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{{Infobox NFL player |
{{Infobox NFL player |
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| Name = Darrent Williams |
| Name = Darrent Williams |
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| Image = Darrent Williams |
| Image = Darrent Williams 2.jpg |
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| ImageWidth = 200px |
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| DateOfBirth = [[September 27]] [[1982]] |
| DateOfBirth = [[September 27]] [[1982]] |
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| Birthplace = [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], [[Texas]], [[United States|USA]] |
| Birthplace = [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]], [[Texas]], [[United States|USA]] |
Revision as of 23:39, 2 January 2007
Career history | |
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Denver Broncos | |
Darrent Williams (September 27 1982 – January 1 2007) was an American football player for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League.
Playing career
High school
Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Williams attended O.D. Wyatt High School where he played cornerback and was also a punt returner. As a senior, he was named 7-4A Defensive Most Valuable Player after posting five interceptions that featured several long returns, including a best of 54 yards. As a punt returner, Williams averaged 30 yards per return with four touchdowns.
College
Williams then went on to play football for Oklahoma State University. He played ten games his first year, the second half of the season as the starter. As a sophomore, Williams started all of the team's thirteen games recording 53 tackles and three interceptions, while breaking up thirteen passes.
During his junior year, Williams continued to start for the Cowboys. He posted 66 tackles and six interceptions (third in the Big 12 Conference). He also broke up 17 passes. His performance junior year earned him first team All-Big 12 Conference honors.
His last year at Oklahoma State, Williams played in only seven games. He missed the last three because of injury, and was limited before that because of an arm injury. Still, Williams totaled 21 tackles (18 solo), three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery, which he returned 53 yards. Williams finished his collegiate career tied for first place all-time in Division I-A College Football in career interception returns for touchdowns. He had 11 career interceptions and scored 9 touchdowns on returns (5 interception returns, 3 punt returns, and 1 blocked extra point return).
NFL
In the 2005 NFL Draft, Williams was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round (56th overall). He recorded his first career interception on November 13, 2005 versus the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders were driving to score, when quarterback Kerry Collins attempted a pass to wide receiver Jerry Porter. Williams jumped the route, intercepted the ball, and took it 82 yards for the touchdown. The Broncos won the game 31-17.
Although an injury kept him out of the Broncos' lineup for the last seven games of the 2005 regular season, Williams established himself as the Broncos' starting cornerback, recording 50 tackles and two interceptions. Williams' nine starts at cornerback in 2005 were the most for a Broncos rookie at that position since Louis Wright started 11 games in 1975. He also led the Broncos in punt and kick returns. Williams was recognized as a first-team All Rookie selection by Pro Football Weekly and the Pro Football Writers Association.[1] [2]
In the 2006 season, Williams and Champ Bailey made up one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. Williams played in 15 games, recording 86 tackles (75 solo), four interceptions (returning one for a touchdown), and three fumble recoveries, as well as serving as the team's primary punt returner.[1]
His last game was a season-ending loss to the San Francisco 49ers. In that game Williams had three tackles and returned two punts for 50 yards before leaving the game with a shoulder injury late in the second half.[3]
Other
Darrent Williams was also the Owner and CEO of the Independant Record Label RYNO Entertainment in Fort Worth, Texas.
Death
On January 1 2007, Williams was shot in the neck and killed during a drive-by shooting, at approximately 2:00 a.m. He was 24 years old.
The shooting occurred less than 12 hours after the Broncos played their final game of the 2006 season.[4]
Williams and two companions were attending a New Year's Eve party and birthday party for Denver Nuggets player Kenyon Martin. Williams was with one male (Brandon Flowers) and one female (Nicole Reindl), who were shot in the head when another vehicle pulled beside his rented, white, 23-passenger Hummer H2 limousine in downtown Denver, Colorado. The shooting occurred near 11th Ave. and Speer Boulevard. It is reported that Williams received a fatal gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead around 2:30 a.m. The two other wounded passengers' injuries were not life-threatening. Broncos wide receiver Javon Walker was also a passenger in the limo but was unharmed.
The Denver police are searching for unidentified suspects, last seen in a white Suburban or Tahoe. No motives have yet been compiled. Denver Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the shooting was preceded by some type of altercation or argument at The Shelter nightclub at 1037 Broadway that involved a group of people who may have been in the cars. He would not say if the two events were connected and stressed that police were looking at all possibilities.
"Why this happened, we're not sure," Jackson said. "There was some confrontation between a group of people in the vehicle and a group at the nightclub." It was unclear how many people were in the limo. Jackson wouldn't identify any of the other passengers, nor would he confirm whether any other Broncos players were in the Hummer limo at the time of the shooting, saying they were all witnesses. [3][5]
References
- ^ a b Darrent Williams Career NFL Statistics Yahoo! sports. Accessed on January 1 2007
- ^ DenverBroncos.com
- ^ a b Broncos' Williams killed Monday morning[http://www.example.com link titlelink title]. Associated Press. January 1, 2007.
- ^ Broncos' CB Williams killed in shooting TSN. January 1 2007.
- ^ Broncos' Darrent Williams gunned down in limo The club identified by police advertised a New Year's Eve event celebrating the birthday of Denver Nuggets star Kenyon Martin. Nuggets officials didn't immediately respond to questions about whether any of their players were involved. The Denver Post. January 1 2007.