Darrent Williams Lives On Through Teen Center In Denver
It has been 593 days since Darrent Williams’ senseless murder, but his spirit remains alive in Denver.
It lives in the Darrent Williams Memorial Teen Center in the Montbello section of the city, about 10 miles northeast of downtown. And it lives in the life-sized bronze sculpture of him in full uniform and carrying the ball atop a granite base, serving as a daily reminder that tomorrow is not promised.
It also resides in Broncos teammates such as Domonique Foxworth, who refuse to let Williams’ memory fade.
That’s how it should be.
To those who knew the Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt graduate best, Williams – Dee to friends and family – was the little guy with the infectious personality.
They choose to remember the 5-8, 188-pound Oklahoma State cornerback who forced himself into the Broncos’ starting lineup as a rookie and quickly became a fan favorite – not the 24-year-old slain when a hail of bullets pelted his limousine as he sat in the vehicle after leaving a downtown nightclub in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2007.
The case remains unsolved.
“When we opened the teen center, it was the first time I heard his name, and I didn’t cry. I could smile,” Foxworth said. “Darrent was a Boys & Girls Club kid, and he was always involved with kids because he understood where they came from. A lot of them come from single-parent homes or tough neighborhoods, and he wanted to help them.”
That’s why it made sense to have the teen center in Montbello, a primarily African-American and Hispanic section of town where trouble lurks on street corners, and gang violence is common.
Besides, the Boys & Girls club the Broncos opened in Montbello in 2003 was a little crowded. That club serves about 1,300 kids a year and nearly 300 a day from the surrounding neighborhoods. That includes about 500 teenagers, more than any other club in Denver.
Like all teenagers, those at the Broncos’ club wanted a refuge from the younger children at the center. So they put together a video designed to tell the club’s board of directors why they needed more than the small space they were allotted. Their video impressed the board and the Broncos, but the budget wouldn’t allow for an addition to the club.
Soon after, Williams died.
The Broncos organization, with input from coaches and players, decided the best way to honor Williams was to add a teen center to the Montbello club.
The teen center cost roughly $600,000 to build, about $150,000 more than anticipated. But Denver coach Mike Shanahan donated $100,000 from his golf tournament, and the team matched it.
The coaching staff, Foxworth and Javon Walker, who held Williams in his arms as he died, were among those who donated more than $10,000 to help complete the project.
On Tuesdays, a day off for players, he teaches a writing class that is usually attended by about 10 kids. He’s been doing it since shortly after Williams’ death.
“It’s therapeutic for me, and it’s great for the kids, because they get to write and express themselves,” he said. “It’s an important place, because they’re at an age where no one listens to them, and they don’t want to listen to anyone.”
“A lot of the kids didn’t know about Darrent,” said Guy Johnson, who runs the teen center. “But once we knew we were going to get a teen center named after him, we’ve tried to educate them about him.”
These days, when the kids arrive after school, they relax in a lounge that has two 50-inch, flat screen TVs and a pool table. There are two couches and several tables, so they can spread out. A mural of Williams covers one wall.
The center also has a learning center that houses five computers they can use for homework or surfing the Web.
“This is a place that gives kids a chance to stay out of trouble, while keeping them safe,” Johnson said. “It gives them a chance to change their mindset, because we remove ‘I can’t’ and other negative thoughts from their mind. We give them a sense of belonging they can’t always get other places.”
- Jean Jacques Taylor, Dallas Morning News
