Mohamed Sanu was born and raised in New Jersey before being drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He isn't from Florida. He hasn't played safety since high school. He was only in high school when Sean Taylor was murdered.
But he still draws inspiration from the late Washington Redskins safety. Last Sunday as his Atlanta Falcons suited up in D.C., he wore cleats that paid tribute to Taylor.
Did you know @Mo_12_Sanu used to play safety? Growing up, Mohamed Sanu watched the way Sean Taylor played & loved the physicality he played the position with. He paid homage to him with these cleats #ShoeTalkpic.twitter.com/KNZlpyEHi7
— Kelsey Conway (@FalconsKelsey)
November 8, 2018 "These cleats were a special tribute to the greatest safety to ever play the game," Sanu said. "Probably one of the greatest athletes, Sean Taylor.
"Growing up, I just loved the way that he played the game. He was a very physical presence with so much passion...It was awesome to be able to do something like this. I figured, why not against the Redskins? Show some respect to the greatest ever."
Taylor's legacy, while cut short, lives on through the wide range of players he inspired. Even though his brand of football has been largely tempered in the new NFL rulebook, his tenacity and passion live on. It's interesting that he was guarded by a pair of Redskins safeties in D.J. Swearinger and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix who were
similarly inspired by No. 21 and determined to continue his legacy.
