Big and Fast Tight End Poses a Threat to an Intimidating Secondary Broncos tight end Julius Thomas, a former college basketball player, at media day. NEWARK - To find the end zone against a hard-hitting Seattle secondary known as the Legion of Boom, the Denver Broncos may have to rely on a player some call Mr. Red Zone. The name sounds like a comic book character, but Sunday in Super Bowl XLVIII, the performance of Julius Thomas, the Broncos" tight end, will go a long way in determining how well Denver's offense fares against the N.F.L."s No. 1 defense. The origin of Mr. Red Zone is as amazing as it is strangely familiar. When the career of a smallish college basketball power forward ends, he decides to play football in the N.F.L. and becomes a star - almost instantly - at the game's highest level. However far-fetched that may sound, for Thomas, it was premeditated. At Portland State, where he twice played in the N.C.A.A. tournament, Thomas would tell people that he planned to use his final year of eligibility to break into the football world. "It seems kind of odd to say my goal was to become a professional football player in one year, but some guys had done it before me and had some success," Thomas said on media day at the Prudential Center. Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, guys that have made great careers and are tremendous athletes definitely paved the way for me. Broncos tight end Julius Thomas in the A.F.C. title game. Thomas played well in his lone season for the Portland State football team, catching 29 passes for 453 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those statistics drew the attention of the Broncos, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2011. His first two seasons were marred by injuries, but this season, finally healthy, Thomas had 65 catches for 788 yards and 12 touchdowns in 14 games. When asked to explain what made the transition between basketball and football so easy, Thomas was blunt. "I think the biggest part is being 6-5, 250, and being able to run a little bit," Thomas said. That's probably the thing that helps you out on the field the most. That theory will be tested against a ferocious Seattle secondary, which not only led the N.F.L. in scoring but also suffocated star tight ends. In one regular-season game and one playoff game for the New Orleans Saints, Graham managed only four catches for 48 yards. Vernon Davis of the San Francisco 49ers faced Seattle three times - twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs - and had just seven catches for 57 yards. One of the big reasons for that success is the play of Kam Chancellor, Seattle's strong safety. Richard Sherman has been the most vociferous talker of the secondary, but Chancellor is the Legion of Boom's enforcer. At 6 feet 3 inches and 230 pounds, Chancellor is enormous for a safety and has his nickname "Bam Bam" tattooed on both shoulders to remind him of what he does for a living. He considers the team's success against Graham and others - tight ends combined for just five touchdowns against Seattle during the regular season - to be a product of style as much as technique. "It's nothing special we do," Chancellor said. It's just playing ball. At the end of the day, football is just running and hitting. Knowing whom to hit will be the problem against a Denver offense, orchestrated by Peyton Manning, that has plenty of options. Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker have taken turns being the team's receiving star, and each has credited Julius Thomas with drawing a great deal of attention in the middle of the field even when he is not targeted by Manning. "I think he helped a lot," Demaryius Thomas said. He's a big target, he's capable of running with the ball, getting open, and he's a tight end that can run faster than what people really think. That opens up the field for everybody else. Thomas had his share of big plays this season, but it is in the red zone where he seemingly becomes Manning's favorite target. Even against a ball-hawking Seattle defense, Thomas is a matchup nightmare. He is too big to be covered by a cornerback and too fast to be covered by a linebacker. Chancellor and Earl Thomas, the free safety, are two of the best in the game, but Thomas will present an ominous challenge. Unaware of the nickname Mr. Red Zone, a humble Thomas acknowledged that a great measure of his success was a result of his versatile, dangerous teammates. However, in a war of attrition against arguably the most physical, aggressive defense in the N.F.L., Thomas said he would be more than willing to level the boom right back at Seattle's secondary. "Absolutely," Thomas said. This is going to be a physical game.