Testimony from Brandon Marshall could speak to his future with Broncos
by John Bena on Feb 27, 2010 11:55 AM MST
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PrintBrandon Marshall took the stand yesterday in the Darrent Williams' murder trial and confidently pointed out the man he engaged with a confrontation with on New Year's Eve 2006, the night teammate and friend Darrent Williams was shot. "Is there any doubt in your mind that is that man?" prosecutor Tim Twining asked Marshall. "That's the guy," Marshall said. "In that picture, in that video and at this table right here." He was pointing to Willie Clark, the man prosecutors say shot Williams later that night following an altercation that Marshall admitted he helped escalate. "I kind of got angry at the time and probably escalated the situation, but I got angry because it was New Year's and we were trying to have fun." Marshall explains trying to get at Clark and Daniel Harris, who was with Clark at the bar, but he slipped in a snowbank. He admits Harris punched him in the face. It was then, Marshall explains, that he got a bad feeling. "The first thing I thought of is maybe they are running to go get a gun." Marshall, and teammate Elvis Dumervil, left together. They drove past Williams' rented Hummer Limo after dropping some friends off. It was surrounded by police. They thought of stopping, but did not.
Marshall then remembers the phone call he received a few minutes later telling him of Williams being shot and the trip to the hospital where he saw former teammate Javon Walker. "It was just real quiet in the room and it was how he was looking at the chain, . . . and there was blood on the chain and blood all over JWalk and he wasn't really talking," Marshall said while crying on the stand. "He kept holding that chain and wouldn't let nobody touch that chain."
Marshall's testimony is the first he has made publicly about what happened that night. His emotion on the stand shows that the events of 3 years ago still have a profound effect on him. It may also go a long way to explain the reason Marshall wants out of Denver. Humor me for a bit as I explain.
There are plenty of superficial reasons that could explain away why Brandon Marshall wants out of town - as has wanted out of town for awhile. His contract is surely one. His lack of trust in the team's medical staff resulting from the mis-diagnosis of a hip injury is another. Some will say his on-again, off-again relationship with Josh McDaniels is part as well. All are worthy explanations, and likely play a part. For me, however, I have always seen this as something much deeper. Sure, the reasons above are important - Marshall obviously wants to get paid - but there was always something underlying to me.
Marshall is an emotional guy. It makes him great on the field and gives him trouble off of it. Emotion, in a lot of ways, has been the reason many of his run-ins with the law have happened. Emotions were likely running high that night when Willie Clark decided pulling a gun was the only way to get his "respect" back. It was also on full dispplay when Marshall, pulled over for erratic driving, screamed how much he hated Denver, berating the police for pulling him over instead of looking for Darrent's murderer.
"I hate Denver," Marshall said, as written by the arresting officer in the police report. "I hope I get traded. I hate this (bleeping) city." "Why aren't you guys looking for Williams' killer?" Marshall told the officer.
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it is for the best if he’s allowed to leave. More important than us winning football games is his safety. I can see why he would be living in fear even if Clark is put away. Where is Harris?
Great post John
Its where we are at and where we can go from here, at its most essential.
I find that I agree with you that I am hopeful that somehow the effect of all of this is to provide healing.
Precision in thought, concision in style, decision in life.
"That's MR.Styg..."
by Jeremy Bolander on Feb 27, 2010 12:53 PM MST reply actions
I hope for Marshall's sake he has been talking to someone from a therapeutic stance,
that is a lot of guilty feelings riding around on his shoulders.
Not that I think he is guilty, but it would be hard not to feel guilty in-spite of his peace making efforts.
"It's the first time that I've probably ever seen a 260 pound back run into a free safety and go flat on his back, I mean it was exciting." ~John Elway
here's to hoping
It would be excellent if Brandon’s testimony some how does give him closure/relief. He may feel exonerated by letting it out by telling all. There is also a very strong possibility that he is just plain scared to stay around here having been exposed to this murdering element in Denver.
by WYO(MF)BRONCOBOY on Feb 27, 2010 1:32 PM MST reply actions
First off, I hope that MF gets convicted for Williams' murder
Has anybody actually placed him at the scene? Murder weapon found, etc?
Great read. Well thought and written.
As for Marshall, I agree that the relationship is not tarnished beyond repair. If anything, I would see this hardship as an opportunity for Josh to reach out to him further – to do the bonding, if it’s approached right.
I think you’ve got a solid take on the options here. This could help Marshall get past it, get closure, and finally move on. He could be in fear that one of the little gang-bangin homies might shoot him once everything cools down. Or he could still just feel like he needs to move cities to truly move on.
