ENGLEWOOD , Colo. — “Pot Roast’’ is ready to be served.
Allow us to introduce you to the man who figures to be a star of the Broncos’ Super Bowl road show next week: Terrance Knighton, Denver’s meaty (6-foot-3, 330-pound) defensive tackle, is a character with a contagious personality and he’s ready for his close-up, America.
Every year, each Super Bowl team has a player or two who becomes the media darling for the week. Years ago, when the Broncos were last in the Super Bowl, that player was Shannon Sharpe, who was that team’s resident gasbag.
You would have to have been in Siberia for the last week to not know which Seahawks player will be drawing the largest crowds around his podium or table during interview sessions: Hello, Richard Sherman.
Knighton, from Hartford, Conn., is most likely that player for the Broncos, but for different reasons than Sherman. He is not the chest-thumping, look-at-me guy the Seahawks cornerback is, nor is he a trash talker. He simply is the most engaging personality in the Broncos’ locker room, and he also happens to be a terrific player with a great back story, having played his first four years on losing teams in Jacksonville after being drafted in the third round out of Temple.
First, the nickname.
“It came from one of my teammates, my rookie year, named Clint Ingram,’’ Knighton said. “I ordered pot roast on the flight, and it was dark on the plane, so the lady was walking down the aisle saying, ‘Pot roast? Pot roast?’ So I raised my hand, and my teammate said, ‘You raised your hand like that’s your name, so I’m going to call you that from now on.’ ’’
The nickname stuck — like pot roast drippings to the pan — when he joined the Broncos this season.
“I can’t get rid of it,’’ Knighton said. “I guess it just fits me.’’
Knighton is more than a funny guy with a goofy nickname, though. Ask Patriots guard Logan Mankins, whom he bull-rushed to sack Tom Brady on a fourth-down play that preserved the Broncos’ AFC Championship game win last week.
“Everybody waits for their moment … and that was my moment,’’ Knighton said. “I was ready for it. I had been thinking about what sack dance to do if I got one, what to do on TV, stuff like that. But when it came down to it, the adrenaline was pumping and I didn’t know what to do but scream.”
Knighton will be the centerpiece of the Broncos’ defensive effort to stop Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch, which will be the key to the game for Denver.
“‘Pot Roast?’ ’’ Broncos safety Mike Adams said when asked about his teammate. “He’s got a lot of personality, I’ll tell you that much. When he came in, him and ‘Vick’ [defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson], they were monsters together. I thought they were just beasts in there. Then when ‘Vick’ got injured [hip], I thought [Knighton] stepped his game up to a whole other level.
“He took the D-Line by storm and said, ‘You know what? I’ve got this.’ At times in the game, he’ll say, ‘Mike, come here. Don’t worry about nothing. Don’t worry about the run. Just stay back, take care of the pass and I’ll take care of the run.’ ”
Broncos guard Louis Vasquez recalled playing against Knighton before he came to Denver and said: “For a big guy he can move really well, so it’s like a double edged sword: Do you get ready for the power or the finesse type game? He ties them both in together really well.’’
Vasquez predicted Knighton is likely to entertain his interviewers next week, saying: “He’s not really outspoken much, but he is a character. He’s a fan favorite here and I would imagine that will spread to other parts of the country as people get to know who he is.’’
Adams playfully noted that a certain ESPN football anchor needs to brush up on Knighton’s proper nickname before Super Bowl Sunday.
“Chris Berman was confused the other day, calling him, ‘Pot Roast, Pork Chop, Meatloaf,’ ’’ Adams joked.
By next week, America will know who “Pot Roast’’ is, and so, too, will the Seahawks.