Call him Coach Roast.
Terrance Knighton, the 6-foot-3, 355-pound defensive tackle better known as “Pot Roast,” that he will retire from the NFL to pursue a career in coaching.
Knighton spent two of his eight pro seasons with the Broncos (2013-14) following four seasons with the Jaguars. When Jack Del Rio left Jacksonville for Denver to be the Broncos’ defensive coordinator, Knighton followed as a free agent and anchored the line in Del Rio’s 4-3 system.
In two years in Denver, Knighton recorded 61 total tackles (25 solo) and five sacks, helped Denver to a pair of AFC West titles and a XLVIII appearance.
The ensuing offseason, Broncos general manager spent big to improve the defense, welcoming pass-rusher , safety and cornerback .
Ware’s arrival was one he couldn’t forget.
“When I first got here, Pot Roast, he was like, ‘D-Ware, you gotta have No. 94,'” Ware recalled in a recent interview with The Denver Post. “I’m going to give you No. 94.’”
A year prior, Knighton helped convince linebacker that signing with the Broncos’ practice squad after he was released from the Jaguars would be a move he wouldn’t regret.
“I remember I was at dinner with some of the guys that had made the team, and that’s when my agent called me like, ‘Look man, they want you on the practice squad and you’ve got to choose between Denver, Oakland and Jacksonville. You’ve got 10 minutes,'” Marshall recalled in . “I called T-Knight real quick, ‘Pot Roast, I’m like, Yo, what’s y’all situation like? They want me on the practice squad, what should I do?’ And he’s like, ‘Man, you come here, you work hard, you’ll be fine, I promise you.'”
“I’m like OK, didn’t make me any promises. … So, I called my agent back up and I said, ‘Hey, man. I’m going to Denver.'”
Although Knighton wasn’t ready to leave Denver, his time expired when his contract did in 2015. Del Rio left for the head-coaching job in Oakland, and Knighton , reuniting him with longtime friend Chris Baker.
Knighton was picked up by the Patriots in 2016, but released before the start of the regular season.
His next stop in football is to-be-determined, but after years of anchoring the defensive line, the plan is to move to the sidelines.
