I wonder who went by Sean Taylor’s grave Tuesday to tell him he was named a Pro Bowl starter.
Did his fiance bring their young daughter to the Miami cemetery? Did his father or mother, family and friends come by what surely is a well-worn path to the marker?
Was it the final moment of pride over a young man who was surely headed to becoming the game’s best safety? Or was it another gut punch that makes the Nov. 27 death of the Redskin even more senseless?
Did somebody taunt the four men in prison awaiting trial for murder? Did they hate the quartet even more for robbing a young man of his life, his dreams, of taking everything from someone with everything to live for?
Could Redskins fans smile when watching the repeated clips of Taylor on TV? Did the video of darting open-field runs with an interception, showing what a talented athlete Taylor was, draw shaken heads once more by those wondering what might have been?
Did Buffalo punter Brian Moorman think about the hit Taylor laid on him in last year’s Pro Bowl that became a YouTube sensation? The play that showed just how intense Taylor was about football. Did his preacher tell someone about Taylor saying he’s paid to put people on the ground when the former asked about the play?
Will Minnesota safety Darren Sharper remember the player who should be starting next to him Feb. 10 in Honolulu? Will it matter when the Redskins face Sharper and the Vikings on Sunday with the loser likely out of the playoffs?
Might every Pro Bowl player think how Taylor made his only appearance infamous by playing like he cared in a game where very few do to avoid injuries? Will this game be a little more intense with Taylor’s memory lingering?
How will Chris Samuels and Chris Cooley remember their fallen teammate when appearing in the All-Star event? Could alternate Clinton Portis somehow make the game to honor his good friend whose adjoining locker remains untouched?
Will everyone remember this wasn’t a sympathy pick by fans, coaches and players? Taylor led the NFL with five interceptions when suffering a knee injury before dying two weeks later. Will the Internet haters who seem to live for moments of second-guessing shut up for once? Do they know that players and coaches wouldn’t have voted for Taylor unless they truly believed it was deserved?
After nearly a month, will the Pro Bowl honor renew the pain of Taylor’s death around Redskins Park where everyone has struggled to move past it on a moment-by-moment basis? Does it all come back? Will it help or hurt the final days of the season as the team tries to make the playoffs?
I wonder if Sean Taylor knows he made the Pro Bowl?
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Contact him at [email protected].
