The legacy of Darrent Williams lives on.
On Jan. 1, 2007, the Denver Broncos lost a great person in cornerback Darrent Williams, only two years into his NFL career. And in the wake of his death, the Broncos established the Darrent Williams Good Guy Award, giving it to the Broncos player who best exemplifies the characteristics of enthusiasm, cooperation and honesty, the same adjectives which could describe Williams.
This, the 12th year, Chris Harris Jr. has been named the Good Guy Award winner.
“Chris was consistently praised for his professionalism, accountability and his willingness to provide clear, honest answers to the questions he was asked and he did so after wins, losses and in the days in between,” said ESPN senior writer Jeff Legwold per a release. “This is the fifth time a defensive back has won the award, the second time Chris has won the award, and there may be no better measures of at least part of the legacy Darrent left behind.”
Harris becomes the only two-time winner of the award, taking it home back in 2013 as well. For his entire career, Harris has played with a chip on his shoulder, after going undrafted in 2011. But, he’s always kept that phenomenal character, using his undrafted status to rise above, continually proving he’s not only one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL today, but one of the greatest defensive players in the storied history of the Denver Broncos.
“To be able to come up here and get this award twice, it’s a huge deal for me,” Harris said on Friday. “Whoever gets it next year, hopefully I can just continue to lead by example with how I treat you all and who you all treat me, and just set that example for the younger guys. Thank you all very much.”
Harris, sadly, broke his fibula in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and now that the Broncos’ playoff hopes have come to an end, he’s been placed on the Injured Reserve.
Still, even from the sidelines, don’t expect Harris to just sit back and be content with watching quietly. He’ll likely look to lead younger teammates, as he always does, whether he’s healthy or not.
Harris is the consummate leader the Broncos need, and they were lucky to discover him after the draft way back in 2011. Even then, few probably believed he’d have such an illustrious career, with three Pro Bowl selections and being a big part of the Broncos winning Super Bowl 50.
