11/27 — The National Football League mourns the loss of one of its own today. Sean Taylor, a Pro Bowl safety for the Washington Redskins whose five interceptions are tied for the NFL lead, died Tuesday after getting shot early Monday morning at his Miami home.

"I knew Sean. I played against him the past couple of years in the league," said Jets running back Thomas Jones during his weekly appearance on a local radio station. "He’s one of the better safeties in this league. That’s just tragic and it’s kind of hard to believe. We just played against those guys a couple of weeks ago and I talked to him and now he’s gone. It’s unbelievable."

The 24-year-old Taylor recorded seven solo tackles against the Jets in the Redskins’ 23-20 overtime victory at the Meadowlands on Nov. 4.

"It’s kind of a wakeup call. Every guy that’s in the NFL, we consider each other a brother," Jones said. "We go through the same type of situations and we consider ourselves kind of a fraternity. And anytime you lose a guy, it’s like losing a brother. It’s something that guys will talk about, try to figure out what happened and try to prevent it from happening again to somebody else."

An intruder reportedly fired two shots at Taylor, striking the former Miami star once in the upper leg, resulting in significant blood loss from the femoral artery wound. Taylor never recovered. He leaves behind a 1-year-old daughter, Jackie.

"You just never know how things work," Jones said. "I don’t know exactly what happened or how this situation came about, but it’s just terrible."

Jets ILB Jonathan Vilma played with Taylor at the University of Miami. They made quite a tandem up the middle for the Hurricanes, but it's hard to think too much about on-the-field performances at this time.

"Sean has been a close friend of mine since our days at the University of Miami. He was a great teammate and an even greater person," Vilma said in a statement. "It is so hard for me to fathom that I am not going to be able to pick up the phone to call him. My deepest condolences are extended to his family, especially his daughter and parents. Sean will definitely be missed and I hope for the best for his family."

Nearly a year after Broncos CB Darrent Williams was killed in a drive-by shooting in Denver, the NFL is forced to endure more heartbreak.

"This is a terrible tragedy involving the loss of a young man who leaves behind many people struggling to understand it," said Commissioner Roger Goodell.