A Redskins Fan woke up on Monday thinking all was well...

Until the picture upon the screen told a horrible tale.

"It must be wrong!" this fan did say."No way could this be right!"

And then upon her knees she fell when the words came into sight.

A prayer, a prayer to God above to let this young man live...

Then through the night encouraging words the media did give.

When morning light did break the sky horrible words pierced right through her dreams...

So slowly she did open her eyes while inside she silently screamed.

Away you had gone so quietly within the blink of an eye...

The words being said did not sound right when they spoke Sean Taylor had died.

A sadness unexplainable to those who do not know...

That the Washington Redskins family all share kindred souls.

To think of you no longer there when the Redskins take the field...

Is a pain that I am not so sure will ever truly heal.

Safety was the role you played, though God had other plans...

So now we will always look for you with in the Eternal Twelfth Man.

Rest well my brother in the arms of God, may they always hold you tight...

And remember this dear Sean"Our Angel" we love you with all our might.

Thank you for all the memories that we have of you to hold...

For now you are and will forever be an eternal member of the Burgundy and Gold!

~ 

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...  

 ~Ang

 SEAN TAYLOR PASSED AWAY AT 5:30 AM.

AS A FAN I AM DEVESTATED, AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW HIS FAMILY FEELS AND HOW HIS TEAMMATES AND COACHES FEEL.

GOD BLESS SEAN AND HIS LOVED ONES. I CANNOT WRITE ANYMORE, AS I AM TOO UPSET.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET # 21!

WE LOVE YOU SEAN!

As most of you know by now, the Washington Redskins were alerted to devastating news in the early hours Monday morning. Our most talented safety, Sean Taylor, was shot in his home by an intruder after hearing noises coming from his living room.  

Upon him and his fiance hearing the noise, Taylor reached for a machete that he kept under the bed, and then proceeded to lock his bedroom door to protect him, his fiance and his eighteen month old daughter who was also asleep in the room.  

Just as he locked the door it was kicked in and two, from what I have heard, shotgun blasts erupted. One hit Sean in his leg, severing his femoral artery. The other, thankfully hit the wall. According to information released, ALL land-line phone connections had been cut in Taylor's home. When his fiance finally crawled out from under the blankets, she immediately contacted 911 around 1:45 am on her cell.  

Once emergency services arrived at the home, Sean had already lost a tremendous amount of blood. His eyes were rolling in the back of his head, and his breathing was labored. He was immediately airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he flat-lined twice.  

He was rushed into emergency surgery for over seven hours today, and is now in the Critical Care Unit where there has been some good news this evening. According to Cerrato, Taylor was able to respond to Doctors asking him to squeeze their hand and squint his eyes. He has responded to his Mother as well.  

There is still much to be concerned about though.... With the amount of blood lost, as well as the lack of blood and oxygen to his brain, doctors fear that he could possibly suffer lifelong brain damage, the loss of his leg, or possibly death.  

With a long night a head for him and his family, friends, teammates and all fans, I can assure you that Sean is surrounded by many prayers.  

When Redskins players arrived at work this morning, for what they thought was to be a review of the game against Tampa Bay, were instead ushered in with Coach Gibbs, the entire coaching staff, Daniel Snyder and a Chaplain. Learning the news about Sean devastated the whole team.  

Snyder took several players down to Florida to be there with Sean and his family by lending their support. There have been candlelight vigils held in many places in the D.C. area, as well as the numerous states that surround the Washington Redskins. Just like many teams,  Redskins fans are extremely loyal, and speaking for myself, I have been out of sorts all day due to the fact that a family member is so severely injured.  

I am sure that most are all aware that Sean has had issues in the past with the law ,but Taylor has become a changed man since the birth of his daughter Jackie a year and a half ago. According to 'Skins Tackle Chris Samuels, he approached Sean letting him know how proud he was to see such a positive change in Sean. Samuels also had a long conversation with Coach Gibbs, where they both agreed about the positive turn around in Sean both on and off the field.  

Sean injured his knee three weeks ago in the game against Philly and has been rehabbing up in FedEX. But due to a previous break in eight-days ago Taylor may never return to not only the game, but to a normal life if he survives.  

