Burgundy, gold … and black

I am a fan of the Washington Redskins football organization.

Tuesday morning Sean Taylor lost his life due to complications with a gunshot wound that he suffered in his home outside of Miami, FL.

Shocking news to say the least. I was beside myself to hear about a player who I routinely root for, dying. What really strikes me is that Taylor was only 24 years old - I’m 25. When I think about professional athletes, I still think about them the way I did when I was younger. They are grown men, so much older than me… and maybe I can still be one when I grow up. But then I’m reminded; these guys are not just my peers in age, some of them are younger. Some of them have yet to marry. Some have yet to see their insurance premium go down. Some have just been given the right to vote.

Reading about Sean Taylor’s tragic death reminded me of a good friend that left us to be with his Father in heaven back in 1999. I just finished my junior year of high school and was getting ready to celebrate a birthday… Marques Hampton never got to celebrate with me. As I reminisce about Sean Taylor, I remember Marques, who died in a car wreck coming back from freshman orientation at Virginia Tech where he was scheduled to play football that fall. What strikes me is that VT and Miami, Taylor’s alma mater, play each other on a regular basis, and had Marques lived, they would have met one another on the field as competitors.

That never happened.

I was distraught with the news of Marques’ death. Never again would I see him play football, let alone talk with him as a close friend. When ESPN reported that Taylor had passed, I was flooded with those emotions again. Maybe it’s because of the similarities. Both were football players and very skilled athletes. I enjoyed cheering for both of them as they pursued their careers. Both were very passionate people - believing in their decisions. Both leave people behind wondering what might have been. Both had their lives cut short.

So as I remember Sean Taylor and his family, I also remember Marques. I pray. I know people lose loved ones everyday. I have a good friend who lost his mother recently. It’s tough - we hurt. But thank God that our assurance rests not in the length of our life on this earth, but in the eternity that awaits us in heaven. Live your life with certainty. Make conscience decisions today about who you will become… you might not have tomorrow.

Marques Hampton 1981-1999

Sean Taylor 1983-2007

~ by hulogan on November 28, 2007.