Sep/08/09 08:11 AM Filed in:
Sean TaylorSean Taylor helped make Gulliver Prep a consistent football contender in Miami-Dade County.
And Friday, the Raiders linked the former University of Miami and NFL star's name to the team's future.
Gulliver honored the memory of its former superstar by naming its home field the Sean Taylor Memorial Field.
The dedication ceremony was attended by several members of Taylor's family, including his mother, Donna Junor, his father, Pedro Taylor, his fianceé, Jackie Garcia, and his daughter, Jackie.
``We're all very thankful and honored that Sean's home school would make the effort to do something like this,'' Pedro Taylor said. ``Sean loved it here, and I think he's smiling from heaven.''
The ceremony was scheduled to precede the Raiders' opening game against Naples Lely. The game, however, was postponed because of inclement weather. The game was rescheduled for Saturday at noon at Gulliver.
Several of Taylor's former teammates from the 2000 team also attended the ceremony.
Taylor led Gulliver to its only state football championship in 2000, which at the time was the first for a private school in Miami-Dade County. During that season, Taylor set a state record for all-purpose touchdowns in a single-season with 44.
An audio montage of highlights from radio broadcasts of Taylor's overall career was played, and the school presented a plaque to Junor.
An addition to the school's scoreboard showing three helmets, each bearing Taylor's jersey numbers at Gulliver (1), the University of Miami (26) and the Washington Redskins (21), was unveiled at the conclusion of the dedication.
``Sean was the greatest athlete we've ever had here,'' Gulliver athletic director Mark Schusterman said. ``I remember he came back here a few years ago and spent two hours signing autographs for middle schoolers. He was an incredible athlete and a great person.''
(miamiherald.com)