Sean Taylor Shot At His Florida Home

The Redskins (5-6) lost 19-13 at Tampa Bay on Sunday. Taylor did not travel with the team to the game because of his injury. He sprained a ligament in his right knee in the second half of the Nov. 11 loss to Philadelphia and was expected to miss at least two games.

Known as one of the NFL's hardest hitters, Taylor played in his first Pro Bowl last season and drew attention by leveling the other team's punter in what is usually a well-mannered exhibition game.

Taylor has been in trouble numerous times since he was drafted No. 5 overall in 2004. He has been fined at least seven times during his professional career for late hits and other infractions, including a $17,000 penalty for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a playoff game in January 2006. Taylor also was fined $25,000 for skipping a mandatory rookie symposium shortly after he was drafted.

Redskins coaches and players have defended Taylor, saying he was smart and misunderstood. Taylor has been slow to let anyone in his inner circle. He has rarely spoken to reporters, saying he doesn't trust them. Teammates said he became more mature over the last year after he became a father for the first time.

In 2005, Taylor was accused of brandishing a gun at a man and repeatedly hitting him during a fight that broke out after Taylor and some friends went looking for the people who had allegedly stolen his all-terrain vehicles.

Taylor reached a deal with prosecutors last year after they agreed to drop felony charges against him. He pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors in the assault case and was sentenced to 18 months probation. The pleas prompted another fine from the NFL but kept his football career intact.

He also was ordered to talk about the importance of education at 10 Miami schools and had to contribute $1,000 for scholarships to each of those schools.

The man Taylor allegedly hit, Ryan Hill, sued, seeking at least $15,000 in damages. Hill sustained bruises to his body, incurred medical expenses and lost wages because of the fight, the lawsuit said.

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