I’ve never thought the relationship was irrepairable, even though I lean towards thinking he’ll be traded. But I want him to stay. So I hope this helped in his closure, and I hope that Clark cat fries! Rec’d of course
Good luck with the Redskins Mr. Mike! I'll be watching and cheering for a non-Bronco team for the first time in my life. Well, except when they play the Broncos!
It was an unfortunate incident that probably should have never happened.
I have to wonder why nfl or any other sports players don’t have closed private parties with invitations only. All the money they have and partying with gangbangers doesn’t make sense. Separate yourself from that element and the fact that Marshall doesn’t want to play in Denver may or may not have to do with that incident. We don’t know, but I know one thing, gangbangers are in every city and running away from Denver won’t eliminate that kind of threat. I believe it all boils down to money and he wants to be paid. We all realize that Marshalls are hard to come by and the Broncos are a better team with him then without him. I hope he get’s the contract he deserves and plays out his career in Denver, because Denver is the ‘baby’ steps of the gangbanging set. There are for more dangerous cities in the NFL than Denver.
Interesting stuff
Florio at PFT actually has a fairly interesting take, that may further explain the guilt. Basically, Florio wonders if Marshall was the intended target, and if that is adding to his feelings of guilt or torment or whatever it is he’s feeling. Makes some sense to me.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
That's exactly what my article is about...
http://www.milehighreport.com/2010/2/27/1329176/testimony-from-brandon-marshall
-TSG
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My bad
I was reading on my phone’s browser the first time, so I kind of breezed through it. I’ve followed this case pretty closely, and I always considered Marshall might have felt guilt because of any contribution he had leading up to someone firing indiscriminately at the limo. I never, before today, considered that Marshall may have actually been THE intended target. Very interesting take…
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
Neither did I...
Until Marshall explained just how involved he was – including getting punched when trying to go after them.
No Worries!
-TSG
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It also concerns me, in that this incident did not lead him to get a grip on his temper, or impulse control, or whatever we want to call it.
But I guess some people would react to the guilt and trauma by acting out even more. It does make me feel for him, and for what he must be carrying around in his heart.
Hopefully Beast comes to understand that, no matter how much a fool Beast may have acted, someone like Clark is just looking for an excuse to fire his gun and show what a big tough guy he is.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
I’ve followed this case pretty closely
So what’s the skinny? Does it sound like a slam dunk? Tough case to prove? 50/50? I haven’t even heard much of the basics. Most everything I hear, being outside of CO, is more about the football aspect, the players. I’ve never heard much about the evidence.
But I’ve also never heard that they’ve got the murder weapon or a witness who saw him pull the trigger. Any insight?
Good luck with the Redskins Mr. Mike! I'll be watching and cheering for a non-Bronco team for the first time in my life. Well, except when they play the Broncos!
I'm outside of CO too, so others might have more insight.
But it sure sounds like most of the State’s case is going to rest on how much weight the jury puts in the testimony of Daniel “Ponytail” Harris. Clark’s buddy who claims he saw Clark pull the trigger. However, Clark’s defense seems to include an allegation that at least two different guns were fired, so they seem to be starting to imply that Harris was one of the shooters. B-Marsh’s testimony that someone that may have been Harris actually punched Beast in the face before everything escalated may lend credence to this theory.
More importantly, the defense is almost certainly going to go after the fact that Harris is an ex-felon and is supposedly getting some kind of deal in exchange for his testimony. Always a little tougher to get a conviction when the jury thinks your star witness is scum.
I seem to recall a story in the DP a few months after Clark was arrested, in which there were claims that Clark made some self-incriminating statements in letters he wrote from jail to his associates. I have not seen any mention of that in the trial coverage, but I’m relying on the DP for all of my trial updates…
I also had never heard before this week about Doom recording a phone call with a witness who says she had knowledge of Clark talking about getting a gun…
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
I think you are over analyzing Marshall's motives
Furthermore, leaving Denver is going to do exactly nothing towards bringing closure to any anxieties Marshall may be experiencing. Then again, it is easy to believe he is dumb enough to think it will.
Over analyzing????
I don’t know. I tend to think it is something different, in a way. While we knew that Marshall, and his cousin, were involved, I don;t think anyone knew the extent. The fact that he got Clark into the club that night, defused one situation inside the club by offering to have Clark party with them, then wanted to get at Clark outside, only to get punched himself, goes a long way. Oh, and there are his comments – albeit while intoxicated – after getting pulled over.
I think Marshall recognized at the hospital just how serious the situation was and they he too could have been a target – if not the target.
