Bailey, Lynch Still Mourn Slain Teammate

Denver Broncos John Lynch signs autographs after an AFC practice, for Saturday's upcoming Pro Bowl football game, at the Ihilani Resort in Kapolei, Hawaii, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2007. (AP Photo/Ronen Zilberman) (Ronen Zilberman - AP)

KAPOLEI, Hawaii -- Champ Bailey and John Lynch had the same idea for their latest trip to the Pro Bowl: They both wanted to wear No. 27 in honor of slain Broncos teammate Darrent Williams.

Williams died from a gunshot wound to the neck on New Year's Eve when his stretch limousine was repeatedly shot while driving away from a Denver nightclub. He was 24.

Most of the Broncos have been in varying degrees of shock since that day, when an overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers kept them out of the playoffs. Hours later, Williams' murder rendered such concerns trivial _ and not even another trip to the Pro Bowl could stop his teammates from thinking about their fellow defensive back.

"I think about it every day, sometimes every hour," said Bailey, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection. "We still don't know what happened, who did it. It's just tough to think how quick it can all happen."

Bailey and Lynch will wear their regular uniform numbers in Saturday's game after the NFL decided to put No. 27 decals on the back of every player's helmet in tribute to the Broncos' rising young cornerback. The three Broncos had discussed someday coming to the Pro Bowl together, and Lynch thought Williams had a chance to develop into a star.

Lynch, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection in 14 NFL seasons, always enjoys the working vacation in Hawaii with his wife and children, who posed with him for photos during the AFC's picture day Thursday.

But Williams also wasn't far from Lynch's mind. The veteran safety praised Williams' growing maturity while lamenting the senselessness of his death.

"There's no question it's made a big impact on me and my teammates," Lynch said. "He was a guy who I really respected as a teammate and a person. It still hasn't sunk in, I guess. It's hard to believe what happened."

Police still aren't sure exactly what happened in the moments after Williams, Broncos receiver Javon Walker and others left a party thrown by Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin. Two other people were wounded in the stretch Hummer limousine in which Williams was killed.

Police said there was an altercation at the club before Williams' death, but details remain sketchy despite the Broncos' offer of a $100,000 reward for information. Willie Clark, described by police as a person of interest who might be able to help catch the killer, is in prison after being convicted of an unrelated parole violation last month.

Bailey spent time last month with Walker, who was sitting next to Williams in the limousine when the cornerback died. Walker didn't attend Williams' funeral, and Bailey said the incident still weighed heavily on the star receiver's mind.

"It's going to take some time to get back to normal," said Bailey, who has lined up as a receiver in practice with Bill Belichick's AFC squad this week. "We're never going to forget, though."