The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536962
102 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2025 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY JOHN BORTON M ichigan fans' last on-field sighting of safety Rod Moore occurred when he jubilantly j o i n e d t h e c e l e b ra t i o n o f Wolverines exulting over a national championship. There hasn't been much celebration since. There's been injury, determined re- habilitation after knee surgery, a sobering setback, more surgery, and a gritty resolve to make it back full force. Moore, a gradu- ate student, still plans to celebrate once again — when he's back. In early June, Moore found himself pre- dicting the light at the end of a long tun- nel, in an exclusive interview with The Wolverine. He's planning to pull on the winged helmet with malicious intent come August. "Right now, I'm still recovering," he of- fered. "I'd say I'm about a month, month and a half away from being fully healthy. I'll be healthy before the season. It was just a lot of things going on with my knee." That torrent of adversity began in March 2024, when he tore not only his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, but also the meniscus on both sides of the knee during spring drills. He remembers the moment his hopes for last season all came apart. "We were doing some special teams stuff," he recalled. "I was out at gunner, and I was just sprinting down. I was trying to slow down, on the dot. That first step, my leg just kind of buckled backwards. It didn't feel right. I thought, hold on, what is this? I'd never felt an injury like this. I felt it then and said, 'This doesn't feel right.' I was kind of yelling, but it didn't hurt. It just didn't feel right. "So, I tried to get up and walk and it was just wobbly. I went into the training room and at first I just thought I hyperextended my knee. But then it started swelling up. Moore was a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023 after notching 38 tackles, 5 pass breakups and 2 interceptions, in- cluding one that clinched that year's win versus Ohio State. He served as a team captain in 2024 despite missing the season with an injured knee. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN MOORE TO CONQUER Veteran Safety Rod Moore Is Looking For A Fantastic Finish