Unless they were avid football fans, not many students around school would recognize the name Sean Taylor. But most will remember his name after the tragedy that happened just a couple of weeks ago.

On Tuesday, Nov. 27, multiple assailants broke into Taylor’s luxurious mansion and, when confronted by the former Washington Redskins Pro Bowl safety, shot him in the leg, damaging the femoral artery. Taylor spent the night at a hospital in a coma and died the next morning.

Police took four suspects into custody, all under age 23. The lead suspect in the actual shooting is the youngest of the four. All, however, are being charged with armed assault and robbery. The suspects claim they acted in self-defense in response to Taylor confronting them brandishing a machete, something that has not been proved.

The news of Taylor’s death brought mixed emotions. Many think his murder was connected to his crime-ridden past, in which he was indicted with multiple assault and battery charges, armed robbery and spitting on fellow NFL players. Others, like sophomore Dwayne Carter, remember the good parts of Taylor’s career.

“Sean started to change his ways after his son was born,” Carter said. “His teammates and coach even came on TV and said how much of a better person Taylor was becoming.”

Still, others remain indifferent.

“It’s bad what happened to him, but it really shouldn’t be publicized more than any other murder,” senior John Heck said. “They’re just making a big deal out of it because he’s in the NFL. Plus, he went to the University of Miami and has a bad history, so he probably did something to deserve it.”

Whether or not Taylor is involved in a larger picture than has been revealed is debatable, and right now the NFL is mourning his death.

Particularly Arizona Cardinal’s cornerback Antrel Rolle, who was a childhood friend and teammate of Taylor’s, has spoken to the press on several occasions, and admits that the crime might have been premeditated instead of a random robbery gone wrong.