For the second time in less than two years, one of Oklahoma State s football players affectionately nicknamed The Smurfs has died.
Darrent Williams, who played at OSU from 2001 to 2004, was killed in a drive-by shooting in Denver early Monday. Williams, a starting cornerback and punt returner for the Denver Broncos, had played in the last game of the season the night before, making three tackles and returning two punts for 50 yards in his final game.
According to the Associated Press, Williams, 24, was in a Hummer limousine downtown when another vehicle pulled alongside and put as many as 12 bullet holes into it just past 2 a.m. One window was blown out and there were bullet holes in four others.
ESPN.com is reporting one of those who were with him in the Hummer was Broncos receiver Javon Walker.
There are reports Williams, a father of two, had been at a nightclub where an altercation broke out.
Williams former OSU teammate, Broncos running back Tatum Bell, said on ESPN s Cold Pizza that Williams was not involved in the altercation.
He was liked by everybody, Bell said on the television show. Everybody was a friend to D-Will.
No bad things to say about him.
Two members of the OSU coaching staff remain from Williams time in Stillwater, which saw him earn All-Big 12 honors in 2003 and make 11 interceptions, returning five for touchdowns. He also scored on three punt returns before being a second-round draft pick by the Broncos in 2005.
One remaining coach is Joe DeForest, the team s associate head coach and special teams coordinator. DeForest coached special teams and cornerbacks during Williams four years with the team, so he had plenty of interaction with the Fort Worth, Texas, native.
He felt like he had something to prove every single day, DeForest said of the 5-foot-8, 188-pounder who was Denver s shortest and second-lightest player.
He was too small to play in the Big 12 or the NFL, but he went out and proved everybody wrong.
Williams started nine games as a rookie last season and all 16 games this year. He recorded 88 tackles and four interceptions in his final season.
It s a tragic loss for the Denver Broncos family, Oklahoma State University and anyone who knew Darrent Williams, said OSU head coach Mike Gundy in a press release. It s a loss that goes far beyond the football field. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his teammates, the Denver organization and all of those in the OSU community he touched.
DeForest said the lesson from Williams death is that nothing good happens after midnight.
Kevin Williams (no relation) is another former Cowboy now in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings starting defensive tackle told the AP, It makes you want to stay home and not go out to places when you see things like that.
You hate to see it. He was a hardworking kind of guy. He was a great guy.
In May of 2005, another Cowboy secondary player from the Dallas metroplex also died. Vernon Grant, who was a teammate and friend of Williams, and the other Smurf, died in a car crash.
Coupled with the plane crash that killed 10 members of the OSU basketball family in January 2001, DeForest said the school has seen more than its share of tragedy the last six years.
It s like when my dad passed away and my mom was diagnosed with cancer all within six months, DeForest said. God only gives you what you can handle. It s not more.
That s what you have to go with.
DeForest and his wife, Laura, had planned to attend Sunday s Broncos game, which saw Denver eliminated from playoff contention with a 26-23 overtime loss to San Francisco.
Because of travel difficulties, they instead decided to stay home.
DeForest admitted part of him wonders if things would have turned out differently if he had gone, because he believes his family would have eaten dinner with the cornerback after the game.
Instead, Williams went to the nightclub and the player DeForest said is the greatest he ever coached is dead.
He lived every day to the fullest, DeForest said.
He played that way. For a guy 5-9 who came here 160 pounds, he was playing in the NFL? You re kidding me.
That s a tribute to him.
There is an ongoing police investigation.
Jacob Longan writes for Stillwater (Okla.
) NewsPress.
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