Band of Brothers

The football game that was played a couple of hours ago revisited our whole season. There were moments this season where we, Redskins fans, shouted at the top of our lungs, beating up the person closest out of pure excitement and joy after the team would make a game-winning interception, fumble, or touchdown. There were also moments in this season where we all shared a great amount of frustration and sadness because of the numerous injuries of key players on the team, and even going through a string of losses. But sadness reached a whole different level when news broke about the loss of a tremendous athlete and father/boyfriend, breaking thousands of fans’ hearts, including mine.

Although in the end they lost by the numbers, they definitely won something throughout the season. It’s really unbelievable, yet amazing, how the team still played with so much heart after everything that happened. The team played the game for something ultimately greater than football; they played for their teammate and fallen angel, Sean Taylor, whose presence was still amongst them and will continue to be with the team and the entire Redskins Nation forever.

They grew to love each other as brothers, as a family. Clinton Portis was proud of how the team rallied around Taylor and how players formed a close-knit bond. He also said, “Out of this season, you take the positives, and the positives were you had a franchise grow together. You had a team come together. You had a bunch of guys build love for one another, in appreciation of one another. That’s the best thing that can happen for an athlete in sports, because of the competitive edge or because of always changing teammates, with guys leaving and guys coming. It’s hard to grow and it’s hard to get used to guys. But I think as a team, this organization turned from a team to a family. You found a lot of guys who developed a lot of love for one another. That’s the best thing that can ever happen out of a season.” 

This wasn’t only for the players, but for the coaches as well. The players and coaches built father-son type relationships; the greatest example was Sean Taylor and Gregg Williams.

The entire Redskins team became a family.

Last Sunday, we won by 21 points. Today, we lost by 21. Losing the game felt like losing Sean Taylor. But when we lose any game, and sadly even a person, what do you do? We move on and keep going.

“I have never been on a team that has been more resilient, a team that has been more battle-tested. We lose some close ballgames down the stretch. We blew some second-half leads. Then, there was Sean’s death. Then we had a four-game winning streak against some really good football teams. We get into the playoffs. I mean, we’ve had so many emotions. We’ve gone through so many different things–we couldn’t help but be as close as this team is.” – London Fletcher

With all this said, here’s to the journey the Redskins team has taken with the entire Redskins Nation this season, and for being an example of how to persevere, to keep fighting, and to hold together as a team and family. Sean Taylor will never be forgotten. But for the purposes of moving on and continue fighting, here’s to the many seasons to come. I will definitely be looking forward to the drafts, the beach blitzes, training camps, and on. And like I always say: win or lose, I will forever bleed burgundy and gold, no matter what.

HAIL.
21 FOREVER