A public goodbye for a private man

0 Comments | USA TODAY, December, 2007 | by Jon Saraceno

MIAMI -- For everyone, it was a day of heartbreak, deep reflection, unspeakable grief and, perhaps, an addendum to the book of life.

Fortunately, the mourners who loved and respected Sean Taylor the most summoned the courage to speak and share with the world what the often-misunderstood life of the deceased Washington Redskin meant to them.

Private and somewhat withdrawn, Taylor never wanted an audience in his life. The Pro Bowl safety studiously avoided being scrutinized, particularly by the media. On the sun-splashed day when they laid to rest Sean Michael Taylor, 24, the irony was that the world seemed to be watching and listening to every word.

The menacing, mirrored visor Taylor wore as he prowled NFL secondaries with uncommon athleticism and...