Published: November 28, 2007 06:29 pm            

EDITORIAL: Star athlete’s death offers life lesson

It’s another example of the loss of one life putting the rest of our lives into perspective.

We’re talking about the death of Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor. He died Tuesday after he was shot in his Miami home early Monday by an apparent intruder, leaving the Washington Redskins in mourning.

For those who are not football oriented, the Redskins are a team in the National Football League and a safety is a player who operates mostly in the defensive backfield. The Pro Bowl is the league’s all-star game. But the lesson here is not so much about football as it is about life.

By most accounts, Taylor had been a person trying to find himself. Early in his pro career, he had disciplinary run-ins with the league and brushes with the law. Then, a little over a year ago, Taylor became a father and everything changed.

“It’s hard to expect a man to grow up overnight,” teammate Clinton 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.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will honor Taylor’s memory at all games this weekend. The deepest emotions will undoubtedly be felt at the Redskins’ home game in Maryland. Their opponent on Sunday: The Buffalo Bills.

It was evident to many of those around him that Sean Taylor was a gifted athlete who was in danger of throwing it all away. Then, he found something that truly matters in life: A family of his own. Now, at age 24, that life has been cut short.

While Taylor’s story is a tragedy, it can serve as a lesson to the rest of us, football fans or not.

Sean Taylor was learning the lesson that life and talent are not commodities to be squandered.

We can all use the talents that God gave us for the betterment of ourselves and those around us. When something or someone makes life worth living, it’s worth living well.

        

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