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4/13/09 - An Interview with Corey Moore
You'll Be Seeing
More of Moore
Here's our conversation with Corey Moore
BeamerBall.com
Note: Corey Moore is one of the most decorated players in the history of Virginia
Tech football. He caught the nation's attention with an astounding 31 sacks in
his final two seasons with the Hokies. Following his senior season of 1999, Corey
was named consensus All America, and won the prestigious Bronko Nagurski Award
as college football's defensive player of the year, and also won the Lombardi
Award as college football's lineman of the year.
There have been few, if
any, sightings of Corey Moore in Blacksburg over the last decade. However, he
was in town over the weekend, and wanted to speak with us to clear up a couple
issues. Here's that conversation:
BeamerBall.com: You can just look around
and see that the football office is buzzing with you back in town. People are
pretty excited to see you. Can you fill us in on what you're doing these days?
Corey
Moore: I'm excited to see them as well. I'm still the same old Corey. But, I'm
at a different place in my life. I'm older and more mature. I'm working at Michigan
State. I'm working on my doctorate, as well as working full time. My doctorate
will be in college administration. My focus is on the lack of black males in colleges
across our country. As far as football goes, I keep up with the Hokies. I'm consumed
with it. I'm very proud of Coach Beamer and all the good people at Virginia Tech.
I'm in Big 10 country with the Spartans, but the football doesn't seem as exciting.
To be honest, it can be a bit boring. So, I've been very blessed. I've been helped
along the way by a lot of outstanding people and I'm very grateful. I just try
to let God guide my steps and I've been very fortunate.
BeamerBall.com:
I know that Virginia Tech has tried for some time to get you back on campus for
a football game to honor you and retire your jersey. I know the fans would love
that. Your thoughts?
Corey Moore: We're going to make that happen in the
fall. It's going to happen. I don't know what's going on with some of the things
that people have said or think. Apparently there's a perception that Corey Moore
doesn't care for Virginia Tech, or, doesn't want to be around Virginia Tech. I
have no idea who started that. If that's being passed around, I want you to know
that's not true and that's hurtful. I love Virginia Tech. I can't put it into
words. Just because I'm a private person and really don't talk a lot, doesn't
mean people should make things up. That's just wrong. And, a couple years ago
when we had the shooting on campus, it just broke my heart. I couldn't believe
what I was seeing. I told everybody that they just don't understand. Something
like that doesn't happen in Blacksburg. It just doesn't. Blacksburg isn't that
kind of place. That's the last place you'd expect something of that nature to
occur. I was up for three straight nights. I just couldn't comprehend it all.
It was just so, so sad. And, I was so proud of the way everyone rallied, pulled
together and responded. I had classes in that building. Virginia Tech is a huge
part of my life. So, just because life has me on a path where it isn't all the
convenient to be in Blacksburg often, doesn't mean people can make things up about
me. That's not right and that's not fair.
BeamerBall.com: Did anything
specifically bring you to town for this trip?
Corey Moore: Ha ha ha...my
son. He's been begging me to bring him to Virginia Tech. He's a huge fan of the
Hokies. I promised him we'd come to Blacksburg for his spring break. We got into
town last Wednesday and stayed through the weekend. I didn't tell anybody I was
coming because it's not a big deal. I'm just another alumni, proud of his school,
wanting his son to see where I went to college. When we went over to practice,
it just warmed my heart. Seeing Coach Beamer, John Ballein, the coaches and all
those people who helped me through those college years, it was just great.
BeamerBall.com:
What did you think when you were asked to speak to the players?
Corey Moore:
Well, I can tell you right off that I'm very impressed with the players in the
program. They have some quality kids. You can tell that they're respectful. You
can tell that they have chemistry and that they get along. That's the first thing
I noticed. And, I told them how important that is. I picked up some individual
honors, but that wasn't what was important to me and everybody knows it. What
I cared about was playing with a great group of guys and making friendships that
last through a lifetime. What I cared about was winning Big East Championships
and trying to win a National Championship. To this day, I find myself thinking
about a play here, or an adjustment there, that could have allowed us to win that
National Championship.
That's something that we really wanted to do for
Coach Beamer and we came up short. We were close, but we couldn't get it done.
Ha ha...I'm getting mad right now thinking about it. It's amazing, I'll run into
Tech people or college football fans and the first thing they want to talk about
is that National Championship game. The very first thing. That's been a decade
ago, but it's still important to them. That makes it very special. Even my students.
That really cracks me up. At Michigan State, I'm just Mr. Moore the instructor.
The guy who's working on his doctorate. Then, they Google me and read about my
football days, and it's like I become a different person. It's hilarious. Then,
they totally don't understand why I don't make a big deal about it. It's just
not my style. I do enjoy talking about our 1998 and 1999 seasons. They were a
blast and we were good. I can tell you that we were very good because I know it's
true.
BeamerBall.com: You, without question, are one of the fans all time
favorites. Have you figured out why you connected perfectly with the Hokie Nation?
Corey
Moore: Good question. Well, I've always been an honest person and I am what I
am. Maybe they respected and appreciated that I'm a genuine guy. I also think
they see me as a true Virginia Tech player. By that, I mean, a guy who has to
work his tail off, blue collar, hard nosed, unselfish and relentless. I'd like
to think that's why they care about me because they saw those attributes in me
and the way I played. They saw that I was undersized but I played with a lot of
heart and passion. People relate to those things. They appreciate those things.
BeamerBall.com:
It's been awhile since you've been in town. Did anything jump out at you on this
visit?
Corey Moore: Wow... Lane Stadium is amazing. Listen, I've been to
Ohio State, I'm at Michigan State, I've been to Wisconsin, Illinois, Tennessee,
Arkansas and facilities all across the country...and I can tell you, that stadium,
along with what they're going to do with the new locker room and player's lounge...
it's first class. Just impressive. Everybody should be extremely proud of that
and what Coach Beamer has done with that program. With all of that, and, with
the academic support Tech gives its athletes, and with all the university has
to offer, there's no excuse for a player not to want to come and play at Virginia
Tech. And, once he's there, there's no excuse for him to not get his degree. Research
shows, right now, the difference between earning that degree and not earning one,
is about $1-million in earnings over the course of your professional life. That
number is staggering and these youngsters have to realize the opportunity they
have and they also have to understand exactly how much they're throwing away if
they don't take advantage of the opportunity.
BeamerBall.com: In your mind,
can you picture yourself out at mid-field, with almost 70-thousand fans screaming
for you when they hand you your framed jersey?
Corey Moore: Oh man....
wow.... you just gave me goose bumps. I know it will be emotional for me. Also,
it'll be interesting to see the look on my son's face. He hasn't stopped talking
about Virginia Tech since we left. He told everybody in church everything he did
and saw and he's still talking about it right now in the other room. And, it didn't
help that Coach Foster went on and on about me and what I meant to the program.
That only added fuel to his fire. What he's seen of my days of Virginia Tech has
been in pictures. For him to actually be there, and meet those people, he's blown
away.
BeamerBall.com: Final question, is there anything that you'd like
to say directly to the Virginia Tech fans?
Corey Moore: Let me just remind
those people how much I love Virginia Tech. Furthermore, my ultimate goal is to
one day live in Blacksburg and work at Virginia Tech. It's a great place to live,
work and raise a family. I'll be back in town this fall and I hope to see everybody.
Thanks so much for all of your support through thick and thin because I know that's
what family does. And, Virginia Tech, is definitely my family.
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