Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died after he was shot in the leg during a possible burglary at his Florida home. He was 24.

The Pro Bowl National Football League player was found bleeding from a gunshot wound when officers responded to a call at his Palmetto Bay home just before 2 a.m. yesterday, Miami- Dade Police said. The bullet pierced his femoral artery, according to the Miami Herald.

``I think Sean felt like God made him to play football,'' Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said at a press conference at the team's training facility in Ashburn, Virginia. ``He was one of those guys who felt this is where he belonged.''

A preliminary investigation suggests that Taylor was shot inside the home by an intruder, said Detective Alvaro Zabaleta, a police spokesman. Investigators have no description of the suspect and are asking for the public's help.

Taylor's girlfriend and daughter were in the house during the shooting and weren't injured, Zabaleta said. Police found signs of forced entry and are trying to determine if it occurred the night of the shooting or during a previous break-in at the house on Nov. 18.

Gibbs said Taylor missed a team meeting after the previous break-in. The fifth overall pick in the 2004 National Football League draft, Taylor didn't travel to Tampa Bay for the Redskins' Nov. 25 game because of a knee injury that kept him out the past two weeks.

Bullet Hit Artery

According to the Herald, Taylor and his girlfriend were awakened by noises in his four-bedroom, $900,000 home. He grabbed a machete from under his bed and went to investigate when an armed intruder burst in the bedroom door and fired two shots, one of which hit the inside of Taylor's leg, the newspaper said.

Taylor was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he underwent surgery, the Herald said. The gunman hasn't been caught and Taylor's lawyer told the paper that nothing was stolen from the house.

Taylor died at 3:30 a.m., police said.

``I went to bed thinking at worst, he'd have to deal with an extended recovery,'' offensive lineman Pete Kendall told reporters today at the Redskins' training facility. When asked if he wanted to play this weekend's game against the Buffalo Bills, Kendall said, ``I don't know. I don't know what the group mindset is. I want to process what's going on.''

Seven-Year Contract

Taylor signed a seven-year, $18 million contract with the Redskins in 2004 after being selected an All-American and the Big East Conference's Defensive Player of the Year during his senior season at the University of Miami. He played four seasons for the Hurricanes and in 2001 was one of just four freshmen to play for Miami during its national championship campaign.

In 2006, Taylor was voted to the Pro Bowl after leading the team with 129 tackles. Taylor had a team-leading five interceptions for the Redskins this season.

``The things I remember most about Sean was his excitement about playing,'' Gibbs said. ``He loved to compete. He loved and thrived on the competition part of it and he was one of those guys who was made to play football.''

Taylor also received fines for skipping the league's rookie symposium, unnecessarily rough play and spitting on an opposing player. In August 2006, he was fined four game checks -- a total of about $72,000 -- after he allegedly pointed a gun at a person during a confrontation over a stolen all-terrain vehicle in Miami. Taylor pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges in the case and was sentenced to 18 months' probation.

Weekend Games

Redskins owner Daniel Snyder said Taylor will be memorialized on team jerseys and helmets. He also said all NFL games will observe moments of silence in his honor.

``Sean was a great player, but more importantly a special person,'' Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee, who also played at the University of Miami, said in a statement. ``This is much bigger than football. Life is precious and you are reminded of that every day.''

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that the league ``is deeply saddened by the death'' of Taylor. ``This is a tragedy involving the loss of a young man who leaves behind many people struggling to understand it.''

Fans began arriving at the team's training facility at about 5 a.m. Laid at the base of a tree near the entrance of Redskins Park Drive was a memorial that included flowers, a teddy bear, candles and a board with pictures of Taylor and signatures of fans.

Fan Reaction

``The thing about Sean Taylor is the mystery of him,'' said fan John Corro, a 26-year-old from Falls Church, Virginia, who was dressed in a Taylor jersey. ``That's what's so compelling. Whenever a tragedy happens to a team and you're a fan, you can really feel it. I was just compelled to be here.''

At 11:30 a.m., almost two dozen fans' vehicles were at the facility, where workers were preparing to paint Taylor's No. 21 in white with gold trim on the grass near the entrance of the park. The Redskins are also painting his number on a plaza and planning a memorial near FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, where the team plays its home games.

``It's scary,'' said 11-year-old Chuck Baker, who was at Redskins Park with his grandmother, Becky Sizer. ``It's hard to believe. It can happen to anybody I guess, but it's unfortunate it happened to Sean. He's cool. He makes me want to be a safety when I grow up.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Aaron Kuriloff in New York at akuriloff@bloomberg.net; Curtis Eichelberger in Washington at ceichelberge@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 27, 2007 16:44 EST