http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2716385
DENVER -- Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7232) was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting early Monday after an argument at a nightclub, his limousine sprayed with bullets in downtown Denver.
<table id="inlinetable" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="200"> <tbody><tr><th colspan="1" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><center>Darrent Williams: 1982-2007</center></th> </tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" valign="top"> <td width="184"> http://espn.starwave.com/i/nfl/profiles/players/65x90/7232.jpg
Williams
An emotional Tatum Bell reacted to the death of teammate Darrent Williams on Cold Pizza. Bell was also Williams' teammate at Oklahoma State.
To watch, click here (javascript:void(0);). http://espn-att.starwave.com/i/m_arrow.gif <hr> Mike Evans of KKFN Radio in Denver, who used to host a radio show with Williams, tells who the Broncos starting right cornerback was as a person.
• To listen, click here (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2716385#). http://espn.go.com/i/espnradio/05/listen.gif <hr> Statement from Broncos coach Mike Shanahan:
"Losing a fine young man such as Darrent Williams leaves me speechless with sadness. We all know that Darrent was an excellent player, but as a person, he was a first-class young man who brightened every room with his smile, attitude and personality. I cannot express how heartsick I feel at this loss." </td> </tr> </tbody></table> Team spokesman Jim Saccomano said police called him about 3 a.m. from the scene and told him three people had been shot, and the 24-year-old Williams had been killed. His death came hours after the Denver Broncos (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=den) were eliminated from the playoff race.
A little after 2 a.m., a white Hummer limousine was fired on from a vehicle that pulled up along its side, police spokesman Sonny Jackson said. As many as a dozen bullet holes were visible on the driver's side of the vehicle. One window was blown out and four others had bullet holes.
Three people in the limo were hit and taken to St. Anthony Central Hospital, where one man was pronounced dead, Jackson said. The other man and woman who were shot were not identified.
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Two team sources told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli that wide receiver Javon Walker (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5906) was one of the passengers. It was unclear how many people were in the limo.
Jackson said there was a dispute at a nightclub several blocks from the shooting where Williams and his group had attended a New Year's Eve party. He said the argument didn't specifically involve Williams, according to witnesses.
"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."
Police were searching for a white Suburban or Tahoe they suspect was involved in the shooting. Jackson wouldn't identify any of the other passengers nor would he confirm whether any other Broncos players were in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, saying they were all witnesses.
<table id="inlinetable" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="200"> <tbody><tr><th colspan="1" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><center>Senseless loss</center></th> </tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" valign="top"> <td width="184">The NFL at its core is a big fraternity and today we lost one of our own. I didn't know Darrent Williams that well. We'd only met once or twice, the first time coming after he was drafted by the Broncos in the second round of the 2005 draft. He was excited to start his new journey and was confident that he could prove he belonged in this league. He did prove he belonged on the big stage. In the coming days we're going to hear a lot of stuff about how athletes were out of control in 2006, but we can't forget that this was a 24-year old kid who lost his life. This is bigger than a football player or a football team; this is about a kid whose life ended prematurely. This is about a kid who was realizing his dreams and it just smacks of senselessness to me. There's no reason we should be writing eulogies for 24-year old kids … absolutely none.
My heart goes out to his family and friends who are suffering from this untimely loss.
-- Mark Schlereth
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> The limo sat in a snowbank beside Speer Boulevard, a main street through downtown. Police and technicians worked amid snow and ice from recent storms, using small yellow plastic markers to indicate possible evidence.
Saccomano said he spoke with coach Mike Shanahan and others in the organization. Hours earlier, the Broncos lost to San Francisco 26-23 in overtime.
"Complete shock. We're speechless. It takes words away," Saccomano said.
"It is a terrible tragedy," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello added. "We don't know all the details yet, but we are reaching out to the Broncos to offer our support."
The previous active NFL player to die was Thomas Herrion of San Francisco. He had a heart attack following an exhibition game in Denver on Aug. 20, 2005.
Champ Bailey (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4655) was among the Broncos players and staff members who gathered at Denver Health Medical Center, where Williams' body was taken.
"He had a big heart and a lot of courage," said Cedric Smith, assistant strength and conditioning coach. "It's a tragedy, a complete tragedy. It's sickening."
Minnesota Vikings (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=min) defensive tackle Kevin Williams (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6345) played two seasons with Darrent Williams at Oklahoma State.
"It makes you want to stay home and not go out to places when you see things like that," Kevin Williams said. "You hate to see it. He was a hardworking kind of guy. He was a great guy."
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy called the death a "tragic loss for the Broncos family, Oklahoma State University and anyone who knew Darrent Williams. It's a loss that goes far beyond the football field."
<table id="inlinetable" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="200"> <tbody><tr><th colspan="1" style="background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><center>NFL players shot</center></th> </tr><tr style="background-color: rgb(236, 236, 236);" valign="top"> <td width="184"> Darrent Williams is the third NFL player to be shot in the past 12 months and the first to die. To read a partial list of NFL players who have been shot since 1992, click here (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2716478).
</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Williams teamed with Bailey to give Denver one of the NFL's top cornerback tandems. Williams finished the season with 88 tackles, 78 of them solo, and four interceptions.
Even though players and coaches were off given the day off and weren't scheduled to meet until Tuesday before scattering for the offseason, about 20 players gathered at team headquarters Monday to console one another.
"Anytime you lose a guy who was close to everyone, it hurts," punter Paul Ernster (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7415) said. "From the get-go, he was like one of your good friends."
On Sunday against the 49ers, Williams had three tackles and returned two punts for 50 yards before leaving the game with a shoulder injury late in the second half. After the game he said he planned to wait a few weeks before deciding if he needed an operation.
Williams, a second-round draft pick in 2005, made an immediate impact on the Broncos. He started nine times in his rookie season following a stellar college career.
Anthony Criss, Williams' high school football coach in Fort Worth, Texas, spoke with the cornerback often, and as recently as two weeks ago.
"When he was younger, he always gravitated to the wrong crowd," Criss said. "I remember he went to church and the minister was talking to him about needing to pray and stop hanging around with the wrong people, and he started straightening up and doing the right thing."
Williams matured at Oklahoma State, turning his eye toward pro football, Criss said.
"I visited him his junior year, and he was grown," Criss said. "Everything was, 'Yes, sir. No, sir."'
In December, Williams spoke of returning to his hometown this offseason to talk to youngsters about staying out of gangs. Williams, who has two young children in the Fort Worth area, recently talked to Criss about establishing a free football camp for youth players.
"He had great compassion," Criss said. "He always wanted to try to make sure people did the right thing. He wanted to be a good parent, a good father, a good example for his kids. He will be missed."