Marshall is a man largely controlled by his emotions – at least at this point of his life. It is easy to place blame with Marshall being a typical Diva receiver, or with McDaniels being a power-hungry coach. Perhaps the reasons are deeper. I think they are and I think we got a glimpse into that yesterday. Hopefully Marshall’s psyche was cleansed and he can begin to find some peace.
-TSG
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by John Bena on Feb 27, 2010 5:12 PM MST up reply actions 3 recs
I agree Bena
From everything I have learned about Marhall, I am under the impression that he is entirely about emotions. Something sets him off and he acts impulsively and instantly without any consideration to the consequences. He is not one to consider the situation and strategize his actions. That is why I find it hard to believe he has explored his own state of mind and drawn conclusions as to what future can best repair his mental balance. It is a lot easier to believe he thinks he is the best player in the league and that he should be paid accordingly.
by warmick on Feb 27, 2010 5:59 PM MST up reply actions 1 recs
I have to agree, SG.
It is easy, too easy, to slip all these individuals into neat little pre-existing boxes. Then we don’t have to think about them. We’ve already decided about them based on the box we put them into. In reality, people seldom fit into those little boxes, at least not very neatly.
Here’s something MHR followers might find interesting. As some of you know, I’m a teacher here in Colorado. Some of my students come from Willie Clark’s neighborhood. Though none expressed surprise that he might have done what he was accused of doing, many expressed sadness that they might be losing him, that he was a positive influence on the neighborhood and took care of many of his weaker and less fortunate neighbors.
If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!
by Trinidad Jack on Feb 28, 2010 8:56 AM MST up reply actions
So what?
I don’t find this revelation interesting in the least. I’m surprised that you, a teacher, would allow your assesment of a felon to be influence by kids, who are personally aquainted and emotionally attached to him. Everybody is liked by someone at least some of the time. Ted Bundy’s mom stood by her son to the very end, even after he started to confess to the murders and explaining where the victims could be found. I don’t care one bit if Clark only sprayed bullets into a car once while having spend eight hours every day for the last 10 years helping little old ladies across the street. While one may applaud the good things someone has done, those do little towards making up for the bad and absolutely nothing to lessen the impact of murder.
Perhaps I need to be more blunt for you, warmick.
We tend to put people into categories, i.e. (id est) a certain ethnic group, followers of a certain religion, the spoiled wide receiver, the gang banger. Then we don’t have to think about it anymore because we have prejudged the category.
Specifically, I am agreeing with John Bena about judging Marshall because he has been labeled a “diva receiver”. He is a human being and may be too complex to be stuffed into that box. I am also saying that Clark is a human being too. He should not be convicted just because he has been labeled a “gangbanger”.
I thought it unnecessary to add, and perhaps here is where I lost you, is that if the evidence shows, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Clark did what he is accused of doing, then he should be punished accordingly.
If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!
by Trinidad Jack on Mar 1, 2010 2:08 PM MST up reply actions
Yes, that was unnecessary to add
I very much assumed that to be your (appropriate) opinion. Your repeated "people tend to oversimplify by stuffing issues into need little boxes, which can’t truly reflect complex matters" is a cliché which is itself akin to stuffing an argument into a need little box. Anyway, where I apparently lost you was either when I explained that nobody is so bad all the time that nobody ever likes them or maybe when I suggested that helping those "less fortunate than himself" (one can’t help but wonder who that could possibly be), Clark hasn’t diluted the bad things he has done. Even so, I stated that about as well as I could the first time, so if that wasn’t clear, I doubt this post will make any difference.
Jeeze, warmick.
Kind of a waste of time trying to discuss anything with you, isn’t it.
If this be Hell, let us make the most of it!
by Trinidad Jack on Mar 1, 2010 3:50 PM MST up reply actions
Totally see your perspective John
I would hope you would support who we are. Not, who we are not. Coach Norman Dale "Hoosiers"
by dmitchell624 on Feb 28, 2010 8:25 PM MST up reply actions
None of us can say whether leaving Denver will or will not bring him closure.
What’s more, none of us can say whether Marshall BELIEVES leaving will bring him closure. Everyone reacts to trauma differently.
- Nick
"We got 'em right where we want 'em!" - Keith Bishop, right before John Elway orchestrated The Drive. 'Nuff said.
Warmick!!??
Your statement seems an indication that you have never seen anyone run away from their problems. Simple people do this on a daily basis, while sad, it is a fact of many folks lives. Running is easier than facing the demons.
by WYO(MF)BRONCOBOY on Feb 27, 2010 5:35 PM MST reply actions
While this is true, running "seems" easier than facing the demons, it doesn't always mean that the demons won't follow.
