Sean Taylor death: What happened to the former Washington safety?

Sean Taylor is the main character of one of the saddest stories in the history of the NFL. Taylor was a Pro Bowl safety for the Washington Football Team in the '00s. Before joining the University of Miami, he was even considered the best athlete out of high school in 2001.

He chose to play for Miami because it was close to where he lived as a kid. After a great collegiate career, Taylor was a top-five pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.

Taylor was on track to stardom in 2007, where he had fantastic numbers and everyone was crediting his work ethic and his newly-found maturity. But tragedy struck later that year.

What happened to Sean Taylor? Washington's safety murdered in his home

Although Taylor played for Washington, he kept a residence in Miami. This home was raided on November 18, 2007 while he was away. Days later, on November 26, the house encountered intruders once again. However, this time, Taylor was present during the attempted burglary. His presence scared the intruders and after a brief encounter, Taylor was shot in the upper leg, causing massive blood loss.

Sean Taylor was pronounced dead on November 27, 2007.

Every NFL player wore a decal with the number 21 on its helmet during Week 13 of that season to honor Taylor. Washington had only 10 players on the field for the first defensive snap against the Buffalo Bills that weekend. Taylor was also the first player to be elected to the Pro Bowl post-mortem.

---

Sean Taylor's NFL Origins

In his first years in the NFL, Taylor was seen as somewhat immature. To be fair, he deserved some of the flack he received. He left the rookie symposium in 2004 and received a $25,000 fine, was ejected from a playoff game with Washington after spitting on an opponent, and was fined by the league seven times between 2004 and 2006.

Taylor was also known as a hard-hitter, and his most famous hit curiously happened at the 2006 Pro Bowl. After the AFC team ran a fake punt, the safety-level punter Brian Moorman.

It's important to keep in mind that the Pro Bowl game is more of an exhibition. Taylor's massive hit on the punter was seen by some as juvenile. But others saw it as a player who gives 100% on the field no matter the circumstances.

Sean Taylor was murdered in his home in the middle of an All-Pro season

Sean Taylor's murderer was identified as Eric Rivera Jr., who was 17 at the time, and he was sentenced to 57 years in prison. Taylor left behind his girlfriend and an 18-months daughter at the time of his death.

---