Sean Taylor Dies

Sean Taylor (born Sean Michael Maurice Taylor), who played free safety for the Washington Redskins of the NFL died on November 27 in Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Taylor was 24.

His death came after he was shot on the upper leg the day before (November 26) at around 1:45 in the morning at his home in Palmetto Bay by an armed intruder. He was critically wounded in the femoral artery. He went into surgery, lost a significant amount of blood, remained unconscious and then went into a coma. Through family friend, Richard Sharpstein, the news of his death was released to the media after 5:30 in the morning.

ESPN reported that eight days prior to this fatal attack, an intruder was reported to have entered the NFL player's home through the front window and left a kitchen knife on one of the beds in the house. According to Taylor's girlfriend, both she and Taylor were awakened by loud noises and then someone broke through the door, entered the bedroom, and fired two shots.

One shot missed while the other shot hit Taylor. She apparently called the police from the house line but the line had been cut so she then used her cell phone to call 911. The police is still investigating the connection between the two incidents. The player was 24 and is survived by his 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, who incidentally was also in the house during the attack but is unharmed.

Sean Taylor isn't the first player to die of such untimely violent death. Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams died on January 1, 2007, during a drive-by shooting near 11^th Avenue and Speer Boulevard in Denver, Colorado, at around 2:10 in the morning.

Williams was struck in the neck with a bullet and died instantly during the shooting which occurred 12 hours after the Broncos played their final game of the 2006 season. Just like Taylor, he was also 24 when he died.

Barely a year ago, Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman, Bryan Sidney Pata was shot in the back of the head outside of his apartment complex after he left team practice earlier that day.