Sean Michael Maurice Taylor (April 1, 1983 – November 27, 2007) was an American football free safety for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected fifth overall in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Redskins, where he played four seasons until his murder in 2007. As a high school player, Taylor led Gulliver Prep to a Florida state championship and set the state record for single-season touchdowns. Taylor played college football at Miami, where he was a member of the 2001 BCS National Championship team and won the Jack Tatum Trophy. With the Redskins, he gained a reputation as a hard-hitting player and was nicknamed "Meast" from the expression "half man, half beast." He made one Pro Bowl appearance in 2006. During the 2007 season, Taylor was shot by intruders at his Miami area home and died the next day on November 27. His death led to an outpouring of national support and sympathy, especially in the Washington, D.C. and Miami areas. Posthumously, he earned a second Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors. Taylor was inducted to Washington's Ring of Fame in 2008. Early life Sean Taylor was born in Florida on April 1, 1983 to Pedro Taylor, a policeman, and Donna Junor. He spent his early years growing up with his great-grandmother Aulga Clarke in Homestead, Florida and later moved to his father's home at the age of 11. Taylor was baptized at the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church in Florida City by Pastor David Peay. He grew up in a low-income neighborhood in Miami, on a street lined with candy-colored houses. Taylor played high school football in Pinecrest, a suburb of Miami. He originally began his high school football career at Miami Killian High School, a Class 2A public school, but transferred to Gulliver Preparatory School, a Class prep school, where he was a three-sport star in football, track and basketball. He played both offense and defense. Despite missing the first game of the season (the team's only loss), he helped Gulliver win the Florida Class 2A State Championship in 2000 with a 14–1 record. Taylor was a star on both sides of the ball during that season, playing running back, defensive back and linebacker. He rushed for 1,400 yards and a state-record 44 touchdowns and on two occasions, rushed for more than 200 yards during Gulliver's state playoff run. He also compiled