Jackie Taylor recently paid tribute to her late father, Sean Taylor, in pregame before the Thanksgiving NFC East showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders in Week 12 of the 2023 National Football League (NFL) regular season.
This marks the “127th face-off” between the two teams. Along with Jackie, Sean’s mates also paid their respects to the legendary NFL player and spoke about how great he was on as well as off the field.
In the tribute, everyone touched upon Sean Taylor’s legacy. Jackie states that she believes her beloved father is still with her, “protecting and guiding” his baby. She also exclaims that she is genuinely “grateful” for this, noting that she will forever be thankful for “his wisdom, his guidance and his words.”
The former NFL safety “appreciated everything” around him and never regretted “about nothing.” However, his motto, which even his daughter abides by, is to “live every day to the fullest. Never have a day where you don’t have a chance at achieving your goal. Make it happen” (via NFL).
Late Sean Taylor’s Daughter, Jackie, Carries His Legacy
Sean had gone to Florida with Garcia Haley, then his fiancée, and daughter to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family. However, he passed away on November 27, 2007, a day after being shot by burglars in his home. The Washington Redskins star’s murderer was identified as Eric Rivera Jr., who was 17 at the time. He was sentenced to 57 years in prison.
Jackie Taylor lost her father when she was just 18 months old. Despite all this, she is on a mission to carry her father’s legacy and not tarnish his image. In an interview, she said, ”My biggest thing has always been just making sure his name stays alive. It’s never felt like a burden, but it’s just felt like a part of me to connect with him” (via ESPN).
Although Jackie could not spend much time with her late father, Sean’s former teammates and friends shared stories of him. She said, “I heard things like, ‘He wouldn’t let anyone go over [to] the house because you were there; he didn’t want people around you.’ I’ve heard stories about how he was very overprotective and cared a lot.”
She even helped start the Sean Taylor Legacy Project to keep her late father’s spirit alive by doing community work and giving back to society. She said of his legacy, “My dad worked really hard to make it something. It’s always been something I never wanted to mess up or something I’ve never wanted to shy away from.”
Jackie, a standout volleyball player who will play on scholarship at North Carolina, is now keen to make a mark in her field, building on her father’s example.
