Past lives on

The three Redskins in the Pro Bowl will honor the memory of Sean Taylor by wearing his No. 21

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The man who made one of the biggest hits in Pro Bowl history last year was voted into tomorrow's game.

Pro Bowl 2008 When: 11: 30 a.m. tomorrow Where: Aloha Stadium TV: KHON, Ch. 3 Tomorrow A four-page preview of the Pro Bowl.

But Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins will only be here in spirit. The safety was killed in his home during the 2007 season. In tribute to Taylor, the three Redskins playing for the NFC in tomorrow's game at Aloha Stadium will wear his number, 21.

Bengals wide receivers T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson were teammates in college at Oregon State. Now the two represent Cincinnati tomorrow in the Pro Bowl.

And read what veteran Pro Bowl receiver Torry Holt has to say about rumors of the Patriots spying on his team's final practice before Super Bowl XXXVI.

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Watch for No. 21 on the NFC team at the Pro Bowl tomorrow.

There will be three of them and they won't be doing any of the half-stepping some say occurs in this exhibition game.

Long snapper Ethan Albright, tight end Chris Cooley and tackle Chris Samuels of the Washington Redskins will wear 21 in tribute to teammate Sean Taylor, the Redskins' starting free safety who died after being shot in his home on Nov. 27.

He was still voted into this year's Pro Bowl as the NFC as a starter by fans, coaches and players.

In last year's Pro Bowl, Taylor made a crushing tackle on the AFC's Brian Moorman, who was trying for a first down on a fake punt. It is considered one of the biggest hits in the all-star game's history.

"I'm going to play like Sean would," said Cooley, a tight end, who will likely play on kick and punt coverage since he is a Pro Bowl rookie.

We're all honored to wear his number. We're definitely going to go out and try to play like Sean."

Vince Wilfork and Devin Hester, who played with Taylor at the University of Miami, also miss their college teammate.

"We were good friends," Hester said. "We all think about him all the time."

Albright credits the memory of Taylor for the Redskins' four-win run at the end of the regular season to gain a playoff berth.

"I don't think there's any question that's a big reason. Just the way he affected teammates in the locker room. He pulled everybody together, and it wasn't anyone saying, 'Hey, let's do this for Sean.' It just happened. Sometimes traumatic events bring people together," Albright said.

The three jerseys will be auctioned after the game to benefit the Sean Taylor Memorial Trust Fund for Taylor's daughter, Jackie.

"For the Redskins it was a long season for us and we lost one of our own. So it's a tribute to Sean's playing career and him as a person," said Albright, a 13-year pro in his first Pro Bowl. "He should be here. We miss him. It doesn't seem right to be out here without him."

There will be a moment of recognition in memory of Taylor prior to the game, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.