First I would like to say that I was surprised by the overwhelming support and love from the entire NFL community in my last post. Each comment, for the most part, was consumed with grief, love and understanding for Sean and the entire Taylor family.
I want you all to know that your condolences and love for the Redskins Nation where cathartic and a step towards healing.Thank each and everyone of you! I will continue to pray that you will never know this pain...
I have been so overcome with sadness and grief since Tuesday and many people within my world, outside of family and friends, just could not wrap their minds around why I would feel this loss so personally. At first it was tolerable, but for those who do not understand and believe it to be silly, I truly have come to feel sorry for.
I have been a very lucky girl to have loved a team that is very geared towards their fans. Most teams around the league put their fans last and I think that is a shame. The Washington Redskins have always made sure that their fans are placed at the top, as they know how much we love our 'Skins! It does not matter what team is yours. All I am saying is that once you take a team into your heart they become your family and you truly bleed their colors. You protect and cherish your true family, be it blood related or blood brothers. When one goes down, we all go down.
I would like to address the fact that Sean Taylor has been raked over the coals since this tragedy, and I sick of it. Instead of focusing on a young man, who yes made mistakes in his youth as we all have, should have been respected as he had changed his life for the better over the past year and a half since his daughter was born.
Now I know there are you out there that disagree with what I am saying, but is life not about learning from your mistakes and moving forward? How many of you changed your ways once your children were born? I would be willing to say a good percentage of you did. I can assure you I did.
So for now I would like for the media, people who are intolerant, and simply those who feel the need to hop on the blogs and put up shock comments to upset people, to step back and look back over your own life and come to me and say you have been perfect. Because of my faith I know that not one single person on the face of this earth can make that claim.
Let Sean rest in peace and know while he is looking down on his child, that he was remembered for what he did for his daughter, and for his outstanding performances on the field, be it at the U, or with the Redskins...
For those of you who do not have a good source of access to the Washington Redskins there are a few things that are being overlooked. I know that the media has played short clips of players, coaches and fans grieving, but for those of us who are able to have access to more info with the team we have seen much more grieving from within the Redskins organization.
I briefly want to touch on those who are most devastated by the loss of this great safety. Clinton Portis was the closest to this quiet and reserved young man, and has not been able to enter the locker room due to the fact that his locker is right next to Sean's. Sean's locker has been sealed with Plexiglas to be forever left exactly as it was the last time he was in it.
Santana Moss, as well, is having difficulties, but he has come out and said that he knows that Sean himself would have mourned had it happened to another player, but come game time he would have laced up and played hard for his lost teammate.
Both Portis and Moss played at the U with Sean, and though they are both on the opposite side of the ball, they were very close with Sean and proud of the changes he made in his life. Coach Gregg Williams who had a close relationship with Sean seems to be crushed.
The Taylor family made an emotional trip up to FedEx Field and behind closed doors, without any media, Sean's Dad addressed the entire staff, players and ALL who worked with Sean. He told them that Sean would not have wanted them to cancel any game. Instead he would want his teammates to take that field and play.
After that they made a heart wrenching trip to Sean's home in Northern Virginia, and from there they flew back to Florida. My heart goes out to them, as I know how it feels to walk into the home of a loved one and see that the home seems to be waiting for your loved ones to come back through the door.
Sean was a Father, Son, Grandson, Friend, Teammate and a Washington Redskins Safety who was one of the best in the league. He has now gone home to be with Christ. I know he is the better for it, though we will always be left with the thought of what could have been....
It has been a policy of the Redskins to never retire a jersey. Instead they have the ring of honor. Well to those who make the decisions on what to do with number 21, I would like to issue this plea....
We have lost the heart of our defense and in order too never forget Sean, please break the rules this once, and retire # 21. Let us honor Sean's memory in a way that our team never has done before.
The # 21 should become the eternal "Twelfth Man" so that he can still lace up and take the field, though we may not see him, let us hear him through every Redskins fans cheers...
On Sunday I will stand with my blood brothers as they take the field with a heavy heart and tears running down my face. What I am sure of is that Sean WILL be there in spirit as the Washington Redskins take the field for their first time at home in three weeks. I send them great love and prayers for inner peace when they play the Bills. Sean will be there beside each one of you!
HAIL TO THE REDSKINS... HAIL VICTORY... BRAVES ON THE WARPATH... RETIRE 21 FOR OUR BELOVED SAFETY!
God bless each of you. Please remember to never take a loved one for granted, because this year has taught me far too many times that saying I love you later is not guaranteed.
RIP SEAN... 21 FOREVER! You may be gone, but you will never be forgotten...
Let's not go overboard. Retiring jerseys should be done only for those who demonstrate sustained excellence on the playing field. It sets a bad precedent if we start retiring jersey numbers just because a player dies. I don't want to bring up negative things about Taylor, but is it really right to retire the number o####uy who spit at two different opposing players? Your suggestion is touching but misplaced. Figure out some way to permanently honor him outside of football.
