Broncos turn out in force for Williams

Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News

Published January 6, 2007 at midnight

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FORT WORTH, Texas — A sanctuary that seats 2,300 was bursting at the beams Saturday with those who wanted to say their goodbyes to Darrent Williams as friends, family and teammates promised to remember his smile, continue his legacy and help each other through the sadness of his death.

The 24-year-old Broncos cornerback was killed in a drive-by shooting early Monday morning.

"D-Will, we love you, we miss you,'' said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. "Your spirit will always be with us.''

Hundreds of people lined up outside the Great Commission Baptist Church over an hour before the service began in order to be able to attend the public service. The Broncos players coaches and many front-office employees, having arrived by chartered plane Saturday morning, were in attendance as well as a throng of people who said they had all come together because Williams had simply touched their lives in some way.

At least 200 people also lined the street in front of the church as well by the time the service was set to end. Williams' family attended another private grave-side service later in the day.

Williams' former position coach at Oklahoma State, Joe DeForest, said Williams "changed my life'' as one of several speakers in a service that lasted about two and a half hours in all.

Shanahan, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen, Al Wilson, Keith Burns, Tatum Bell and John Lynch also spoke. Bell, who was a teammate of Williams' at Oklahoma State as well, was the most shaken at the microphone, repeatedly apologizing for not being able to get the words out as the tears flowed.

Burns said Williams' smile "was always there,'' while Lynch said Williams "could light up your day.''

NFL commissioner Roger Goddell and NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw were also in attendance.

All of the speakers acknowledged Williams' mother, Rosalind, and after Lynch finished his remarks — with all of the team's defensive backs and secondary coaches behind him — they invited Rosalind Williams to the front to join them in a huddle to "break it down'' as the players do after practice each day.

Bowlen called catching those who shot and killed Williams as he left a New Year's Eve party "my No. 1 goal right now.'' Bowlen added that he and Goddell had spoken often in recent days about ways the league and individual franchises could try to keep shooting deaths like Williams' from happening to others.

Lynch appealed those on hand that "as a culture, as a community we need to respect life.''

One of Williams' agents, Troy Asmus, promised to continue to find ways for people to do community service in Williams' name with things like youth football camps. Williams had often made financial contributions to youth teams in both Fort Worth and Houston.

Broncos wide receiver Javon Walker, who was in the limousine with Williams and several others the night Williams was killed, was not seen as the team's players exited the buses outside the church.

Some with the team said they didn't know if Walker had made the trip.

After the service Shanahan said Walker had spent the much of the last week with cornerback Champ Bailey and that Walker was "struggling'' with all that has happened.

"He's going through some very heavy grief right now,'' Shanahan said.

Over 2,000 people attended a visitation and viewing Friday night at the church with many offering childhood memories of Williams.

legwoldj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2359.

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