I'll never forget Jan. 1, 2007 the same way I'm sure every member of the Washington Redskins organization will remember today.
Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams was shot and killed in downtown Denver in the early hours of New Years Day.
Redskins safety Sean Taylor passed away early this morning as a result of a gun shot wound to his leg. Both deaths were the culmination of senseless crimes and both will forever rattle two proud NFL franchises to the core.
The day Darrent died I was a member of the Broncos' publications team.
I got word from the morning news, just as I learned of Taylor's death around 6:15 this morning.
My reaction to Darrent's death? A mixture of one-syllable questions.
What? Why? Who? How?
My reaction to Taylor's passing? An unusual statement for someone who never met the Pro Bowler.
Not again.
Not again for family, friends and children of a man that touched lives, fame or not.
Not again to a fan base of a player that made football seem easy and thrilling.
Not again to a team charged with picking up the pieces and moving on in the face of unspeakable tragedy.
Not again for a league that has worked so hard to curb off-the-field violence.
Not... again.
Of course, my day today was quite different than the one I experienced on Jan. 1. In the face of Darrent's death I -- for lack of a better phrase -- went to work. I got doughnuts and orange juice for the web team on my way to the office and I helped peel away the layers of memories and create a tribute page on DenverBroncos.com.
I don't know anyone who works for the Redskins' organization personally, but I see they are hard at work pulling together all the great moments of Taylor's short, yet stellar, career.
I encourage every Falcons fan to show support in any way they can for Washington over the next few weeks, even if it's simply visiting the web site to learn a little more about what Taylor meant to the organization and the world.
You may be asking how well team staffers like myself really know players in the locker room. The answer, in most cases, is not very well.
Most people can't classify their relationship with players as "friend." I say this because I could simply call Darrent -- and later Damien Nash -- as "colleagues." But I still sat at Williams' funeral feeling like a man who just lost a brother.
You can't work every day around someone without picking up a little about their personality. A little about what makes them happy.
Darrent loved children. He did fantastic work in the community at the Denver Broncos Boys and Girls Club, which now has a new wing named in his honor. He had an infectious smile and great ability as a leader.
I miss that to this day.
The Redskins organization has tough times ahead.
We were in uncharted waters in Denver. No one knew what to do in the face of a current players' murder (I imagine many in Denver continue to struggle with next steps).
Members of the Redskins' team have already mobilized in honoring Taylor's memory. That's step one. After that, the whole process becomes very personal.
Fans will leave their own tributes around the office and stadium.
Police will continue an investigation.
Team executives will talk about lasting tributes (Denver created a memorial fund for Darrent's two children and created community programs to stop gang violence among other initiatives too numerous to list).
Today is just another day to millions of people in this world. Tomorrow will be eerily similar.
But history has a funny way of getting personal.
Sean Taylor will never leave the memories of those who love him. For those people, this day will freeze in time.
Rest in peace No. 21.
Cooper, who is originally from Westerville, Ohio (my wife's hometown), caught two passes and recorded one touchdown in the preseason.
Her name is Kelli Moore and -- 
Then I sat down to read the