The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/846301
90 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 explained. "Tremendous heart, just a su- per, super young man, and a guy that is so committed to the cause and has so much passion for the game." The roots of Moore's maturity may stem from a sixth grade conversation with his fa- ther over Moore's incessant desire to have a cell phone like his friends. His father said no. "I cried, and I looked back at why did I cry," Moore remembered. "He told me to go where I want to go, you have to have sacrifices. You have to be willing to work for that, and the cell phone is going to be a distraction. I look back it now and realize he was right." Even as Moore, who is tied for the most games played (39) on the team, prepares for his last season of football and advance- ment towards his degree in social work, Moore continues to strive to make himself a better person. To that end, he often reads in his free time, leaning on strength coach Dantonio "Thunder" Burnette for advice on leader- ship books, like the 1936 classic How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie. This past spring, Moore joined a group of NC State players, led by junior punter A.J. Cole, in taking a missionary trip to Nakuru, Kenya, where the players met with children at Mountain Park Academy. Moore was particularly impressed with a sixth-grade girl who, when the teacher had to step out of class for a moment, took over the science lecture. "When I was in sixth grade, I was crying over a cell phone, and they are over here teaching a class," Moore said. "It's a dif- ferent level of maturity. I've definitely got to go back." Lately, Moore has taken up public speak- ing, pushing his comfort zone even further. "People need to learn how to speak in front of large groups," he said. "You can make a lot of money doing that because people don't like to do it." This past December, Moore returned to the place he was born: Shreveport, La. He remembers very little about it, but still thought it was cool to be playing the bowl game there. His mother went to see their old house. Where Moore will end up after this fall remains to be seen. He does hope to regain his title as the leading tackler on the team, but he will not limit himself to striving for his best on the field. "I need to push myself outside my com- fort zone," he said. "I can go to school and play football, but what am I doing outside of that? I need to push myself to be great in something else other than sports." ■ "I need to push myself outside my comfort zone. I can go to school and play football, but what am I doing outside of that? I need to push myself to be great in something else other than sports." ■ Moore In his first three years on campus, Moore has logged 200 stops with 25 coming behind the line of scrimmage. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN