Derek, who was from Marshalltown, died Monday in a rollover accident on his way to work.

Derek was a 2008 MHS graduate. He was a football and track star, breaking numerous school records in his time as a Bobcat. During one playoff game in Newton, he had a 99-yard touchdown. And that wasn’t his only touchdown with more than 90 yards.

As a long jumper, he jumped 21 feet and 10.5 inches at the 2008 Iowa Track & Field Co-Ed State Championships and netted the school’s first long jump title in 91 years.

He was naturally talented and athletic, Lori said.

T-R FILE PHOTO - Derek Williams, No. 34, catches the ball for the Bobcats during a game against Newton in Oct. 2008.

“He could just turn around and catch the ball,” she said.

Tyler Peschong, who was the quarterback for the team then, said Derek made football look easy.

“I tell people all the time that I got to play football with the biggest mismatch in the state of Iowa growing up,” Peschong said in a Facebook post. “I remember so many times looking over and almost feeling sorry for the defender trying to man him up. There wasn’t a cornerback in the state of Iowa that could run with him. He made playing football look easier than any teammate that I played with.

“The craziest thing about him is that as easy as he made football look, he made being a great person look even easier.”

More than 100 people have written messages and comments about him since the news of his death. Lori said Derek fit in with anyone — he had friends in all different groups. He never made anyone feel down or left out, she said, and he always tried boosting people up. One time, one of his elementary teachers told her that while she was telling a story to the class, Derek stood up and shouted “you go girl” to encourage her.

Derek loved spending time with friends, reading, skateboarding and snowboarding during the winter. He was set to teach his girlfriend, Tavia Legg, how to snowboard this summer.

Legg said he would help anyone if they needed something. He let people stay over if they needed a place, allowed people to borrow his car when their car was broken and helped his mom with everything around the house. Legg said Wednesday marks the two-year anniversary of their first date.

“He would want everyone to remember happiness and do good and do the right thing,” Lori said. “He would want people to lead good, honorable lives.”

A visitation will be held 10 a.m. to noon Saturday with a service following at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1011 S. Third Ave, Marshalltown. Mitchell Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

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Contact Emily Barske at (641) 753-6611 or ebarske@timesrepublican.com