Redskins Players, Fans in Mourning Over Murder of Sean Taylor

Miami-Dade Police are investigating the shooting as a possibly burglary gone bad.

Sean Taylor was the first University of Miami player drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft, being selected fifth overall by the Redskins.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sean Taylor, a free safety for the Washington Redskins, died early on Tuesday, a day after being shot by an intruder in his Miami-area home.

Taylor, 24, was shot in the upper leg, but bullet struck the femoral artery, and he has lost a lot of blood.

According to his former lawyer, Richard Sharpstein, Taylor seemed to show signs of recovery when he squeezed a nurse's hand late Monday night, but never regained consciousness thereafter.

Miami-Dade Police are investigating the shooting as a possibly burglary gone bad.

"This the worst imaginable tragedy,'' Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said in a statement on the team's Web site. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family."

On Tuesday, the team painted No. 21 -- Taylor's jersey number -- in the grass parking area on the right side of the road entering Redskins Park.

Some fans knelt at the edge of the painted number and prayed. Some left flowers, cards and signs memorializing Taylor.

Snyder said the entire team, including staff, is welcome to fly to Florida for the funeral.

Head coach Joe Gibbs was asked if he wants to play a game this Sunday.

"That's kind of hard to answer," he replied. "There are things in life you don't control. I don't think that's something I would control. My responsibility is, I just want to do the best I can to go through this the right way."

Taylor is no stranger to trouble. He was involved in an incident and was charged with assault and simple battery in July of 2005.

Taylor, a former University of Miami football player, missed his second straight game on Sunday with a sprained right knee. Due to his ferocious style of hitting, his teammates nicknamed him "Meast".

In 2001, he was one of just four true freshmen to play for Miami in the 2001 national championship season.

During his final year at Miami, Taylor produced a historic season that culminated with a plethora of honors and awards. He was a named a consensus first-team All-American, the "Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year" and a finalist for the "Jim Thorpe Award" given to the nation's best defensive back.

Taylor was the first University of Miami player drafted in the 2004 NFL Draft, being selected fifth overall by the Redskins.

Taylor intercepted 12 passes in his Redskins career, including five this season.

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