Broncos safety Simmons earns ‘Darrent Williams Good Guy Award’
Dec 22, 2017, 10:00 AM | Updated: 11:33 am
Broncos safety Justin Simmons became the youngest player to be honored with the “Darrent Williams Good Guy Award,” awarded annually by the members of the Denver press, edging out Demaryius Thomas and Domata Peko Sr.
Simmons becomes the 11th-consecutive defensive player to earn the honor, named in memory of Williams, a former Broncos cornerback who passed away on New Year’s Day 2007 after just two seasons with the team.
Each year, a player who “best exemplifies Williams’ enthusiasm, cooperation, and honesty while dealing with members of the press” is chosen to receive the honor.
“In what has been a difficult season on the field for the Broncos, Justin was repeatedly commended for the quality of his answers to often tough questions and his willingness to step forward after both good and bad days for the team,” ESPN senior writer Jeff Legwold said via a news release.
“He is the youngest player to win the award and consistently showed the same accountability with all facets of the job as Darrent did at a similar age.”
Per the news release, it was one of the closest votes since the award’s inception in 2007.
Previous “Darrent Williams Good Guy Award” winners:
- 2007 – John Lynch
- 2008 – Ebenezer Ekuban
- 2009 – Elvis Dumervil
- 2010 – Mario Haggan
- 2011 – Champ Bailey
- 2012 – Wesley Woodyard
- 2013 – Chris Harris Jr.
- 2014 – Terrance Knighton
- 2015 – Brandon Marshall
- 2016 – DeMarcus Ware
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