COMMENTS FROM REDSKINS TEAMMATES, COACHES AND OWNER:  

"This is not just a member of the Washington Redskins," fellow safety Pierson Prioleau said. "But we're talking about a dad, a brother, a friend of ours, and that's where we're at with this right now."  

"For all of us here, we are obviously in shock," Gibbs said. "I know I can't put it into words. I wouldn't do a good job of explaining how we feel. I know all of our fans out there are praying.  "All of us are emotional and caught up in it. We are praying for the absolute best for Sean and his family."  

DANIEL SNYDER: "On behalf of the Redskins, the players and everyone here at the Redskins, our hearts and prayers go out to Sean and his family. A group of Redskins and I are on our way to Miami now. "I really don't have any details other than what everyone else has been reading and reporting. Our hearts and prayers are with Sean and his family."  

As coach and player, Gregg Williams and Sean Taylor bonded immediately. So it was with a heavy heart that Williams spoke with reporters about Taylor's shooting injury on Monday, in an emotional media session at Redskins Park:

"From a fiance standpoint and him being engaged, from a son's standpoint, from a grandson's standpoint in his own family's eyes, for me I have had an inner smile go on with me as I have seen him grow here and see him change dramatically for the good.

"The power of prayer is very powerful and all of us here, Redskins fans, the media, all of us--we need to get on our knees and say a prayer for him.

"Whether he plays again, I don't know. If he does, great. If he doesn't, great. I just want him to recover. I just want him to be all right."  

Clinton Portis, one of Sean Taylor's closest friends, spoke to the media on Monday morning and discussed the ongoing situation involving Taylor:  

"It's an unfortunate situation," Portis said. "It's hard. How can you deal with it? It's hard. There's nothing we can do. All we can think about is if he had been with us on the flight to Tampa, if he was at the game with us, then he would not have been in that situation.  

"At the same time, you can't divert or change God's plan. Sean is a tough guy and I believe he will pull through this."  

"Ever since Sean had his little girl, it was like a new Sean," Portis said. "He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child. It was good to see Sean walk by smiling.   "Now all of a sudden, his back is up against the wall, our backs are up against the wall."   MY PERSONAL THOUGHTS...

I had just put on my shoes and was making my way into the living room to grab my purse to leave for work, when my eyes locked on to the TV. It was on Fox News and I saw Sean Taylors face, but everything seemed to become suspended into slow motion.  

Within a second, it connected in my brain and I dropped to me knees on the floor. I could not believe what I was seeing. I picked up the phone and called my Mom, who once she was able to speak, or should I say sob, told me she had to go and find a TV there at work. I then called my Husband, who was so silent, it left me to wonder if the call had been dropped. I called out his name and he barely responded. He had to go as well to get to a TV.  

In my car I frantically searched all of Sirius until I found some info on Sean. I then prayed all the way to work. People at work, I think, finally got the fact that the Redskins are very important to me.  

I periodically checked his status throughout the day, and was glad to get home this evening to get some good news about the movements and responses. Since then my TV has not left the NFL Network and ESPN. My computer pages are FOX and redskins.com.  

In closing I just wanted to voice how odd I find it that someone broke into his home eight-days ago, leaving a kitchen knife on his bed. Also the fact that he had his family and friends staying there when this occurred. Where were they when all this went down, and why did whoever did this know to go strait to Sean's room and kick open the door?  

I truly believe that someone on the inside of this home allowed, or participated in this. All phone lines were cut??? Where was the security alarms and why did they not go off and alert someone?  

These are just some of many questions I have. I would like to know what you think, but please be respectful, as Sean's life is hanging in the balance....  

God Bless you Sean ! Stay Strong and I am praying for you! HAIL TO THE REDSKINS...#21

~Ang

**Latest Update**

"Sean was not responding well to blood transfusions and things were going in the wrong direction when totally out of the blue he woke up," the source said. "Anything can happen at any time, but the phrase now being thrown around is cautious optimism. Before the guy was slowly passing away. Now, he's slowly getting stronger."