Now, I don’t think that warmick is saying that he hasn’t ever seen someone try and run from their problems. The thing that is important to note is that, oftentimes, when someone does try and run from their problems, it doesn’t work. Demons follow people wherever they go.
In this case, if Brandon does decide to run from his problems, he may mitigate a few of the demons, but it won’t make any of the guilt or pain go away. Sure, it would lessen his thoughts of DWill if he isn’t driving around the city and passing places that remind him of that night. However, when he lay your head down at night in his pitch black room, he will think of DWill the same amount in Denver as he will in New York or Cincinnati or New Orleans or wherever. The room is dark and geographical location has no effect on his guilt, memories or thoughts of that fateful evening.
The only way you would think that running away will completely get rid of your problems is if you haven’t tried to run from your problems before. I am good friends with some people who have tried to run from their problems and the only thing that happened was a change of their mailing address.
In the case of Brandon Marshall, I just hope that (like John said) he finds peace in a Broncos uniform. If he wants to live in Atlanta or Orlando or Nashville or Louisville or wherever during the offseason, that is fine. If he wants to go on the Dr. Phil show or some non-television psychologist and get emotional help, that’s fine, too. I only used Dr. Phil because he is a household name.
Anyways…..if Brandon sees this as the biggest reason to leave Denver, I just hope that he realizes that the pain won’t magically go away just because he leaves the city of Denver.
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
PS3 ID: broncomaniac6
by Troy Hufford on Feb 27, 2010 6:05 PM MST up reply actions
WYO(MF)BRONCOBOY ??
What’s with the “Warmick!!??”? You said it differently and perhaps better but it appears we are in complete agreement.
Nothing will bring him closure but counseling most likely. He has to learn to let go of the guilt
but the fact that this is gang related and that he could still be a target (especially by putting one of their own down) makes me worry about him staying in Denver. I would hate to see any kind of vengeful retribution by Clarks “homies” towards Marshall or any other Bronco who testified for that matter.
Nice post.
Willie has friends, in Denver, probably connections in other cities. Marshall can’t go anywhere incognito. It’s not like the Witness Relocation Program will work with him. Marshall has every right to be scared. I agree with the above posters that say that Marshall will not escape his problems by leaving Denver, but I also agree with those who say that what Marshall BELIEVES will happen is the only thing that matters.
It has already been too quiet this offseason. We’re due for a big shocker. I just hope it’s a GOOD thing.
-Harvey J. Neptune
"Practice doesn't make perfect. PERFECT practice makes perfect." - Vince Lombardi
by HarvJNep2n on Feb 27, 2010 6:15 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Very illuminating... but there is no time
First of all, very engaging and illuminating stuff. Up to your always high standards, Mr. Bena.
Now, as to the 2 possibilities you laid out – there is a little timing issue involved. You say it’s possible that healing will begin and it would reconcile BMarsh with Denver as a place to stay. It sure is a distinct possibility and one I would hope for. But there is no time for that. Free agency begins at the end of next week. By that time a decision should be made: contract signed or a tender given. Healing will not even begin by then. And now what? If BMarsh is to stay in Denver, he would have to go through contract negotiations with this burden still on his heart. So the healing and reconciliation just does not have enough time to run its course.
I hope this can be worked out, because he is an awesome talent and I’d love to see him on his team. And I wish Brandon finds it in himself to overcome this burden and his angst.
Nice post
Situations like this can stay in your head the rest of your life. Marshall hasn’t talked about this at all until his testimony so I am hoping this will be his chance to put some kind of closer on this whole thing. You never really know though and Marshall probably doesn’t either.
He does wear his emotions on his sleeve and since he has never really dealt with this is probably the reason he has channeled that emotion into other things without even realizing it.
Floyd Little: HOF Class of 2010.
2009 NBA Champions L.A Lakers
2009 NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant
Brilliant write up John
Could any of Marshall’s angst towards Denver stem from fear? If so, who could blame him.
Couldn’t have said that better myself.
John Clayton is the head Dean at Fail University (known as F.U. in short)
Formerly known as Calijoefornia
Here's the audio file of Marshall's testimony.
http://extras.denverpost.com/audio/Marshall022610.mp3
If Taylor Swift were to try and tackle me, I'd let her.
PS3 ID: broncomaniac6
John Bena, great article
thanks
I would hope you would support who we are. Not, who we are not. Coach Norman Dale "Hoosiers"
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