R.I.P., Darrent Williams

As far as news goes, learning that Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was shot and killed in a Hummer limo earlier this New Year's Day morning is about as bad as it gets.

I knew, and covered, Darrent when he was a star cornerback and kick returner at Oklahoma State. He was a nice, funny, cool guy, someone whose future seemed as bright as the diamonds he wore in his ear lobes. Darrent had big dreams of being the next Deion Sanders, and in fact, most of the time I saw him in Stillwater, Oklahoma, he was wearing some version of idol's NFL jersey.

Darrent seemed well on his way to stardom during his first two seasons with the Broncos. From what I read and heard recently, he also was rapidly maturing and had big plans to help out underprivileged youth in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas.

Now, sadly enough, he's gone. Tragically and inexplicably dead before his 25th birthday. What a loss.

But, before folks start moralizing about NFL players and guns and money, like a certain Sports Illustrated columnist tried to do in his online column today, let me say this: every day we leave our homes, there's risk involved. There's no guarantee that we're going to make it back to our front doors safely. A lot of making it through youth, and life in general, is being in the right place at the right time.

Without knowing many details of the case this morning, let's leave it at this: this seems to be the worst kind of death, a young man struck down as he entered the prime of his life.

May the rest of us receive the grace and blessings to make it even that far.