Sean Taylor

Thank God that a man truly of Christ coaches the Washington Redskins. They will need Coach Gibbs right now. Sean Taylor had made some mistakes in the past, but by all reports was gaining maturity and had learned from past mistakes. Unfortunately his time was up, and he died this morning after being shot in a home invasion the morning before.

Family friend Richard Sharpstein said Taylor's father told him the news around 5:30 a.m.

"His father called and said he was with Christ and he cried and thanked me," said Sharpstein, Taylor's former lawyer. "It's a tremendously sad and unnecessary event. He was a wonderful, humble, talented young man, and had a huge life in front of him. Obviously God had other plans."

He said Taylor died early Tuesday at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he had been airlifted after the shooting early Monday.

Doctors had been encouraged late Monday when Taylor squeezed a nurse's hand, according to Vinny Cerrato, the Redskins' vice president of football operations. But Sharpstein said he was told Taylor never regained consciousness after being transported to the hospital and that he wasn't sure how he had squeezed the nurse's hand.

"Maybe he was trying to say goodbye or something," Sharpstein said.

Sean Taylor was 24. God Bless him, his family, and friends.