I'm in between on retiring a jersey...Sean Taylor was an impact player for the Redskins...you can't replace a Sean Taylor, at least not this season or next however, I will agree that something should be done to honor him as a player and as a person. As his teammates and family and friends have noted, Sean is not the same person he used to be prior to all the negative behavior outside of football. Are we all angels,NO...so lets not look at the bad he's done...let's focus on how a person can turn themselves around and want to do good and accomplish it. personally, I would not have a problem with retiring jersey. Sean was a great player and its sad to see a life lost to some BS.
As soon as I found out Sean had died I thought the same thing. He was an exceptional athlete who could've gone down in history as an all-time great. Retiring his number would serve as a reminder that we're blessed to see these great athletes and that we should never take them or their lives for granted.
I know that the Redskins don't officially retire numbers, but they sort of quietly take them out of circulation. According to Wikipedia, Sammy Baugh is the only Redskin with an officially retired number, but Joe Theismann, Sonny Jurgensen, Darrell Green, Charley Taylor, Larry Brown, John Riggins, Bobby Mitchell, Monte Coleman, Dave Butz, Sam Huff, Art Monk and Gary Clark have had their numbers unofficially retired. If Sean's number was an official retiree that would say something.
Loved your post, but disagree with retiring the jersey. First off, if the Skins have a policy not to retire jerseys, then taking this extraordinary measure would be entirely inappropriate. Second, I think we'll learn some of the details of how this tragedy unfolded and they will not be of the stripe that we want to reinforce, esp with young fans.
This was a tragedy and will continue to be so for the family and friendds of this man. It is my opinion that he was attempting to disengage from his old buddies in order to be a better man and father, and his 'buddies' would have none of it. I don't think this was a robbery, it was a shakedown by one of his old friends. Just my opinion, but his 'old' life is the lifestyle we do NOT want to glorify. I think the Skins should wait until the story is out before deciding on any type of permanent memorial.
Lets memorialize him in a positive way on and off the field. How about donating $21 from each ticket sold at home games to inner city programs that promote positive things such as education, speaking out against gun violence, etc. That way his memory lives on in a positive light so that others don't make his mistakes.
retiring his jersey???? c'mon now. i understand he was a good player and the face of the franchise there for a while, but let's not get carried away. it's very unfortunate that he is gone. but let's all remember one thing, people die and are killed EVERY DAY. the fact that he was a superstar football player is probably the only reason we even heard anything about it. not trying to be unsensitive, but just because he was a football player it doesn't mean he deserves special treatment. honor him with a decal on the helmet or paint his number on the field. i think that would be plenty to remind everybody about him.
No, don't retire the jersey. Sean would get pissed from too much attention. I think it would be cool to mark the 21 yard line instead of the 20 though. I don't think the NFL would go for that though. RIP Sean....you are missed
I think Sean Taylor should be added to the ring of honor,since he probably would have been a pro bowl player for years,barring injury.Maybe the Redskins will #### a memorial or park outside of the stadium for Sean similar to what the AZ Cardinals did for Pat Tillman. That way, Redskin fans can stop and remember #21 whenever they want. Sean Taylor's death was senseless and a constant reminder of the times in which we now live. We should remember him first as a player and how he impacted the Redskins rather than his issues outside of football.
I like what the Redskins are planning for Sunday with the towels and the end zone painting. It's a start. The news release this morning is unbelievable. These four pathetic losers weren't expecting Sean to be home and broke in to steal his possessions.
Anyone going to the game Sunday - Comcast Sportsnet would like you to stop by their gate. They are creating a scrapbook for Sean's daughter, they want fans to sign it and share their own personal thoughts about her dad and when she gets older she'll be able to read it.
The Skins should retire the jersey. They also should try to let young people know why he died and the importance of everyone trying to better themselves rather than taking from people who are doing just that.
Thanks everyone. I appreciate your opinions and respect them. I, as you have read, strongly believe that 21 should not be worn by another player in the Redskins organization.
Sean was a different kind of player, that most had never seen before. He played with a ferocity that looking back now seems to be an incredible gift he had.
Talking about Sean in the past tense just does not seem right to me. And I watched today as they brought in the four worthless souls that stole away Sean. They made me SICK! And even more, they were charged with "UN"premeditated murder.
They brought guns...they are only used for one reason. Do I think they meant to kill him? No. That is why he was shot in the leg, and I am sorry to say this, but they would have had no clue what a femoral artery is.
Again thank you all for your comments, and I do plan to get back to each of you as soon as I can spare the time.
free counter
I have been a Washington Redskins Fan all of my life. I come from four generations of "We bleed Burgundy and Gold" Redskins fanatics! I have three teenage sons who are following in this great tradition.
I also am a huge Cal Ripken fan. Congrats to his Hall of fame induction. I would rather go and see a baseball game in person, then watch it on TV. My oldest Son is doing his best to make his dream come true. He has played baseball his whole life, and is being scouted now.
I live in Virginia Beach, Va. I am a native, not a tourist. I work for Canon USA and I love every minute of it! I believe you should Love life, and Live for Redskins Football! HAIL TO THE REDSKINS!
First I would like to say that I was surprised by the overwhelming support and love from the entire NFL community in my last post. Each comment, for the most part, was consumed with grief, love and understanding for Sean and the entire Taylor family. 
