Sean Taylor was one of the best defenders of his era.
Tragically, his NFL career was cut short following his death back in 2007.
ESPN’s Field Yates remembered the late Taylor on what would have been his 39th birthday.
The great Sean Taylor would have turned 39 today 🙏
An incredible player. Gone way too soon.
(🎥: @nflthrowback) pic.twitter.com/rDmDrD7rDJ
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 1, 2022
Yates tweeted, “The great Sean Taylor would have turned 39 today. An incredible player. Gone way too soon.”
Saying that Taylor would have been an all-time great is no April Fools’ joke.
His football greatness was already evident in high school when he led Florida’s Gulliver Prep to the state title with a single-season record of 44 touchdowns.
In college, he achieved the 2001 national championship with the Miami Hurricanes and was Second-Team Big East a year later.
Taylor elevated his game in 2003 with 77 tackles and 10 interceptions, making him the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and a Unanimous All-American.
Taylor’s NFL Career And Death
He became a fan favorite with the then-Washington Redskins because of his fierce hits, earning him the nickname “Meast” or “half-man, half-beast.”
After going fifth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft, Taylor made an immediate impact with 76 tackles and four interceptions.
Those numbers merited inclusion on the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team.
In 2006, he earned his first Pro Bowl selection after tallying a career high 111 tackles and three forced fumbles.
A year later, Taylor achieved his second Pro Bowl and first selection to the Second-Team All-Pro.
Unfortunately, that was his last year on Earth after dying from a gunshot wound on November 27, 2007, at age 24.
Taylor finished his career with 262 tackles, 12 interceptions, eight forced fumbles, and two sacks.
He was inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Fame on November 30, 2008.
Washington also retired his jersey on October 27, 2021.
NEXT: Julian Edelman Trolls Us All With April Fools' Joke