"In the Denver Broncos' surprising 28-point, Week 8 rout of Philadelphia, left cornerback Darrent Williams, a brash, 23-year-old rookie, ran to the line of scrimmage as Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was barking signals. Just outside the right offensive tackle slot, against air, Williams bobbed toward the line, then jumped back a step. During his cadence, McNabb looked at him, wondering: Is he coming? Is he faking? "You've got to make it look like a decoy,'' Williams said last week. "You've got to act like you've done it before.'' At the snap, the Eagles thought it was a fake, thinking he'd retreat into coverage. Nope. The 5-8 coverman became a sacker, sprinting at McNabb -- who has seven inches and 30 pounds on Williams -- and leveling him with a rib-jarring hit."

I went on to write that Williams shut out Terrell Owens in 15 man-coverage snaps that day.

"I learned never to back down growing up,'' Williams said. "When you're a corner my size, it's something you need to remember all the time.''

The other day, Denver coach Mike Shanahan told me he thought Williams, 24, was going to a Pro Bowl someday. "We were playing Oakland last year,'' Shanahan said, and he reads a pass play in the flat, and he breaks on it and picks it off and goes 80 yards for a touchdown. Broke open the game. I'd like people to know what a good player he was, and a good person.''

What a sin. An unarmed guy not meaning anyone any harm, out on New Year's Eve, in a limo with friends, not driving because it's not smart to drink and drive. Dead, for no reason.