i think this deserves its own thread.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313041,00.html

MIAMI — Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died, a day after he was shot at home. He was 24.

Family friend Richard Sharpstein said Taylor's father told him the news around 5:30 a.m.

"His father called and said he was with Christ and he cried and thanked me," said Sharpstein, Taylor's former lawyer. "It's a tremendously sad and unnecessary event. He was a wonderful, humble, talented young man, and had a huge life in front of him. Obviously God had other plans."

He said he did not know exactly when Taylor died at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he was airlifted after the shooting early Monday.

Doctors had been encouraged late Monday night when Taylor squeezed a nurse's hand. But Sharpstein said he was told Taylor never regained consciousness after being transported to the hospital and that he wasn't sure how he had squeezed the nurse's hand.

"Maybe he was trying to say goodbye or something," Sharpstein said.

The 24-year-old was shot early Monday in the upper leg, damaging an artery and causing significant blood loss.

Miami-Dade Police were investigating the attack, which came just eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor's home. Officers were dispatched about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor's girlfriend called 911. Taylor was airlifted to the hospital.

Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor, Sharpstein said. Taylor's 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in the house at the time, but neither she nor Taylor's girlfriend were injured.

"It could have been a possible burglary; it could have been a possible robbery," Miami-Dade Police Lt. Nancy Perez said. "It has not been confirmed as yet."

Taylor was shot at the pale yellow house he bought two years ago in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay. Eight days before the attack someone pried open a front window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed at Taylor's home, according to police.

"They're really sifting through that incident and today's incident," Miami-Dade Police Detective Mario Rachid said, "to see if there's any correlation."

Taylor starred as a running back and defensive back at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami. His father, Pedro Taylor, is the police chief of Florida City, Fla.

A private man with a small inner circle, Taylor rarely granted interviews. But, behind the scenes, Taylor was described as personable and smart -- an emerging locker room leader.

Especially since the birth of his daughter Jackie.

"From the first day I met him, from then to now, it's just like night and day," Redskins receiver James Thrash said. "He's really got his head on his shoulders and has been doing really well as far as just being a man. It's been awesome to see that growth."

An All-American at the University of Miami, Taylor was drafted by the Redskins with the fifth overall selection in 2004. Coach Joe Gibbs called it "one of the most researched things" he's ever done, but the problems soon began. Taylor fired his agent, then skipped part of the NFL's mandatory rookie symposium, drawing a $25,000 fine. Driving home late from a party during the season, he was pulled over and charged with drunken driving. The case was dismissed in court, but by then it had become a months-long distraction for the team.

Taylor also was fined at least seven times for late hits, uniform violations and other infractions over his first three seasons, including a $17,000 penalty for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a playoff game in January 2006.

Meanwhile, Taylor endured a yearlong legal battle after he was accused in 2005 of brandishing a gun at a man during a fight over allegedly stolen all-terrain vehicles near Taylor's home. He eventually pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.

Taylor said the end of the assault case was like "a gray cloud" being lifted. It was also around the time that Jackie was born, and teammates noticed a change.

"It's hard to expect a man to grow up overnight," said Redskins teammate and close friend Clinton Portis, who also played with Taylor at the University of Miami. "But ever since he had his child, it was like a new Sean, and everybody around here knew it. He was always smiling, always happy, always talking about his child."

On the field, Taylor's play was often erratic. Assistant coach Gregg Williams frequently called Taylor the best athlete he's ever coached, but nearly every big play was mitigated by a blown assignment. Taylor led the NFL in missed tackles in 2006 yet made the Pro Bowl because of his reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the league.

This year, however, Taylor was allowed to play a true free safety position, using his speed and power to chase down passes and crush would-be receivers. His five interceptions tie for the league lead in the NFC, even though he missed the last two games because of a sprained knee.

"I just take this job very seriously," Taylor said in a rare group interview during training camp. "It's almost like, you play a kid's game for a king's ransom. And if you don't take it serious enough, eventually one day you're going to say, 'Oh, I could have done this, I could have done that.'

"So I just say, 'I'm healthy right now, I'm going into my fourth year, and why not do the best that I can?' And that's whatever it is, whether it's eating right or training myself right, whether it's studying harder, whatever I can do to better myself."

His hard work was well-noted.

"He loved football. He felt like that's what he was made to do," Gibbs said. "And I think what I've noticed over the last year and a half ... is he matured. I think his baby had a huge impact on him. There was a real growing up in his life."

Absolutely horrible.

RIP, Sean.

Wow.
Do we know the whole story yet?

This is so sad. He was so talented and young.Just horrible

I've heard that teammates and friends said Taylor had grown up since his child was born a year ago.

Before, he had been living the "Miami" lifestyle, but he had begun to settle down and become a family man. He was engaged to be married soon.

So sad.

terrible news. rip

What a complete shame.

I hope the authorities have a better chance tracking down the bastard(s) who did this than they have trying to find the killer(s) of Darrent Williams.

RIP.

Dayum

what a shame. Not a fan of Miami or the Redskins, but I always admired his athletic ability. he was so talented...

RIP

He had been living the Miami lifestyle for a while...seemed like something was always happening.
This is also a huge loss the U.M. Family which has lost a handful of alumni in the last couple of years.

So sad.

RIP

Very sad. I hope that they find the person that shot him.

odd. i wonder now if this person knew taylor and this was due to something he'd done, though the story does say:

Today is probably the worst day in Washington, DC sports since the tragedy of Len Bias decades ago. No one cared about the season anymore. We just wanted him to pull through. Now every one of our cornerbacks and safeties will put their all into hitting as hard as Sean Taylor did in his honor. The maturation he showed in recent years as a team leader and father makes this all the more tragic. RIP #21.

guys, i went to miami and was in a sociology class with sean our senior year. he was funny and kind guy. i really liked him in the classroom and he's my favorite cane football player of all time. i'm so mad this happened. i can tell you first hand that he was a great guy and will truly be missed.

r.i.p.

I actually felt sick when I saw this on sportscenter this morning. For some reason I thought he was definitely going to a make it. I mean, he was only 24.

i'm going to be a little rough on him. he's an idiot for leaving his girlfriend and 18 month old daughter in his house when he knew people were out to get him. how fucking stupid can you be. its one thing if you want to be a tough guy and handle your problems without involving law enforcement, but to endanger your little kid is just disgusting.

get out

what, you're telling me that if someone breaks into your house and leaves a machete on your bed, you're going to act like business as usual and leave your baby daughter in the house? i know i look like a douchebag for criticizing a dead guy and no one deserves to die, but you can't honestly tell me that this guy wasn't endangering his family. if you know people are out after your head and you're a millionaire, you're not going to hire some extra security or put your family up in a hotel for a few nights?