Living Scared - ESPN The Magazine Really good article on how the Sean Taylor death has affected today's NFL players. May he rest in peace in U heaven.
they had a piece on this on OTL before...it's really scary stuff. I didn't renew my subscription to ESPN the magazine but I'm definitely gonna pick this up tomorrow.
Most NFL players are smart enough to "leave the hood," and the gang bangers and hanger-ons that want nothing but their money.....but then you also have some who cannot escape and they end up getting into trouble all over again. I know it is hard for many of these guys as they are expected to go back home and help their people out....those who don't go back home are considered to be sell outs. But way too many guys get into trouble.
When I heard about the Taylor murder I almost felt like I lost one of my own kids bro. Watching him in High School, his recruitment to the U, watching him develop into a dominant college player then on to the Skins. Was a very sad day indeed for me. Hurt just as bad as watching Jerome Brown go down in the tragic accident and then to see Bryan Pata killed and no one go to jail. God rest all of them, the U members love you and remember U forever.
I was really sad about Taylor's death. I remember coming home from school and seeing it on ESPNEWS. The day was going pretty good and then I saw it and my whole day went down the drain. The following day I wasn't happy either, I simply couldn't believe it. He was having a great year, six interceptions and playing so well. Headed to the Pro Bowl and in one night, everything went away. I never thought that I'd be so sad about someone who I don't know personally but I guess some people have that affect on you and Sean definitely did on me. I recall Pata being killed as well. Its been two years and not a single arrest in that case. I don't know if you read the article posted by Jay in the Hurricanes thread on post-Pata but it said how the family calls every day if there's anything new in the case and the officers continue to say the same thing, "no."
I still find it awfully hard to believe they can not find Pata's shooter. He was such a good kid and I really believed he would have gone at least in rounds 2 - 4. The U lost an unbelievable brother on that day. So many in the college world wonder why the Miami grads are such strong supporters of the program even after they leave. Its family and when you go through such hard times together it makes you just that much of a tighter group together.