South Carolina football and Derrick Moore have been connected for years, despite the pairing being formed recently.
Gamecocks’ new executive director of character and player development is no stranger to the program, as a recruit and in the second phase of his football career.
“South Carolina has been on my way for some time, even in high school, when I was recruited,” Moore told TheBigSpur.com. “I remember receiving my first and only recruiting letter from the South Carolina Power Five. Several years ago, I almost came here when Lou Holtz came here. The circle was completed, really. This opportunity came and I am finally here. It’s as if it’s meant for me to be in South Carolina. ”
Born in Albany, Georgia, Moore graduated in 1992 from Northeastern State University Oklahoma, where he was an All-American runner. He was selected in the eighth round of the 1992 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons and would play six years in the NFL. He had stops at the Detroit Lions, where he played alongside the Hall of Famer Barry Sanders, and was the starter in the opening season of the Carolina Panthers, where he set a record for accelerated expansion.
After his career as a player, Moore has become one of the most sought-after speakers in the country for professional and university sports corporations and teams, notably Georgia Tech for the past 20 seasons.
Success starts with a person’s will. Everything is in your state of mind.
Welcome home, @DMoSpeaks! pic.twitter.com/T7O4C1jZZj
– Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) January 20, 2021
The man behind the message: Moore conveying Beamer’s vision | Get 50% off your annual subscription + CBS All Access for free
In his exclusive interview with TheBigSpur.com, Moore said he left Atlanta and went to Columbia because of the head coach Shane Beamerthe vision and passion of and the emotion of a new challenge in a place that he heard a lot about.
“I have friends who came here and they speak very well about their school,” said Moore. “Some academic programs are the best in the country. Being at the Southeast Conference, where he is big boy football with great sports, is very competitive. South Carolina had its opportunities in some of them. With Coach Beamer, we want a chance to do what we’ve never done. “
“Being at Georgia Tech for two decades was quite an experience and accepting new challenges was something I was looking forward to. Most of that decision fell on Coach Beamer and all the great things we talked about and the leader he is and the vision he has for this program. “