LAS VEGAS — Rick Upchurch knows the Las Vegas area as well as he once did his Broncos playbook.

The former Denver star receiver and punt and kickoff returner has lived in Las Vegas the past four years and early this century spent four years in the city. And he will put his knowledge to use heading into Super Bowl LVIII next Sunday at Allegiant Stadium between Kansas City and San Francisco.

Upchurch signed up to be what is called a “Playmaker,” but it has nothing to do with him being a former player. He and his wife Donna will serve as greeters to visitors arriving in Las Vegas for the big game.

The two will be situated downtown on Fremont Street for several hours Thursday and Friday, telling visitors where to go while offering recommendations. To make them recognizable, they will wear issued red hats that read “Team LVIII” and don purple jerseys adorned with a big No. 58. On the front, the jerseys will read “Team LVIII” and the back “Playmaker.”

Upchurch will wear a name tag, but there will be no reference to him having played for the Broncos from 1975-83, including a huge performance in Super Bowl XII in January 1978. As far as Upchurch knows, out of several thousand volunteers who will be working the streets in the city as greeters, he is the only one to have played in the NFL.

“I’ll be just a regular guy,’’ Upchurch said. “I’ll be a regular guy talking with (visitors). I just want to make sure that people have a great experience here in Las Vegas. It doesn’t matter if I’ve been a player or am just a common person.”

Upchurch said he and his wife signed up to be volunteers because of their desire to help the community. They also do that as members of the Rotary Club. And Upchurch, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2011 and remains on chemotherapy, has been active in supporting cancer causes.

So where might Upchurch be sending Vegas visitors?

“The Fashion Show mall is beautiful,’’ he said. “It’s right down on The Strip. And Fremont Street, that’s where everything is happening. You’ve got the bars and eating establishments and the entertainment. I’ll send them out to Lake Las Vegas. That’s where the players will be staying and maybe they can get some autographs. Then there’s Caesars and the MGM Grand and all the casinos.

“There’s Hoover Dam. Just take Boulder Highway, and you can get some great pictures out there. There’s The Mob Museum. You can have a great time there. There’s ‘Circus, Circus,’ which is great for kids.”

Upchurch also will be willing to share some secrets.

“I know where you can get the best burgers and the best pizza,’’ he said.

Upchurch, 71, said he won’t mention to visitors he once played in the NFL. If someone recognizes him, he will gladly talk about his playing career. And there would be plenty to discuss.

Upchurch was inducted into the Broncos Ring of Fame in 2014 after a career that included him being named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1970s as a returner and to the second team for the 1980s. The four-time Pro Bowl selection averaged 24.8 yards in his career on kickoff returns on 12.1 yards on punt returns. He three times led the NFL in punt-return average and his eight career returns for touchdowns remains tied for fourth in league history.

“He was something, man,’’ said Barney Chavous, a Broncos defensive lineman from 1973-85. “If you kicked him the ball, you better watch out because he could bring it all the way back.”

Upchurch also was adept as a receiver, having 267 career catches for 4,369 yards. His best season was 1979, when he had 64 grabs for 937 yards.

It was as a returner that Upchurch made his mark in Super Bowl XII. The Broncos lost 27-10 to Dallas, but Upchurch returned three kickoffs for 94 yards, including a 67-yard runback in the third quarter that was a Super Bowl record at the time.

“They knew what I was capable of, like with that 67-yard kickoff return,’’ Upchurch said of making his mark on the Cowboys despite the loss.

That was Upchurch’s only Super Bowl as a player. He did sit in the stands for Washington’s 27-17 win over Miami in Super Bowl XVII in January 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

Upchurch won’t attend Super Bowl LVIII, preferring to watch from home with family members. Then he will head back to the many duties that keep him busy.

Upchurch works in the precious metals industry. He advises potential clients about the benefits of investing in gold.

Upchurch is one of three co-hosts on “The Roundtable,’’ a show on video that airs each Thursday from 5-6 p.m. MST on Facebook. On it, Upchurch and local personalities George Miklos and Aaron Phillips discuss topics in the news.

“We talk about multiple things,’’ Upchurch said. “We talk about everything from mental health to education to sports. We talk about a variety of things and we bring in experts to talk about those things.”

Upchurch said overall he is doing well after he was “going downhill really fast” in 2011 before he got the needed treatment following his cancer diagnosis. He continues to undergo chemotherapy, a process that includes taking three pills a day.

“I don’t worry about it,’’ Upchurch said of his health. “Football prepared me for this. Tough guy. I’m good. I’ve had more injuries than you can count (playing football). So I can work though it. And I’ve been blessed with Donna with me as a caretaker.”

Rick and Donna have known each other for 40 years, and will celebrate their 28th wedding anniversary in April.

“He has to do the chemo every day and he has good days and bad days,’’ she said. “He’s got a great positive attitude and that’s what keeps him with us. He takes care of himself well. He exercises and tries to eat right. They don’t want to cut him back or take him off (the chemotherapy) because if it gets out of control they might not be able to get him back under control.

“Every day is different. Some days, he feels really crappy. I can look at him and tell. But he doesn’t complain much at all. He’s fighting through it and you wouldn’t even know it.”

Chavous, who lives in Aiken, S.C., has kept in contact with Upchurch over the years and admires how he has handled his health situation.

“We were concerned,’’ Chavous said. “But (Donna) has really made a difference in Rick’s life. They’re good people.”

Knowing Upchurch’s upbeat personality, Chavous said it’s “great” that he will be greeting visitors in Las Vegas along with his wife.

“We’re going to make sure that people are taken care of,’’ Upchurch said. “Our job is to make sure people have the best experience they can possibly have with the Super Bowl here. And we’re going to have fun with it, and hopefully make a lot of friends and meet a lot of people.”