Teammates, fans mourn the death of Sean Taylor

Redskins owner Dan Snyder said the team will wear a patch in his honor.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Just hours after Sean Taylor’s death, Washington Redskins fans had already created a makeshift memorial: “Rest in Paradise, No. 21.”

Black memorial draping was hung above the entrance to Redskins Park on Tuesday, and the No. 21 was painted in white with gold trim into the grass outside the front gate.

Fans, players and coaches were mourning the 24-year-old safety, who died one day after being shot at his home in Florida.

Coach Joe Gibbs admitted he’s never had to deal with a situation like this.

“All of us here are going to work together, go forward together and I think each person here has to deal with it in his own way,” Gibbs said Tuesday during a news conference. “I don’t know how we’ll deal with it, except we’ll all do it together.”

Redskins owner Dan Snyder said the team would honor Taylor with a patch on the jersey and the No. 21 on the helmet.

“I just wish that everyone had the opportunity to get a chance to know him,” quarterback Jason Campbell said, “because if you just sit down and talk to Sean one-on-one, he was a special person.”

Campbell spoke for about one minute, talking about the changes he had seen in Taylor over the last year.

“He will truly be missed by all of us. I’ll hold him close to our hearts. It’s just a tough situation right now, and ...”

Campbell’s eyes welled up. He could say no more.

Tuesday was a day off for Redskins players, and most who showed up were escorted in and out of the building without comment.

“It seems rather arbitrary at this point,” said safety Reed Doughty, who started in place of Taylor the last two games because of Taylor’s recent knee injury. “Certain things happen in your life, and it makes you know that this is just a game. He was a good person, and that’s what we remember.”

Guard Pete Kendall said it will difficult to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Asked if he wanted to play the game, Kendall said: “I’m going to wait and see.”

“At this point, I’m just trying to process everything that’s going on,” he said. “There are guys on this team who know Sean much better than I do. My thoughts are first and foremost with Sean and his family, and I’m concerned after that with my teammates who really are going to be struggling with this thing.”

Taylor’s loss was felt across the NFL and the football community of the University of Miami, where Taylor played in college. Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league will honor Taylor’s memory at all games this weekend.

“This is a terrible tragedy involving the loss of a young man who leaves behind many people struggling to understand it,” he said in a statement.

Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards opened his weekly news conference by speaking about Sean Taylor.

“When you lose a young man like that, in the prime of his life, it sets you back,” Edwards said. “You think about the things you really feel bad about, and you figure out, ’You know what? That’s really not too important in the grand scheme of it.”’

University of North Carolina coach Butch Davis recruited Taylor to play at Miami.

“He energized his teammates with his love of football, his charismatic personality, and his willingness to compete at the highest level,” Davis said. “It’s a real tragedy to see his life end so suddenly and for no reason. I know he recently had a daughter who meant the world to him, and my heart goes out to her and the rest of the Taylor family.”