I was praying for a miracle, but expecting the worst.
Seconds later, ESPN.com confirmed my worst fears. “Taylor Dead at 24”.
I never knew Taylor, but pulled a little bit more for him than the average Cane. He was from the neighborhood. He was a Gulliver kid. I went to Westminster. He played his high school ball on both our fields.
I grew up off Old Cutler Road, played at Perrine Khoury League and know the west Perrine area he called home.
Not too many kids from that pocket of town end up playing for the Canes, go fifth in the NFL Draft or wind up a Pro Bowl level safety — so when anybody from the neighborhood makes it, you tend to pull for them a little bit more.
A long-time bud of mine is a Palmetto Bay cop and was on the scene yesterday. A mutual friend was texting me updates all day and keeping me in the loop. By day’s end, he told me to expect the worst – even though ESPN was reporting things were looking better, with Taylor squeezing his doctor’s hand.
By then, my head was swimming. I didn’t know what to believe. Like I did when Pata was murdered, I logged off and tried not to think. I got out of the house.
This morning, everyones worst fears were realized.
Taylor is gone at 24-years old, his whole life ahead of him. In the prime of his career and now leaving behind an infant daughter who will never know her father. Even worse, it was all over some ‘stuff’ – be it property some thugs were looking to steal or some scumbag looking to settle a beef.
A few pathetic jackasses have already started pointing fingers and blaming this on what some are calling a checkered past for Taylor, instead of simply focusing on the tragedy itself.
True, the former Cane found himself in a little trouble years back. In and out of hot water with Redskins management. A few run ins with the law. Taylor wasn’t perfect – but he was a boy still growing into the man he’d become as well as learning how to handle his newfound fame, fortune and success.
Ask his coaches and teammates. Ask his friends and family. This was a new Taylor. A twentysomething professional athlete smitten by his one-year old daughter, Jackie – the biggest and best reason for any man to turn over a new leaf.
The rebirth of the new Sean Taylor was underway and now we’ll never know what could’ve been. He was taken from us too soon… like so many who have gone before him.
I’m sure many are now playing the inevitable “what if” game. What if Taylor wasn’t injured? He’d have been with his Redskins teammates and a thousand miles or so away from any trouble in Miami. At worst, he could’ve been in DC recovering from the injury instead of back home for a few days – a week after there was reported trouble and a burglary attempt at his home.
Instead, he’s gone and everyone is left here picking up the pieces and asking God, “why?”
This is cruel and unusual punishment for this fan base, for Miamians who mourn the loss of one of our own and for anyone with a heart.
As a diehard Cane, like the rest of my brethren, I’m crushed beyond words. On one level, these are just kids who play football for the program we all pull for. But we all know it’s much more than that.
You live, eat, sleep and breathe The U for the better part of your life and these end up guys becoming more than just nameless faces wearing numbered jerseys their predecessors wore. They become part of the history and as big as the program itself. When we utter the words “U Family” we mean it.
The University of Miami is family. When one succeeds, we all succeed. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one is taken, we all mourn.
When these kids get drafted every April, you find yourself sitting back like a proud parent watching graduation day. You know that they have their whole lives ahead of them and you look forward to rooting for them on the next level – doing well for themselves, their families and doing right by their alma mater.
Even if you’re not a fan of the team they’re drafted by, you find yourselves rooting for the one time Canes out there to make plays and make The U proud.
The pain lessens over time, but the memories remain. U Family forever. #26 was our star.
Please feel free to comment below and talk about Taylor. Share your stories, memories, thoughts and prayers please.
Just one more reminder that there are things bigger and much more important than 5-7 seasons and trashing coaches or players. Hopefully we can all learn from this one…
R.I.P. #26 (#21).
.:Canes305:.
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Great piece, Canes 305. Very heartfelt. Sean Taylor was one of my favorite Canes and I cannot believe he is gone. This is a very dark day for Hurricanes football. From this to Bryan Pata to Al Blades, Chris Campbell, Marlin Barnes and all the other old timer Canes ... we are losing too many guys from our U family. God bless Sean Taylor and the Taylor family.
