PALMETTO BAY, Fla. -- Washington Redskins safety
Sean Taylor
was critically wounded in a pre-dawn shooting at his home Monday,
and doctors were encouraged when he responded to simple commands
after several hours of surgery.
The 24-year-old player was shot in the upper leg, damaging an
artery and causing significant blood loss. Family members were
concerned that he could have permanent brain damage.
"The doctors are being very guarded about their prognosis,"
said family friend Richard Sharpstein, Taylor's former lawyer.
"They're being a little bit skeptical about either whether he
might make it or whether it might cause some permanent brain
injury."
Later Monday, Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' vice president of
football operations, offered encouraging news from the hospital.
"He was responsive to the doctor's request to squeeze his hand
and show facial expression, and so the doctors were very happy
about that," said Cerrato, who flew to Florida on owner Dan
Snyder's plane with Snyder, running back Clinton Portis and trainer
Bubba Tyer. "They told us to hope for a miracle, and I think the
positive news we got was extremely good news."
Miami-Dade Police were investigating the attack, which came just
eight days after an intruder was reported at Taylor's home.
Officers were dispatched about 1:45 a.m. Monday after Taylor's
girlfriend called 911. Taylor was airlifted to the hospital.
"For all of us here, we're obviously in shock," Redskins coach
Joe Gibbs said at the team's practice facility in Ashburn, Va. "I
know I can't put it in words."
Sharpstein said Taylor's girlfriend told him the couple was
awakened by loud noises, and Taylor grabbed a machete he keeps in
the bedroom for protection. Someone then broke through the bedroom
door and fired two shots, one missing and one hitting Taylor,
Sharpstein said. Taylor's 1-year-old daughter, Jackie, was also in
the house at the time, but neither she nor Taylor's girlfriend were
injured.
"It could have been a possible burglary; it could have been a
possible robbery," Miami-Dade Police Lt. Nancy Perez said. "It
has not been confirmed as yet."
Taylor was shot at the pale yellow house he bought two years ago
in the Miami suburb of Palmetto Bay. Taylor played at the
University of Miami, where he was an All-American in 2003, and was
also a high school standout in the city. His father, Pedro Taylor,
is the police chief of Florida City.
Known as one of the NFL's hardest hitters, Taylor played in his
first Pro Bowl last season. He is tied for the NFC lead this season
with five interceptions, despite missing the past two games with a
sprained knee. He did not travel with the Redskins to Sunday's
19-13 loss at Tampa Bay because of the injury.
"We are numb right now," Washington wide receiver Keenan McCardell said.
Assistant coach Gregg Williams' voice cracked and his red eyes
welled with tears as he spoke about Taylor.
"Whether he plays again, I don't know. If he does, great. If he
doesn't, great. OK? Just want him to recover," said Williams, who
runs the team's defense. "Just want him to be all right."
Taylor had a troublesome first two years in the NFL after he was
drafted No. 5 overall by the Redskins in 2004, but he had mostly
behaved after his daughter was born in May 2006.
"It's hard to expect a man to grow up overnight," said
Redskins teammate and close friend Portis, who also played
with Taylor at the University of Miami. "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."
Taylor has been fined at least seven times during his
professional career for late hits and other infractions. He was
also fined $25,000 for skipping a mandatory rookie symposium
shortly after he was drafted.
In 2005, Taylor was accused of brandishing a gun at a man during
a fight over some all-terrain vehicles that had allegedly been
stolen. Last year, he reached a deal in which he pleaded no contest
to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to 18 months' probation. The
pleas prompted another fine from the NFL but kept his football
career intact.
Redskins coaches and players have defended Taylor, saying he was
smart and misunderstood. Taylor has been slow to let anyone in his
inner circle and has rarely spoken to reporters, saying he doesn't
trust them.
The shooting came about a week after someone pried open a front
window, rifled through drawers and left a kitchen knife on a bed at
Taylor's home, according to police.
"They're really sifting through that incident and today's
incident," Miami-Dade Police Detective Mario Rachid said, "to see
if there's any correlation."
Taylor called Gibbs on Nov. 19 to let him know he'd miss that
morning's regular team meeting because he was in Florida dealing
with the first break-in.
"I said, 'I understand that.' I said, 'Take care of your house
and everything you have to there,'" Gibbs recalled.
Taylor returned to the Washington area and had treatment on his
knee, Gibbs said, adding he wasn't aware the player then went back
to Florida over the weekend.
A group of fans held a two-hour vigil Monday evening in the rain
outside Redskins Park in Ashburn. Gibbs was joined by the team
chaplain at the Redskins' usual Monday meeting, and a small group
of players held a separate prayer gathering.
"This is not just a member of the Washington Redskins," safety
Pierson Prioleau said. "But we're talking about a dad, a brother,
a friend of ours, and that's where we're at with this right now."
With his team 5-6 and coming off three consecutive losses, Gibbs
was asked how he'll prepare players to focus on their next game, at
home Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
"I don't know. I can't answer that," Gibbs said. "I've never
been through this. I've never been through anything like this."