A Death in Denver
CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian covered the NFL for CBS Sports from 1998-2006.
The characteristic admired more than any other in the NFL is professionalism, and the Broncos carry that across the board. Pat Bowlen is one of best owners in all of sport; Mike Shanahan as smart and committed a head coach as there is in pro football; and players like John Elway, Rod Smith and John Lynch set the standard of what it means to be a professional athlete.
Over the years I've spent time in the homes of Shanahan, Elway and Lynch, doing interviews, talking sports, narrowing the gap between reporter and friend. During eight years of working the sidelines for CBS Sports and reporting features for The NFL Today, I've come to know others in the organization as well. Fine men like Jim Saccomano, the team's director of public relations, and a staff of assistant coaches and employees unmatched in the league. Good people, smart people, people who care, one and all.
Which is why I can't stop thinking about the loss of Darrent Williams.
By now it's almost a cliché in pro sports — a bitter season-ending defeat, players go out to party, the night wears on, emotions flair and violence erupts. With some teams, some players, it all makes sense. But not the Broncos. And not with Darrent Williams.
His death by drive-by shooting less than 24 hours after Denver's final game leaves one, as Shanahan said, "speechless with sadness." As I write this, police have no motive and no suspects in the case. They're reportedly investigating a New Year's Eve dispute in a local nightclub between a group involving Williams and another group.
I'd be shocked to find out Williams uttered a word. He was one of the quiet ones, the respectful ones, just a rookie when I first saw him in the fall of 2005, a 5-foot-8 cornerback who knew his place. He'd grown up on the mean streets of Fort Worth, Texas, and found his fair share of trouble. Thanks to a single mother who wouldn't give up, he eventually ended up at Oklahoma State and was drafted in the second round by the Broncos in 2005.
He fit right in from the start in Denver. Shanahan has a cold, clear eye for talent. He knew Williams, with his speed and ball-hawking skills, was something special. So did the cornerback on the other side of the field, perennial All-Pro Champ Bailey.
"The kid just loves to play, and he wants to be the best," said Bailey.
Now the Broncos family has suffered a senseless loss of a favorite son, a loss sure to echo far, far beyond any season-ending overtime defeat. As a member of the extended family, I can't help but feel the pain.