all hoped) he could be. Unfortunately,  he was never given the chance to do so.

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OK.... I'm as big a Redskins fan as anyone on this forum, if not more. Born and raised a die hard fan out of the womb. I am 32 years old but can recite the score of each and every game of the 1991 season. I cried as a 9 year old when we lost. ( and also when we almost lost to Houston that year) However, I believe Sean Taylor is believed to be a far greater player by many especially the younger fans than he actually was.

 

I understand this is very common in any field post mortem and is sacrilegious in this community. Yes, I saw the hits he made and thought he had all the talent in the world (probably the most talented saftey of all time)  He was on the verge of putting it all together but was generally lacking the mental part of the game. He was never voted to the pro-bowl naturally. He was always an alternate. I'm not trying to Poo Poo Sean Taylor but I think his legacy is a bit skewed. Am I alone here? The start of his career was nothing like Earl Thomas, Eric Berry or Troy Polamalu. We saw the talent but hoped he could eventially put it together and become the safety he was touted (and we all hoped) he could be. Unfortunately,  he was never given the chance to do so.

 

Yes you are wrong.  The point was not what he had done, it's what he would also do going forward.  And there should be no doubt that he was already great and improving every day on the way to being an all timer.  Now would he have been an all timer?  That's hard to say.  But a perennial Pro Bowler and HOF player was certainly a good possibility. 

 

I was just thinking of Sean Taylor last night.  Selfishly it was in the context of what our team would have been like with him. And I knew when he died that would be the case.  After the tragedy and the well wishes for other fans died down I knew it would be just us suffering the effects of his death for years.  Every time I saw the clown show at safety that has been the Redskins defense for nearly a decade I think of Sean Taylor and what should have been. 

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Enjoyed the article. I think many Redskin fans still think about ST, myself included. I'm thankful I was able to watch him play. It was the first home game I attended and one of the last games ST would ever play. We destroyed Detroit and ST made a Sean Taylor-like hit on a punt return. Here are a few clips from that game:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5WYINtYCuI

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlBHZMWDg6c

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Nice article.

But I don't weep for him anymore. It's been almost 8 years since his death. I no longer ponder what would have been. Keep 21 out of circulation through the 10th anniversary, but put it back in circulation after that, as I would all the numbers we hold out, except 33, which is the only officially retired number.

He'd be approaching his 32nd birthday next month.

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LMAO at Bobby Peppers.

 

 

Yea . . . try to tell all of us that Earl friggin Thomas is a better football player than ST is downright laughable.

 

 

Sean was basically capable of everything he AND Chancellor can do lmao.

 

 

I know what I saw up close and personal and felt the exact say way before November 2007

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OK.... I'm as big a Redskins fan as anyone on this forum, if not more. Born and raised a die hard fan out of the womb. I am 32 years old but can recite the score of each and every game of the 1991 season. I cried as a 9 year old when we lost. ( and also when we almost lost to Houston that year) However, I believe Sean Taylor is believed to be a far greater player by many especially the younger fans than he actually was.

 

I understand this is very common in any field post mortem and is sacrilegious in this community. Yes, I saw the hits he made and thought he had all the talent in the world (probably the most talented saftey of all time)  He was on the verge of putting it all together but was generally lacking the mental part of the game. He was never voted to the pro-bowl naturally. He was always an alternate. I'm not trying to Poo Poo Sean Taylor but I think his legacy is a bit skewed. Am I alone here? The start of his career was nothing like Earl Thomas, Eric Berry or Troy Polamalu. We saw the talent but hoped he could eventially put it together and become the safety he was touted (and we all hoped) he could be. Unfortunately,  he was never given the chance to do so.

 

First, thank you monday for your post.

 

Second, Bobby.  Plays are plays man, what you saw wasn't potential, it was greatness.

 

The feedback I've gotten has actually been the opposite of your post.  People say he was EVEN BETTER than they remember.  Think about what he did...he never made helmet to helmet hits, he eliminated the best player on the field and always came up with the big play when it was needed.  What else is he supposed to do? 

 

I started with 2 and a half hours worth of highlights when I made this video.  I edited it down to the most jam packed highlight video iv'e ever seen.  3 and a half years worth of playing time and he already had a highlight real longer than any other player you will see.