This is probably the hardest thing that I have had to deal with. Sean was a friend, while at the U with him, he knew he was a star. He could go out and get VIP anywhere he wanted but he always kept to himself and always stayed true to his friends. Sean Taylor IS the U. He's the heart and soul of this program. When I see kids nowadays in the school, I have always said to myself where is the next Sean? Just knowing him personally was good enough for me. I didn't have to know he was the all American Safety just knocking people out left and right. Sean is a 1 in a million person and talent. I'm just blessed to have known him and had him in my life. Yeah, he wasn't perfect, but really who is? It's just a shame to see him go out this way because it's not so much the prime of his football career, he was in the prime of his life. He was becoming a better man, a father, started to stay out of trouble on and off the field. He was becoming a new man and it was just cut short. Just goes to show when you think it can't get worse being a Cane, it can. I hope everyone can look at this man and just remember the great things he did in life and how many times he brought a smile to your face with "that hit" or "that pick". Doesn't matter if you went to the U, a gator, a nole, or just a fan, The U is ONE family and we all need to come together and help each other out. Sean would've wanted me to say this, he loved this saying because it meant a lot to him as it should everyone. I just know hes beyond the grave hoping it so here it is. At day's end, "It's All about The U" and Stay Strong Hurricane Nation, hang in there because better days await. Remember we are the University of Miami. We WILL be back and we WILL DO IT FOR SEAN.
When I lived in Miami, I grew up very close to Old Cutler Road and played at Perrine Khoury League myself.
Terrible, terrible news. Sean was one of my all time favorite Canes. Thoughts and prayers are with his family...
When I lived in Miami, I lived very close to Old Cutler. Played at Perrine Khoury League myself. Can't believe it happened.
Terrible news. Sean was one of my all-time favorite Canes, and he will be missed.
-Chris, Cincinnati
Sean was one of my favorite Canes. Recently moving to DC it was nice seeing some canes here in Skin and Raven town. It so sad that his career/life was cut so short... God bless Jackie and his family
When I came into work this morning I was shocked. I was away from the tv/net for most of the day and the extent of the injury wasn't apparent. I said my prayers, but it was just the leg. I opened my browser and saw Sean's picture on cnn.com and refused to read the text.
I never knew Sean personally, but I did do some spec work for his 1st official website. Other than being a long standing fan I felt that gave me a little more of a bond. I started following the Redskins more regularly and once they became the "north beach" Miami campus I followed much more closely. Taylor was a machine on the field. The best compliment I think I can pay him in football is that at Miami I've only seen 1 player from the secondary better...Ed Reed. When Ed left I was scared that we'd see fall off, he was my security blanket. Sean filled the role perfectly. I was proud to cheer for him because you could see the heart.
Right now none of it matters. I think about Dan Snyder flying Portis down last night and how hard it is on him. I think about his wife and I think about his little girl that won't have her father. This is so much bigger than football ever could be.
I'm proud to be a part of the U Family. I'm proud because players like Sean Taylor made it something special. My prayers are with the Taylor family.
--
On a side note, I wish that Sunday when I turn on my Sunday ticket and flip around the league that I see support from the Canes in the league. Forget the fines that the NFL will levy...put on a U wrist band or have everyone put on the eye black with the U logo. If you do something, shoot that U up and point to the sky. Something, anything, just show the world, the Taylor's, and Sean that this is the U family.
Sean had that "Miami" "IT" factor that has has bred some great players and is going to be greatly missed. 305 made a point about us, The U Family,"The University of Miami is family. When one succeeds, we all succeed. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one is taken, we all mourn." I will miss Taylor and his MEAST style of play. The guy could lay a hit and would knock the snot out of grown men. Like I said he will be greatly missed by both his families, RIP Mighty Cane.
God bless Sean's family and everyone out there in Cane Nation.
R.I.P. #26
Another tragedy of a young man being taken before he should have been. Taken from us all. Taken by a punk with a gun over nothing even close to the value of life. Taken by someone who will get what's coming to him when he goes before God and is judged. I'm tired of the whole "I'm a badass, I'm real, I'm hard" by socity nowadays. My 7 year old son can pull the trigger of a gun. It doesn't make you a man. It makes you weak. It makes you a coward. It makes you marked for the rest of this life and the next. I pray Sean Taylor lingers in your mind and haunts you for the rest of your days. He did not deserve this and neither did his daughter, girlfriend or family. This will be national news for the rest of this week and then will be forgotten because America has the attention span of a bug. But not by The U Nation. This is a true tragedy which will never be forgotten or forgiven, just like Bryan Pata. I hope Miami does something for next season to mark just how special Sean was and is. We love you and miss you Sean. I pray for you and your family, and all of us.
-Columbus Cane
This was not a random act of violence. Its reported that his phone lines were cut.
Kinda sounds like a hit, huh?
I can't believe this happened.
RIP 26