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DENVER (Jan. 1, 2007) -- Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was killed early Jan. 1 when his white stretch Hummer was sprayed by bullets after a nightclub dispute following a New Year's Eve party. Police have no motive and no indication the 24-year-old player was targeted in the drive-by shooting of the limousine.
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It has been all over the news here in Denver ever since the early morning hours of January 1st. You can't turn on a local TV channel, radio station, or open a paper without reading about it and the way it's affected people here in Colorado.
These were my thoughts on the subject as of last night:
My mom called me at work on Saturday and asked me if I was interested in going to the Bronco game on New Year's Eve. The only catch was I had to drive to Silverthorne to get the tickets from my uncle who had won them in a raffle. Sunday morning, I got up early and drove an hour east of Denver to meet my uncle who had also driven an hour from Steamboat to deliver the tickets. I couldn't thank him enough for giving them up and driving down to meet me. A few minutes later, I was off back to Denver to pick up my brothers and get to the game. A few miles east of Idaho Springs, I nearly joined a car that was spun out in the median as I hit a patch of icy snow going about 75 and lost control of my car. My windshield was dirty as I rounded a turn and I didn't see the snow until it was too late. Thankfully, my instincts took over and instead of slamming on my breaks, I eased off the gas and tried to ease out of the snow. A second later, my tires hit asphalt and my car darted into the lane to my right, nearly hitting the SUV next to me. That was probably the scariest thing that's happened to me since I was in high school, but I shrugged it off and got home safely. Little did I know that something much worse was going to happen in the next few hours.
I picked up my brothers and we drove to the park-n-ride to take the bus to the stadium. The bus dropped us off right in front of the staduim and as we began walking toward the gate, we saw two limos parked on out left in a roped off area. One was a cool looking black SUV-type stretch, and the other was a now-infamous white stretch Hummer.
The game was probably the most dissapointing sports event I've ever attended. Not only was it freezing as soon as the sun went down, but the Broncos played horrible for most of the game. We had great seats though: east corner of the endzone on the south side, field level, 16 rows from the front. I watched Jake Plummer throw a bomb to two waiting defenders, watched Champ Bailey complete one of the easiest pick-6's he's ever had, and right in front of me I saw Darrent Williams nearly pick off a pass in the endzone.
When the ball went through the uprights in overtime, the place fell silent and 70,000 dissapointed fans immediately headed toward the exits. Coming down the stairs outside, I again walked right past that white limo and thought to myself, "man, I wish this was our ride home".
I was so tired when we got back to my mom's place, I barely made it past midnight and fell asleep on the couch watching my brothers play Wii. My dad woke me up around nine as he ran down the stairs and turned on the news. My eyes opened wide as I saw the video footage of that familiar white Hummer limo with bullet holes in it surrounded by police. I could hardly believe the news as I heard the reporter say that Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams had been shot and killed in a drive-by shooting around 2:30 in the morning.
According to reports I saw throughout the day, the limo had just left a party downtown. There were 14 people in the limo including D-Will and Javon Walker who had a heated argument at the party before they left. Out of all those people, only three were shot including Darrent who died in the arms of Javon Walker. I'd be lying if I said the news hasn't brought tears to my eyes.
Darrent Williams was in his second season with the Broncos. He was known for his warm personality and contagious smile. He was loved by everyone in the Broncos organization and was on the brink of being a great cornerback opposite Champ Bailey. Champ was even quoted as saying that Darrent was better than he was at that age. Darrent was one of my favorite players because he was such an underdog and his immediate success in the NFL was so unexpected. The guy stood 5'8", easily the shortest player on the Broncos. And for a guy who covered receivers who were a good foot taller, he could hold his own and always welcomed the challenge.
I remember seeing him in training camp last August. He was so spirited and never seemed to wipe the smile off his face even while giving up passes to guys like Rod Smith and Javon Walker. Darrent and rookie Elvis Dumerville, another guy said to be too small to play his position, became two of my favorite Bronco players and I cheered for them all season as they both had their share of great plays.
Darrent Williams wore #27 for the Broncos. Ironically, I wore my #27 Steve Atwater jersey to the game. Darrent played in a total of 27 games as a pro football player. He died at the age of 24. His mentor, Champ Bailey, who he so effectively emulated on the field, wore the number 24.
A local Denver band, Five Iron Frenzy, wrote a satirical song about their trumpet player Brad a few years back. But the lyrics ring out in my mind as I think about the tragedy that happened last night.
"Only the good die young, they say.
The details of his death are vague
unbelievable it seems,
as if his passing was only a dream.
Catastrophe, calamity,
what will we tell his mother now?
Cataclysmic, a tragic mishap....
A day that lives in infamy,
in horror we behold, his passing,
his memory, but the truth must be told."
Rest in peace, D-Will. You will be missed, and you will never be forgotten.
May those responsible be brought to justice.
My Projects:
[Holiday Special Hybrid DVD v2]
[X0 Project]
[Backstroke of the West DVD]
[ROTS Theatrical DVD]
