21: The story of the late, great Sean Taylor; gone, but not forgotten

Over the 2006 offseason, Taylor became a father. And his rebellious ways were a thing of the past.

For the first two years of Sean Taylor’s career, his off-the-field issues nearly matched his in-game exploits. He was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in the offseason of 2005. In 2006, he went to court on weapons charges, and subsequently accepted a plea deal. And some fans may fondly remember the fearless fighter spitting on an opponent in a playoff game in 2006. His aggressive play on the field forced the media to draw their own conclusions. That Taylor was reckless by nature.

But regardless of what he did in his life through the early years of his career, he changed in May of 2006, when his daughter Jackie was born. He cared for her, and through her, he found a sense of responsibility. A purpose. He made a vocal point to focus more on football and his family. He stopped hanging with the wrong people, stopped trying to prove himself out of pride. It appeared that the ‘reckless’ young man was growing up. Gregg Williams, in an article by ESPN’s John Keim, remembers a tangible change in Taylor that year.

"“When his daughter was born, he and I had a conversation, and he said to me, ‘Now I have someone else to play for and take care of.’ She meant so much. He was more talkative that year. He did smile more or laugh more around others. In the first couple years, he was almost like a mute. He didn’t say anything. He wasn’t socializing with a lot of people. He was an individual on a mission in life. But now it was more a family. When he brought her around the players, there was a constant smile on his face. You can’t fake the smile on his face. He couldn’t hide the joy.”"

His young daughter, now eleven years old, did great things for Taylor, both on and off the field. Taylor found purpose in his daughter, and in his family, and it was that purpose that only made him train harder, and try harder to be the best version of himself. The results were immediate. He finished the 2006 season with his first Pro Bowl berth, where he would deliver a crushing hit on Pro Bowl punter Brian Moorman, one that would cause his fame to be cemented across the nation, if it wasn’t already.

In 2007, the visible change in Taylor only continued to show. He started gaining comfort with the local media. Before, he had actively avoided the media, going so far as to stay in Miami following his alleged DUI, in order to delay the media firestorm. He could have gone back. But he didn’t. Because he didn’t like the cameras. And he knew they’d be everywhere.

In 2007, it was different. He was enjoying himself more. Enjoying life more. Only 24 years old, and he seemed mature. He seemed content. Had Sean Taylor played out the rest of his career, and lived out the rest of his life, he would have been extraordinary. He was beginning to take shape. Growing into the final version of himself. The best version of himself. We were close to seeing just who Sean Taylor really was. But life has a habit of turning on you. It’s that natural chaos that refuses to cease.

Sean Taylor started the 2007 season paying no thought to the inherent uncertainty of the future. He had everything figured out. And he was going to be the best. The kid registered on seismographs. But for all his crushing hits, no shock was louder than the one on November 26, 2007. The one that concluded his final chapter.