MIAMI - Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor died Tuesday after he was shot in his home by an apparent intruder, leaving the Washington Redskins in mourning for a teammate who seemed to have reordered his life since becoming a father.

The 24-year-old player died at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he had been airlifted after the shooting early Monday.

AP Photo/Kevin Wolf GONE TOO SOON: Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, shown here in 2004 with Redskins coach Joe Gibbs after being drafted as the fifth overall pick, died Tuesday morning as a result of a gunshot wound to the leg during a home invasion robbery at his Palmetto, Fla. home.

“It is with deep regret that a young man had to come to his end so soon,” father Pedro Taylor said in a statement on behalf of the family. “Many of his fans loved him because the way he played football. Many of his opponents feared him the way he approached the game. Others misunderstood him, many appreciated him and his family loved him.”

A string of mourners, including Taylor’s father, visited the player’s home and embraced outside. Authorities entered the home, but it was unclear what they were doing.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will honor Taylor’s memory at all games this weekend.

“We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Sean’s family, friends, teammates, and the Redskins’ organization. This is a terrible tragedy involving the loss of a young man who leaves behind many people struggling to understand it,” Goodell said.

Taylor’s No. 21 will be painted in a grass parking area leading into Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va. In addition, No. 21 will also be painted in front of the Redskins Hall of Fame store.

Fans already began a makeshift memorial by laying flowers on a field near the front entrance to the practice facility. Several people paid respects at Taylor’s parking space.

“This is the worst imaginable tragedy,” Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean’s family.”

Redskins teammate Clinton Portis also played with Taylor at the University of Miami. He had sensed a new maturity in his close friend.

“It’s hard to expect a man to grow up overnight,” Portis said. “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.”

Two bouquets were left by a palm tree outside a front gate of the home. Beside the mailbox, an untouched newspaper lay with news of Taylor’s shooting.

Taylor’s death comes nearly a year after Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting following an argument at a Denver nightclub on Jan. 1. University of Miami defensive lineman Bryan Pata was shot to death in November 2006 several miles from Taylor’s home in an unsolved killing.

Published in : News, National

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