Darrent Williams

(upload a new image)

Full Name: Darrent Williams Primary Position: DB Height/Weight: 5' 9"/176 College: Oklahoma State University Birthdate: September 27, 1982 High School: O.D. Wyatt (TX) Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas Pro Experience: 2 years

Rate this Player 3.21 (33 votes)

[edit] Biography

[edit] High school

Born and raised in Fort Worth, 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.

Williams received little recruiting attention during high school, receiving offers only from Texas Christian University, Louisiana Tech University, and Oklahoma State University. Reportedly, he was the last player signed to the 2001 class, and was only signed after an OSU coach's wife urged her husband to evaluate his talent further, as she was his school counselor.

[edit] 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 note of interest, during his freshman year, he returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Baylor. In the postgame press-conference, it was revealed that he had actually predicted he would do this, in a statement to then head coach Les Miles. 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).

[edit] 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 three games of the 2005 regular season he established himself as the Broncos' starting cornerback, recording 58 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.

In the 2006 season, Williams played in 15 games, recording 86 tackles (77 solo) and four interceptions (returning one for a touchdown), as well as serving as the team's primary punt returner. In his career he had 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 6 ints and 2 touchdowns.

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. In a spooky coincidence, following the previous meeting between the Broncos and 49ers (in a preseason game on August 20th, 2005), 49ers offensive lineman Thomas Herrion died of lschaemic heart disease.

[edit] Death

On January 1, 2007, Williams was shot during a drive-by shooting, at approximately 2:10 a.m. Williams and two other passengers were shot when another vehicle pulled beside his rented Hummer H2 limousine in downtown Denver, Colorado. The shooting occurred near 11th Ave. and Speer Boulevard. It occurred less than 12 hours after the Broncos played their final game of the 2006 season.

Williams had been attending a New Year's Eve party and birthday party for Denver Nuggets player Kenyon Martin at a nightclub, "The Shelter." The Denver Police Department reported that the shooting was preceded by some type of altercation or argument at the nightclub; a spokesman stated that "There was some confrontation between a group of people in the vehicle and a group at the nightclub." Williams was not involved in the altercation.

About to text message his mother, Williams sustained a single gunshot wound to the neck and was killed instantly, according to Robert Whitmore, chief medical examiner in the county coroner's office. After Williams was shot, he fell in the lap of fellow Broncos teammate, Javon Walker. He was pronounced dead around 2:30 a.m. The two other passengers injured in the shooting, Brandon Flowers and Nicole Reindl, were both released from the hospital the day after the shooting.

[edit] Aftermath

The Denver police have impounded a vehicle in connection with the shooting. The suspected vehicle is registered to Brian Hicks, a 28 year old Crips gang member, who was already incarcerated awaiting trial for attempted murder and drug charges. Other associates of Hicks are being questioned as potential material witnesses to the Williams shooting. Rumors persist that it was a gang related event, however there is no real evidence about this and is actually highly unlikely according to family and teammates.

Williams is survived by his 7-year-old son, a 4-year-old daughter and his 24-year-old girlfriend who live in Fort Worth, Texas. A memorial fund has been set up in their name. Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin, who was with Williams at the nightclub that evening, possibly plans to honor his friend by setting up a college fund for Williams' children. [1] Meanwhile, a fan constructed memorial has formed on the southern wall of the fountain in front of Invesco Field at Mile High.

[edit] Statistics

[edit] Interception Stats

[edit] Punt Return Stats

[edit] Sack/Safety Stats

[edit] Kick Return Stats

[edit] Trivia

[edit] Video Gallery

Add Videos

[edit] Picture Gallery

Add Pictures

[edit] See Also

[edit] Categories