Unlucky 24

In some Asian countries, such as China and Japan, the number 24 is said to be an unlucky number. Many times buildings will skip the 24th floor in the same manner Americans skip the 13th floor.
In the NFL this past year, the number 24 has been an unlucky number. Since New Year’s Day, there have been four deaths to active NFL players, who were all 24 years of age. All four were unexpected tragedies to athletes who were just starting to reach their potential.
Pro Bowl safety Sean Taylor, who had the most recognition of the four, was the latest to die tragically. Taylor was in his fourth year with the Washington Redskins and was starting to blossom into one of the best safeties in the league. He had the potential to become one of the all-time greats.
Taylor was once a wild child during his years at Miami University and first couple years with the Redskins. He had a few brushes with the law and was fined numerous times by the NFL before changing his ways. Taylor had begun to turn his life around after the birth of his daughter, Jackie, almost two years ago. Now a mature twenty four year old man, Taylor had settled down and become more family oriented.
Taylor, who did not travel with the team as they prepared to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was at home rehabbing an injury with his family and also checking on an attempted burglary of his house that occurred on November 18.
On the morning of November 26, four intruders broke into Taylor’s residence unaware that he was home. Taylor and his girlfriend were awakened by the noise and he grabbed a machete, he keeps nearby, to protect his family. One of the suspects busted through the bedroom door and let off two shots, one of which hit an artery in Taylor’s leg. Taylor lost a significant amount of blood and died a day later. Hours before he passed, he squeezed a nurse’s hand giving family and friends hope, but it instead, it might have been Sean’s way of saying goodbye.
All four suspects in the slaying are in custody and are presumed to have been at the house during the earlier break in of Taylor’s home. Their ages range between 17 and 20 years old. Sean Taylor leaves behind his father, Police chief Pedro Taylor, mother Donna Junor, fiancée Jackie Garcia, who is the niece of actor Andy Garcia, and his 18-month-old daughter Jackie.
The first death of the year to an NFL player was in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was gunned down outside of a nightclub in Denver after attending NBA player Kenyon Martin’s birthday party. There was a dispute inside the club that apparently did not involve Williams, which escalated outside. A white SUV pulled up next to Williams stretch hummer and fired at least 12 shots. Williams was killed with a single gunshot wound to his neck and two other people sustained minor injuries. Darrent Williams 24, was playing well for the Broncos and had just completed his last game of the season the day before the party. There have been no arrests made as of yet.
Barely a month after Williams’ death, teammate Damien Nash died while playing in a pickup basketball game that benefitted the Darris Nash foundation, which raised money for heart transplant research. Damien,who had created the charity for his brother who was a recent heart transplant recipient, collapsed soon after the game was over. The running back died February 24, at the age of 24.
A few months later, during Memorial Day weekend, New England Patriots player Marquise Hill died while hanging out with a friend. The former LSU star was back home in New Orleans with a female friend when they both went jet skiing without life vests. They ended up falling off the watercraft and while his friend held onto a pylon until help arrived, Hill fell into a swirling area of currents. Friends had described Hill as a good swimmer but unfortunately he drifted away and his body was discovered the next day. As if Hill’s mother didn’t endure enough pain, her house was burglarized for $16,000 worth of belongings the day she attended her son’s funeral. Hill also died at the age of 24.
Four players buried at the age of 24. These young men all had promising futures in the NFL and were dealt untimely deaths. Four players, who left four different legacies, will always be remembered by the number 24.