Two Broncos Show True Character Amidst Ray Rice Scandal

Terrance Knighton & Chris Harris use Twitter to call out NFL & former Ravens running back

January 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) is brought down on fourth and two by Denver Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton (94) in the second half of the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Far too often our society is quick to praise anything and anyone for anything and everything.

Actions are celebrated.

Words are heralded.

As with the boy who cries wolf, it ruins the moments when we should praise, celebrate and herald the things and people who deserve it. We brush them off and don’t pay attention because we have become numb. We’re skeptical. We don’t listen. We just don’t care.

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There are two Denver Broncos we need to praise, celebrate and herald. Both rose to the occasion to speak from the heart and with conviction. They didn’t toe the company line. They didn’t care if their employer had a problem with it. They didn’t care if consequences resulted in what they said.

Sometimes you just need to speak the truth.

Those two men are Broncos defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and cornerback Chris Harris.

They watched the disturbing and disgusting video released by TMZ Sports of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking his then-fiance unconscious. It’s one of the most sickening things to watch.

Knighton had enough.

Whether Knighton had an influence on what happened – Rice was released by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely shortly after noon MDT – he spoke from the heart. Knighton said what needed to be said.

Want to know what makes a great leader?

A great man?

Knighton and what he did.

It’s not just about what a guy does on the field. It’s not about the speeches he delivers or the dance moves when he’s introduced. It’s about what he does when the situation calls for action.

Does the person cower or step up?

I can’t get in the mind of Knighton when he watched that video or when he sent those Tweets.

But I know how I felt. It was similar to you. It was similar to his teammates. It was similar to anyone who watched it.

If you are a teammate of Knighton, your respect for him went up after that. You know he not only says it, he backs it up.

If you’re a fan of the Broncos, he’s now in rarefied air.

Harris is there with him.

Like Knighton, Harris couldn’t let the situation pass without saying what we all know is true. He needed to speak up for the women in his life. He needed to support the women in his life.

That may not have been the rationale for the action but it’s a result, and it speaks volumes to the character of both men.

It’s unfortunate we need two men to say there is no place for domestic violence in our society, but let’s be thankful and grateful we have at least two who will. What we need is to have more people with this kind of gumption in places of power and control, who will act and say it when it’s not just to save face. If there were, this situation would not have steamed out of control like it did and turned into this nightmare.

Take a cue from Knighton and Harris.

Don’t let the situation get the best of you. There’s never a bad time to speak the truth and say it with conviction. Speak from the heart and you will get far more respect than keeping it to yourself.

But more than that, you’ll feel better because you know you were in the right.

In a society so quick to praise anything and anyone for anything and everything, it feels good to dole it out two men who deserve it.

Knighton and Harris are men Broncos Country are proud to have in the orange and blue and represent Denver, Colorado and the region.

Sep 7, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) is tackled by Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris (25) during the first half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports