As the Pro Bowl will commence in Las Vegas today, the NFL stars will arrive in numbers for the much-awaited contest. While it will be in a new avatar this year, the NFL Pro Bowl game will still stick to the original AFC Vs NFC matchup.
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In order to increase safety for the players, the NFL has altered this year’s edition to a new structure. The Pro Bowl will feature a flag football contest, taking away the intensity of the hits and tackles from the game. Sean Taylor may have been one of the big factors in bringing about this change over the years.
Sean Taylor doesn’t do exhibition games
As player safety becomes a cause of concern, a rampaging hit from Sean Taylor comes back to light. The Washington Red Skins’ safety had a monumental hit during the 2007 Pro Bowl, which still echoes in the NFL community.
In his short-lived NFL career, Taylor made an appearance at two Pro Bowls. While he was a meathead, the Redskins safety didn’t even leave behind the exhibition game. Always considered a lighthearted affair, the Pro Bowl has never been popular for hits and tackles. It has always been more of a friendly affair, but Sean Taylor didn’t really think so.
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The big Pro Bowl hit
In the 2007 edition of the Pro Bowl, the Redskins tight end made headlines with his lights-out hit on Bills’ punter Brian Moorman. In the 3rd quarter of the exhibition game, Sean Taylor came running from a distance and planted Moorman to the ground. The NFC, whom he was representing, was losing the game at this point and this hit got the whole stadium roaring. It also got all his teammates hyped up. Like a bull, Taylor came running in from about 30 yards range and planted his helmet right through Moorman’s chest. This hit rocked Moorman, but the punter was quick to get back to his feet.
He even got up and congratulated Taylor on this hit. It was an uncommon gesture, but it was clear that Moorman acknowledged this hit. Sean Taylor, unfortunately, passed away in a tragic incident shortly after.
His level of intensity will definitely be lacking in this edition of the Pro Bowl game as the NFL turns toward players’ safety. Flag football will eliminate any opportunity for these kinds of hits to even take place.
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