Sean Taylor is headed to Hawaii. The hard-hitting safety has been named to the Pro Bowl, replacing Brian Dawkins on the NFC roster.
For Taylor, it is his first Pro Bowl nod. He joins left tackle Chris Samuels as Redskins’ representatives.
Dawkins, of the Philadelphia Eagles, has been slowed by hip and back injuries in recent weeks.
Taylor was initially named a first alternate to the Pro Bowl roster, which was announced last December. It’s expected he will back up Adrian Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals and Roy Williams of the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC.
Taylor, always an intimidating force in the secondary given his 6-3, 230-pound frame, was asked to be more of a presence in the run game this season. He responded by leading the Redskins’ defense in tackles with 129 (89 solo).
Taylor also recorded one interception and three forced fumbles.
Taylor had his best game in the Redskins’ 17-13 win over Carolina on Nov. 26. With the game on the line, he tackled Panthers’ wide receiver Drew Carter short of a first down on a fourth-down play in the final quarter. Then, in the game’s final seconds, Taylor intercepted a Jake Delhomme pass to seal the victory.
He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week following that game.
It was an up-and-down season for Taylor, however. The Redskins’ defense finished the season ranked 31st overall, 27th against the run and 23rd in pass defense.
The Pro Bowl nod is certainly recognition that Taylor has been among the best at his position since the Redskins drafted him in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Taylor, who also plays on kick and punt coverage and recorded 17 special teams tackles, helped produce the Redskins’ most memorable play of 2006.
With six seconds left against Dallas and the scored tied, Taylor recovered a blocked field goal attempt and returned it 30 yards.
A 15-yard face mask penalty on Dallas gave the Redskins the ball at the Cowboys’ 31-yard line. Nick Novak came on to kick a 47-yard field goal to give the Redskins a dramatic 22-19 win.