 

Hail

 

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Love watching some of those highlights. Young man was a game changer. At the time,one of only a few elite safeties who could command the deep part of the field just about by himself. Glad I had the pleasure of seeing him play while he did. :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

OK.... I'm as big a Redskins fan as anyone on this forum, if not more. Born and raised a die hard fan out of the womb. I am 32 years old but can recite the score of each and every game of the 1991 season. I cried as a 9 year old when we lost. ( and also when we almost lost to Houston that year) However, I believe Sean Taylor is believed to be a far greater player by many especially the younger fans than he actually was.

 

I understand this is very common in any field post mortem and is sacrilegious in this community. Yes, I saw the hits he made and thought he had all the talent in the world (probably the most talented saftey of all time)  He was on the verge of putting it all together but was generally lacking the mental part of the game. He was never voted to the pro-bowl naturally. He was always an alternate. I'm not trying to Poo Poo Sean Taylor but I think his legacy is a bit skewed. Am I alone here? The start of his career was nothing like Earl Thomas, Eric Berry or Troy Polamalu. We saw the talent but hoped he could eventially put it together and become the safety he was touted (and we all hoped) he could be. Unfortunately,  he was never given the chance to do so.

All you have to do is look at posts about Sean Taylor way before even died to know that this isn't true. Sean Taylor >Earl Thomas I don't even get that comparison

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Meh, ever since the 2006 season I was resolved to the fact that some people were able to appreciate the incredible talent that we were watching, and others were missing out.  A year later he was taken from us, but the fact remained.

 

Some of us watched and were able to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime player.  Some of us missed out.  I'm happy to be the former.

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Tragic just tragic, he was headed to Ronnie Lott/Ken Houston territory, but sadly never had the chance for the longevity to get there.  I believe he could have ended up being the best safety to ever play the game.  Now we will never know.  Damn it sucks being a Redskins fan for the last few decades!

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Notice how almost every single defensive college player coming out in the last how many years, when asked who their favorite player was, their answer is Sean Taylor. 

 

There's a reason for that.

 

I've never enjoyed watching a player, just zoning in on him at the exclusion of everyone else including the ball itself every play, like I did with him. I hated it when he'd line up so far off and the TV angle would miss him. But then I'd be happy if the other team ran the ball, threw a quick pass or he was covering the TE because he'd be right back on the screen and I could see what he'd do next.

 

Never mattered if the ball wasn't even near him. He was just so active and so fun to watch... again, never enjoyed it with any other player. Orakpo became the guy I honed in on a lot, especially his first few years. Fletcher, too. This year it was Kerrigan a lot. But it's just amazing to me how much more amusing Sean was to watch.     

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It got to the point where I found myself watching the reactions of the offensive players in Sean's general vicinity,(which for Sean,was about 80 yards of the field). Sometimes,they were obvious in where they were looking. Looking for where he was. And of course,the alligator arm reactions of some the receivers were priceless. Quite the debate here on ES about drafting him,but I'm glad the Skins did,no matter how tragically short his career was. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK.... I'm as big a Redskins fan as anyone on this forum, if not more. Born and raised a die hard fan out of the womb. I am 32 years old but can recite the score of each and every game of the 1991 season. I cried as a 9 year old when we lost. ( and also when we almost lost to Houston that year) However, I believe Sean Taylor is believed to be a far greater player by many especially the younger fans than he actually was.

 

I understand this is very common in any field post mortem and is sacrilegious in this community. Yes, I saw the hits he made and thought he had all the talent in the world (probably the most talented saftey of all time)  He was on the verge of putting it all together but was generally lacking the mental part of the game. He was never voted to the pro-bowl naturally. He was always an alternate. I'm not trying to Poo Poo Sean Taylor but I think his legacy is a bit skewed. Am I alone here? The start of his career was nothing like Earl Thomas, Eric Berry or Troy Polamalu. We saw the talent but hoped he could eventially put it together and become the safety he was touted (and we all hoped) he could be. Unfortunately,  he was never given the chance to do so.

You are totally wrong..have you looked up his stats compared to troy polamalu? in four years Sean was half way there compared to Troy in tweleve years...let that sink in for a moment..

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