With Super Bowl XLVIII taking place in the frigid environment of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, it has drawn a lot of criticism from many fans, players and members of the media, but for Denver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno the location couldn't be any more perfect as it will be a homecoming of sorts for him since he once lived just 45 miles from the stadium when he was a child.
Moreno admitted it will be special to suit up for a Super Bowl meeting with the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday while being so close to his childhood home and also believes that its special he got the chance to be the starting running back for the Broncos after a rough upbringing and some past mistakes.
"Very special," Moreno said Monday before the Broncos' first practice of Super Bowl week, according to ESPN. "Everyone goes through different things. It's how you battle back from that and see the positive in all of the negative. I think I did a good job of that."
ESPN reports that Moreno's parents found themselves incapable of raising their child and he lived with his maternal grandmother in the town of Belford on the Jersey shore. According to the report, Moreno shined in football at an early age and his Middletown South High School team went 36-0 and clinched three state championships between 2003-05.
"That was a good time," Moreno told ESPN on Monday. "Went three years, never losing -- 36-0 and all state championships. Putting all that work in, and then finally at the end of the day, at the end of the season, being rewarded with a trophy, that's what it's all about. You don't remember the hard times in training camp. You don't remember whatever happened throughout the week. You remember that moment."
Moreno used his high school success to carry him to the University of Georgia and eventually to the NFL Draft in 2009 where he was selected 12th overall by the Broncos. It hasn't been smooth sailing since, as Moreno continued to slide down the team's depth chart amid a rough adjustment to the NFL as well as a myriad of fumbles, injuries and problems off the grid iron.
Moreno eventually received a second chance and was able to get the starting running back job after an injury to Willis McGahee and he was able to keep the job through 2013 where he will now go to the Super Bowl in the shadow of where he grew up.
"The thing with Knowshon that he's really improved is his accountability and dependability," Broncos coach John Fox said on Monday per ESPN. "He's been a professional as far as his preparation goes, and he has become one of the more dependable guys as far as assignment detail and those types of things. He's done a tremendous job, and he's maybe one of our most improved players this past season."
Moreno rushed for 1,038 yards on 241 carries this season while reaching the end zone 10 times. He is one victory away from enjoying a Super Bowl championship in his backyard, and he hopes come Sunday the Broncos will seize the moment.
"It would be awesome, especially in your hometown," Moreno said of winning the Super Bowl in New Jersey via ESPN. "My family will be there to enjoy the moment."
Considering his past, it's a moment that perhaps his family thought they'd never get to see.
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