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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- **The surveillance video of Ray Rice striking his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City, N.J. elevator led to his release from the Ravens, an indefinite suspension from the league and provoked a visceral reaction in millions.
But few were more outspoken than defensive tackle Terrance Knighton. Upon seeing the video, the Broncos captain who immediately tweeted:
That man should be thrown out the the nfl and thrown into jail. Shame on those deciding his punishment. Smh — Terrance Knighton (@MrKnighton2u) September 8, 2014
"A lot of guys probably have opinions about it that are similar to mine," Knighton said a few hours later. "That just came from the heart, really.
"Whether I was a football player or not, I spoke my mind, and a lot of guys don't speak their minds, just because of the consequences and they're worried about what people think. I'm one of those guys (for whom) regardless of what it is, I'm going to speak my mind, and I felt strongly about the situation, and domestic violence overall."
The situation is personal for Knighton because of the leadership role he has in his family and the example he wants to set.
"I'm the oldest of four boys; I've got three younger brothers," Knighton said. "I'm a role model for them, also. I don't think (domestic violence) is acceptable in any workplace, any job you have, anywhere you live, wherever you are, what color you are, how much money you make. That shouldn't be accepted anywhere."
Knighton said he did not want to speak out regarding the Rice matter this summer, when the running back was suspended for two games, because he "didn't know the details."
"Now that the video is out, I think the league handled it the right way," he said of the indefinite suspension issued to Rice. "There's no place in the world for domestic violence, especially when you're in the business that we're in, and you're role models, and little kids look up to you and things like that."
Broncos Head Coach John Fox made it clear to his players that domestic violence would not be tolerated.
"He not only told us the penalties of it, but he explained that it's unacceptable. That's not something that we condone in this locker room, that you shouldn't condone at home, in the workplace, or in the real world," Knighton said. "I think the message got through to guys -- even to guys that already knew."
"My personal thing is there's no place for it in our league or really in our society," said Fox. "We addressed it with our team. The league has obviously pushed out information in that area to the players as far as the penalties and repercussions of any charge in that area.
"It's something I think our guys understand. I'm not worried. They've done a good job to date and will hopefully do a good job moving forward."
