November 27, 2007: Sean Taylor is shot and killed in his home in Miami. He was only 24 years old.
Sean Michael Maurice Taylor was born on April 1, 1983 in Florida City, Florida, about 30 miles southwest of Miami. He grew up in the bigger city, and played football, basketball and track in high school. He played free safety as a sophomore on the University of Miami's 2001 National Championship team, and was a sprinter on their track team. As a senior in 2003, he led the country with 10 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown against Rutgers.
The Washington Redskins made him the 5th pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, the 1st defensive player taken, behind Eli Manning, Robert Gallery, Larry Fitzgerald and Philip Rivers; and ahead of such players as Kellen Winslow II, Roy Williams, DeAngelo Hall, Ben Roethlisberger, Jonathan Vilma, Steven Jackson and Chris Snee.
He made an immediate impact, and was named to the Professional Football Writers Association's All-Rookie Team. He wore Number 36 that season, and, when Number 21, which he'd worn in high school became a available, he switched to it. (He had worn Number 26 in college.) In 2005, he helped the Redskins reach the Playoffs.
In 2006, his 3rd season, he had 111 combined tackles, 86 solo tackles, 6 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles, and an interception, and was named to the Pro Bowl. Gregg Williams, the Redskins' defensive coordinator, called him the best athlete he had ever coached. This says something: Williams had been defensive coordinator for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise in the 1990s, and head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Prior to the start of the 2007 season, Sports Illustrated named him the hardest-hitting player in the NFL.
In 2007, the Redskins were 5-6, but Taylor, despite missing the last 2 games with a knee injury, was tied for the most interceptions in the NFC. He was having another season that would see him elected to the Pro Bowl.
On November 26, a day after the Redskins lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football, and 2 days before Thanksgiving, Taylor was at home in Miami, with his fiancée, Jackie García, and their 18-month-old daughter, Jackie. He heard noises in the house and, while investigating the cause, he was shot in the upper leg by an intruder. His femoral artery was severed, causing extensive blood loss, and he died the next day.
On November 30, 4 men were charged with felony first-degree murder, armed burglary, and home invasion robbery with a firearm. Confessions were given. The actual gunman was only 17 years old, so the death penalty was not sought. A 5th man was later charged. All were convicted. As of November 27, 2022, all 5 are still alive and in prison in Florida.
The NFL placed Number 21 decals on the backs of all players' helmets during the next week's games. A moment of silence was held before each game that week. Players on other teams were given the option to continue wearing the decals in subsequent weeks. (There had been controversy about that in the past.)
The Redskins had the Number 21 painted on the field, and wore it on shoulder patches. They began their next game with 10 men, with the free safety spot unoccupied, much as the New York Yankees left the catcher's position empty when they took the field in their 1st game after Thurman Munson's death in a plane crash in 1979. Now named the Washington Commanders, the team retired his number, and named one of the access roads into FedEx Field Sean Taylor Road.
Taylor became the 1st player posthumously voted to the Pro Bowl. The NFC team also opened the game with the free safety spot unmanned. His Washington teammates named to that team, Chris Cooley, Chris Samuels and Ethan Albright all wore Number 21 in the game. The jerseys were auctioned off, and the proceeds were donated to a trust fund that the Redskins had set up for daughter Jackie Taylor.
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November 27, 2007 was a Tuesday. Baseball was out of season. Football was in midweek. There were 7 games played in the NBA:
* The New Jersey Nets lost to the Memphis Grizzlies, 110-103 at the Izod Center at the Meadowlands. Vince Carter scored 32 points in defeat.
* The Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets, 110-90 at the American Airlines Arena (now the Kaseya Center) in Miami.
* The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics, 109-104 in overtime at the Quicken Loans Arena (now the Rocket Arena) in Cleveland. LeBron James scored 38 points.
* The Chicago Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks, 90-78 at the United Center in Chicago.
* The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 114-99 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
* The Indiana Pacers beat the Denver Nuggets, 112-110 at the Pepsi Center (now the Ball Arena) in Denver.
* And the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Seattle SuperSonics, 106-99 at the Staples Center (now the Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant scored 35 points.
And there were 3 games played in the NHL:
* In an "Original Six" matchup, the Montreal Canadiens beat their arch-rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, 4-3 in a shootout at the Air Canada Centre (now the Scotiabank Arena) in Toronto.
* The Detroit Red Wings beat the Calgary Flames, 5-3 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
* And the Vancouver Canucks beat the Anaheim Ducks, 4-0 at General Motors Place (now the Rogers Arena) in Vancouver.
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