FORT WORTH, Texas -- Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was remembered Saturday as a beloved son, doting father and undersized but undeterred athlete who won the affection of teammates by playing and living with an infectious enthusiasm.
"We are so blessed to have been in his presence," Broncos Pro Bowl safety John Lynch said at the funeral held on a gloomy winter day in Williams' hometown. "He was something special."
The Broncos, along with team owner Pat Bowlen, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and players union leader Gene Upshaw, were among the estimated 2,700 mourners who overflowed the Great Commission Baptist Church for a three-hour service televised live in Denver. Also present were hundreds of family members, friends and former teammates from Williams' alma maters, Oklahoma State and nearby O.D. Wyatt High School.
"This is a tragic event," Goodell said. "He was a great young man. The impact he had on peoples' lives was evident today in the ceremony. But he also was a great football player, and I'm sure he'll be missed in that way also."
Williams, 24, had just completed his second NFL season last Sunday night when the Broncos were eliminated from playoff contention with a 26-23 overtime loss to San Francisco.
About eight hours later, Williams became Denver's first murder victim of 2007, killed in a drive-by shooting on a downtown street that left the city stunned.
Williams left a New Year's Eve party at a trendy nightclub at about 2 a.m., part of a group riding away in a white stretch Hummer. Within moments, the limousine was sprayed with at least 14 bullets fired from a white sports utility vehicle. Williams was killed by a shot to his neck, and two other passengers were wounded.
Teammate Javon Walker is believed to have escaped injury inside the limousine, but was photographed Monday arriving at Broncos headquarters wearing a bloodstained shirt. Walker has not spoken publicly about the incident and was not seen by reporters Saturday.
"Javon is struggling," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "He's going through some very heavy grief right now."
Shanahan said Walker has been staying with Champ Bailey, who started opposite Williams at cornerback.
"I've talked to Champ about [Walker]," Shanahan said. "He's been with him the last couple days. He's going through a tough time. But I'm sure, with everybody's support, he'll make it through it all right."
Williams' killer remained at large Saturday, though Denver police on Thursday found an abandoned Chevy Tahoe they believe was used in the attack, and on Friday arrested a reputed gang member on a parole violation. A police spokesman declined to name Willie Clark, 23, as a suspect in the homicide, but did say he was "a person of interest" in the high-profile case.
"I know the Denver police are working extremely hard on finding the perpetrator," Shanahan said. "We've given them full support. I know they're doing everything they can, and I'd be surprised if something wasn't found out here in the very near future."
Bowlen, who was among several speakers at the service, said that in his 23 years of owning the team, "I can't find anything in our history to even come close to what happened to Darrent. It will stay with me for the rest of my life." Bowlen pledged that bringing Williams' assailants to justice was his "No. 1 goal right now."
The violent nature of Williams' death was scarcely mentioned during a service that veered from somber and poignant to exuberant and celebratory. Gospel singers performed tirelessly as a seemingly endless procession of mourners passed Williams' open casket before the service officially began. Hundreds had braved chilly winds in a long line that snaked around the church property more than two hours before the doors opened.
Bowlen chartered a jet to transport his team and staff members from Colorado. The Broncos' contingent, including players' wives, was more than 200 strong and arrived in a convoy of five luxury coach buses under a police escort. Bowlen and Shanahan led the group inside from a side door, minutes before the noon ceremony was to begin.
Williams' smiling face adorned several large pictures situated throughout the church lobby. Several dozen flower arrangements added splashes of the Broncos' blue-and-orange team colors, many arranged in the shape of his uniform No. 27. The player's white Broncos jersey and blue helmet hung at center stage behind his casket.
Though listed at only 5-foot-8 and 188 pounds, the speedy Williams had earned a starting role on the Denver defense after first proving himself as an All-Big 12 defender and punt returner at Oklahoma State. Shanahan and Oklahoma State coach Joe Deforest recalled having their doubts about a player of Williams' stature until meeting him and seeing his determination to succeed.
"He played with a chip on his shoulder," Deforest said, "which made him good."
The Broncos drafted Williams in the second round in 2005, and he started nine games as a rookie, impressing many with his ability and swagger. This season, Williams started alongside Bailey and recorded four interceptions and 88 tackles.
"He once told me, 'I just want you to know how important it is for me to be a great player,'" Lynch recalled. "That impressed me. But what impressed me even more was when he said, 'I also want you to know I'm a good person and I've got a good heart.' Well, D-Will, you made everyone aware of that."
Linebacker Keith Burns, a 13-year pro and a fellow Oklahoma State product, told Williams' parents that their child was also "like a son to me."
"Our locker room is wounded now," Burns said. "But we're going to rally, because that's what he'd want."
Broncos running back Tatum Bell, also a collegiate teammate of Williams, was scheduled to speak but was overcome by emotion at the podium. He pledged his support to Williams' two children before being overcome by grief.
Williams is survived by his mother Rosalind, father James Fuller and wife Felicia, as well as his longtime girlfriend Tierria Leonard. The couple had two children, 7-year-old son Darius and 4-year-old daughter Jaelyn.
The last active NFL player to die was San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Thomas Herrion, who suffered a fatal heart attack in August 2005, minutes after finishing an exhibition game. Herrion also was from Fort Worth and is buried only a few miles from Williams' resting place.
Ken Daley is a freelance writer based in Dallas.