This is soooo sad

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-b...p&type=lgns

Family and friends gather to remember slain player

By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Sports Writer

January 6, 2007

AP - Jan 5, 10:15 pm EST

More Photos

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- As police in Denver made an arrest related to the case, slain Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was remembered by family and friends as a superb athlete and bright student who made it off the tough streets but never let it get to his head.

"He could come back here and just be D' Will," 25-year-old Monte Wayne said on Friday as he stood outside the house where Williams grew up in Fort Worth.

Williams was killed and two other passengers wounded when at least 14 shots were fired into the stretch Hummer that had just left a New Year's Eve party at a nightclub in downtown Denver. Williams was struck once in the neck.

Denver police said Friday they arrested Willie Clark, 23, on a parole violation after his name came up during their investigation of the Williams shooting. They plan to question him about the case, police spokesman Sonny Jackson said.

"We're not calling him a suspect at this time," Jackson said.

Word that police had somebody in custody quickly spread through the neighborhood following a memorial service at Great Commission Baptist Church.

Williams' family huddled around a home computer following his visitation service to watch the police news conference on the Internet.

Outside the church were the funeral will be held Saturday, friends who grew up with Williams greeted news of an arrest with hope.

"We need justice because they took somebody special from Fort Worth," said Jorge Rivera, 25.

Earlier in the evening, thousands of mourners filed past Williams' copper-colored casket during a memorial service where Pastor Douglas E. Brown will officiate funeral services Saturday, when Williams' teammates will fly in from Denver. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also will attend.

People lined up at two microphones at the big church, which seats 2,500, plus another 800 in an overflow chapel, to tell Williams' family what he meant to them. Then, a video was shown featuring highlights of his childhood and his sports exploits, from peewee football to the pros.

A man on a brown mustang trotted up and down the street in front of the church.

Reggie Bracey, wearing a cowboy hat, chaps and spurs and holding a giant Broncos flag aloft, said his son played football with Williams at O.D. Wyatt High School.

"I'm not good at the mushy stuff," Bracey said. "This is my way of saying I'm sorry."

As they entered the church a few miles from where Williams grew up, mourners viewed giant photographs of Williams, who was one of the NFL's most promising young defensive backs.

A Broncos helmet sat at the front of the church and Williams' white No. 27 jersey was draped over the altar. Hundreds of people wore replica jerseys, many of them signed by Williams.

Williams was dressed in a black pinstriped suit with an orange tie and white shirt. Viewers filed past his casket for an hour before a choir sang, "I'm Trading My Sorrow."

Afterward, friend Cedric Jones said Sundays will never be the same because everybody from the neighborhood used to watch Broncos games to see Williams, the one who had made it out of the tough neighborhood and served as an inspiration to so many.

"It's going to be hard because you can't bring back his soul. All we have now are memories," Jones said. "We've got the memories forever, but it will always be a tragedy in our heart.

"If we could pass a collection plate, we'd all give every cent we had to bring him back. We'd go broke to bring D. back," Jones said. "We're all just asking God, 'Why?' He's the only cat in Fort Worth that made it."

Djuan Bivens carried a football signed by dozens of Williams' high school teammates, when he filed past the open casket.

"We plan on giving it to his kids," Bivens said.

Williams is survived by a 7-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, who live in Fort Worth.

Before the visitation, dozens of family members and friends gathered at the house where he grew up in the Carter Park neighborhood of Fort Worth.

"If somebody just walked up and didn't know he got killed or passed or whatever, they would say, 'Aw, damn. Dee must be home,"' Wayne said as he stood on the curb outside Williams' grandmother's house. "Because this is what you would see. There'd be nothing but family and friends."

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver and Associated Press writer Angela K. Brown in Fort Worth contributed to this report.

I saw this on the news the other day....it is very sad.

Anyone else hear about the USC player found at the bottom of a cliff? Gah! The tragedies keep comin' for the NFL...

Anyone else hear about the USC player found at the bottom of a cliff? Gah! The tragedies keep comin' for the NFL...

I hadn't heard about that...looks like it's not a good week to an NFL player.