No one 21: Washington Football Team to retire Sean Taylor’s jersey

The Washington Football Team will have no one wearing number
21 as it announced on Thursday that it will be retiring the jersey number that late
Sean Taylor, the two-time Pro Bowl safety and one of the bright young prospects
in the NFL before his life was cut short in 2007 at the age of 24, wore.

Taylor was shot dead in November of 2007 at his Miami home. Taylor’s
jersey will be retired when Washington play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

“I came into the NFL the same year as Sean Taylor and
immediately his athletic ability, resilience, grit, and relentless work ethic
set him apart. I and many others looked to him as a role model. The fact that
he was tragically taken so early hurt our player community, but also our fans,
coaches, and staff. We will continue to remember him and hold him up as an
example of professionalism and excellence, and we will all strive to mirror his
excellence in our own ways,” Washington Football Team President Jason
Wright was quoted by USA Today as saying.

Taylor plied his trade in the NFL from 2004 up until his
death in 2007, playing for Washington who were then known as the Redskins. He
was a Pro Bowler in his last two seasons, 
finishing his career with 305 tackles, 12 interceptions, eight forced
fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown, according to ESPN. Taylor was
inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2008, a year after he was shot dead. Taylor’s
jersey number was 36 during his rookie season, but after that, he got the number
21 till the end of his career. He was picked up fifth overall in the 2004 NFL
draft. Before he got into NFL, he played college football for the University of
Miami.