Sean Taylor, the fifth overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft, and an All-American at Miami during his college years, was shot early Monday in the upper leg, damaging the key femoral artery and causing significant blood loss. He died later in hospital.

Taylor might not have had the smoothest road to becoming an elite player. After he was drafted he fired his agent, then skipped part of the NFL's mandatory rookie event, a deed which earned him a fine. During his rookie season he was charged with drunk driving. The case was dismissed in court, but it left the player scarred in front of public opinion.

Taylor was also fined for violations and other infractions over his first three seasons. The most memorable  was a severe fine for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a 2006 play-off game. Taylor was also accused of brandishing a gun at a man during a fight. He eventually pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.

Even on the field, Taylor was not exactly a future Pro Bowler in the making. His coaches called him freakishly athletic, but these were the same coaches who were put off by frequent blown assignments, uncontrollability and penalties. Even in his Pro Bowl year, Taylor led the NFL in missed tackles. His game was great at one moment and terrible the next.

The loss is made even harder after the way he turned it around this season. Following the birth of his daughter,  Taylor changed his ways. His teammates took notice early on in the season, and we got to see the new Sean once he showed incredible poise and a great game on the field. To this day his five interceptions tie for the league lead in the NFC, even though he missed the last two games due to an injury. More than that, he really has emerged as a game-changing defensive presence. If Taylor deserved a Pro Bowl selection last year, he downright demanded one with his play this time around.

As a lifelong fan of the New York Giants, I have had the privilege of seeing Sean Taylor in live games twice in every one of his prior seasons. In Week 3 this season Taylor was probably the best of the Washington defensive unit as he unleashed four tackles and intercepted Eli Manning once. I remember watching that game and cursing at Taylor for harassing my team for much of the first half. All grudges were soon forgotten, of course, as the Giants rallied to win it in the second half, but I still remember just how intimidating Taylor was at the safety position that day.