Keith Kunzig, better known as “Big Nasty,” was Tampa Bay’s ultimate fan for 35 years. He was also good friends with Denver’s “Barrel Man,” another Pro Football Hall of Famer. Kunzig spoke with The Denver Gazette to preview the Broncos’ game with his beloved Bucs:

The Denver Gazette: Big Nasty, tell us about your relationship with Barrel Man.

Keith Kunzig: “I still miss my boy. I miss Barrel Man (Tim McKernan, who died in 2009). God rest his soul. When I was younger — now I’m the old guy and he was the old guy — we were pretty close. He was like a father figure to me. He would tell me, ‘Always keep your family aligned. This stuff takes away from your family.’ He taught me to be involved with the community. That’s the No. 1 priority of us guys who were the so-called ‘face of the franchise’ as ultimate fans. That’s the duty of the Hall of Fame fan as opposed to the drunken idiot on camera. We’re about the community. I loved that man. I miss him.”

DG: How did you meet Barrel Man?

Kunzig: “I still remember when he brought his little semi rig up to Canton (Ohio, home of the Pro Football Hall Fame, where both are enshrined). We sat in the air conditioning. This is way back when they had wooden chairs out in front of the entrance of the Hall. Now it’s like Disney World there. He told me: ‘Keep yourself grounded with this stuff. It ain’t paying your bills.’ And he said your memory will go on forever. I just thought the world of him and Becky, his wife. She’s such a sweetheart. We still keep in touch from time to time.”

DG: How about a good Barrel Man story?

Kunzig: “Oh, he was a normal Joe with a huge heart. Here’s one: I’ve been to Denver one time. I wasn’t expecting anything special. I’m just ‘Big Nasty,’ a mix between Gene Simmons and ‘Psycho Clown.’ Barrel Man was a very humble man. So I go out to Denver and we stayed with a city commissioner. We get in a jacuzzi and we’re having a glass of wine and it was like, ‘Holy crap! This altitude is for real!’ That was a reality check.

“But when I got to the parking lot at the (Broncos-Bucs) game, I couldn’t believe it. The Denver Marching Band is right there waiting for us. I felt like I was the president. They’re going to Barrel Man’s tailgate and leading the way for us. What hospitality! Then the tailgate was second-to-none. What a great time. The Broncos beat the Bucs. But I can’t say enough about Denver. And it was all because of Barrel Man.”

DG: How does one become an ultimate fan?

Kunzig: “Well, (Tampa radio station) WDAE, the Sports Animal, had a local mascot back then (36 years ago). We had one that looked like an orange Yosemite Sam. He had more of an impact on me becoming what I became than anything. I was 8 years old and I watched him the entire time instead of watching the game. And it grew into something special (until Big Nasty’s retirement in 2023).”

DG: What’s the job description of an ultimate fan?

Kunzig: “What I’m most proud of is the community involvement. Barrel Man would have told you the same thing. We started a ‘Drugs are Nasty’ program here. We went to elementary schools, middle, high schools. We hit all the schools. We started in a PE class in an elementary school with 15 kids. Then it gets bigger and you had 3,000 kids in an auditorium. If you save one child from steering clear of drugs, we won. And I would have done it for free. It was just like Barrel Man did with me. It’s not about getting drunk on TV. It’s about the community.”

DG: That cannon on Tampa’s pirate ship scared the heck out of me.

Kunzig: “Funny, that actually happened to my wife. They shot the cannon and my wife jumped. I said what the heck are you jumping for? How long have we been coming here? I think the coolest moments are when the commentators on TV are not expecting it. But we have a great environment for a game. You guys are going to love it.”

DG: You’re the person to ask. How should a Broncos fan spend a gameday in Tampa?

Kunzig: “I’ll give you the skinny. The first thing is you go to the Columbia (Restaurant). It’s Tampa’s swaggy restaurant but not too expensive. Then you go to to Tailgreeter (the website) and visit the Leatherhead Tailgate (outside Raymond James Stadium). They’ll have stogies, a golf simulator, air-conditioned bathrooms, the works. And air-conditioned bathrooms are key here. It’s very fan-friendly; that’s the best part. It’s very first-class. It’s the best tailgate. It’s all about having fun, but family-friendly fun.

“Like Barrel Man, it takes Big Nasty an hour to get into the game. Everybody wants to meet you. Now that I’m retired I just go with my family and have a relaxed, fun time.”

DG: All those years at Bucs games, were you buds with (Colorado Buffaloes assistant coach) Warren Sapp?

Kunzig: “Oh, Warren is a close friend of mine. Take care of Warren for me. Warren is the biggest-hearted individual you’ll ever meet in your life. God bless Deion (Sanders) for making sure Warren got his degree so he can get hired at CU. And that’s his passion, those kids. He’s going to change them. It will take time, but he will change them. He’s all truth. Short story on Warren: the first time I met him, he had his sunglasses on and he’s signing autographs. My wife ran over to him. She wanted to meet him.

“Then I said, ‘The Big Nasty meets the Real Big Nasty!’ He goes, ‘Excuse me’? Can’t you see I’m talking to this nice young lady.’ I said, ‘Dog, I know you aren’t trying to pick up my wife!’ And the media goes nuts taking pictures.

“To this day we have a great bond. I was just with him on the Buc Cruise with his mom. It’s all Bucs fans and all they want to do is meet Warren Sapp. He was the heartbeat, the swag, everything for our defense. He got me to tears. You guys are blessed to have Warren Sapp at Colorado. That guy’s something special.”

DG: How do Bucs fans feel about (quarterback) Baker Mayfield?

Kunzig: “Oh, we love Baker. He’s an underdog story. It’s not easy to follow a legend like Tom Brady. But he’s done it. And nobody believed in Baker — nobody. Now, everybody talks about the players. And we have good players. But it’s all about general manager Jason Licht and his front office. That whole front office is amazing. He’s an icon here. He’s hit in every draft. He knows how to find gems. But you know what? It’s all under-the-radar. Nobody gives us any attention nationally. The national media needs to wake up after we beat Detroit (in Week 2). But then Detroit’s ahead of us in the power rankings? What the heck? It’s OK. We know what we have.”

DG: What’s your prediction for Sunday?

Kunzig: “I’ll go 21-7, Bucs. I’m just saying that because it’s hot as hell here. (Laughs). The other day it was 112 (degrees) on the field. I’m on the front row. The concrete in front of us was steaming, and it wasn’t raining. You pray it doesn’t rain. Then it’s a steam bath.”