Broncos DT Terrance Knighton Wins Darrent Williams Good Guy Award

It’s the legacy that Denver Sports media want former Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams to have after a promising NFL career was cut short due to a tragic death and a life cut short but lived to the full. Williams, a bright young cornerback who was constantly smiling and a joy to be around, especially for the media. Denver sports media now give out an award called the Darrent Williams Good Guy award to the player that most exemplifies his joy, honesty, and willingness to engage and interact.

This year’s recipient is Broncos team captain Terrance Knighton, who has emerged these last two seasons as not only one of the top run stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL, but also as one of the top football figureheads in all of Denver Sports. As he is affectionately known, ‘Pot Roast’ has become a Denver sports icon and one of the most unique voices on the Denver Broncos. He was honored to win the award for the legacy left by Darrent Williams, both a great player and person, and Knighton truly exemplifies that as well.

“I was just happy to win something for once,” Knighton said with a smile on his face.

Clearly defensive tackles are not the most recognized players on an NFL roster, and unlike guys like Ndamukong Suh who is known for his dirty play, Knighton has been the type of player who has let his play do most of the talking, but he’s not afraid to say what he thinks or feels.

This year, he has been prominent in the news for ‘guaranteeing’ the Broncos will win the Super Bowl and beat the Patriots on the way there. Heck, they did it last year (beating the Patriots), and why would your team captain not have the faith in his own teammates to get the job done that they’ve been called to do all season?

This is part of the reason why Knighton won this award. He is not afraid to vocalize what everyone else is thinking. From domestic abuse issues, to Ferguson, to getting things done on the field and being a role model off of it, Knighton is very much a deserving player of this award — and a new contract by the Broncos.

Denver needs only to get ‘in the ballpark’ for Knighton in order to retain his services, something they will most certainly do. They signed him to a two-year contract in 2013 and he’s coming up on the final stretch of games in that contract. He’s played at a Pro Bowl level, and the Broncos’ depth on the defensive front has allowed him to play in exactly the right situations without him wearing down as the season progresses. He stays in great athletic shape for his size and can absolutely dominate at the line of scrimmage in running situations.

Tom Brady also knows the kind of pass rusher he can be.

Knighton is certainly going to get paid, but you get a bit of the feeling that he has some of what Chris Harris has in him, that he’s willing to take a bit off the price tag in order that the Broncos can afford some of their other star players as well.

Time will tell, but ‘good guys’ usually always do the ‘good guy’ thing. Knighton seems like a pretty good dude, one who has earned the respect of coaches, teammates, and media alike.