New Joe Moore Award to honor top college offensive line

A new college football award will be given to the nation's best offensive line and honor the memory of Joe Moore, who coached 52 players who went on to the NFL during his time at Pittsburgh, Temple and Notre Dame.

The Joe Moore Award for the Most Outstanding Offensive Line Unit will be presented at the end of December and voted on only by those who have coached or played offensive line. The voting panel will include the 128 FBS offensive line coaches, former colleagues and friends of Moore and select media members who have played offensive line.

Moore coached All-America linemen such as Bill Fralic, Mark May and Jimbo Covert during his time at Pittsburgh (1977-85) and Andy Heck and Aaron Taylor at Notre Dame (1988-96).

Moore died in 2003 of lung cancer at 71.

The award was the brainchild of Taylor, who now works as a college football analyst for CBS Sports, spawned from a conversation he had several years ago with Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

''Coach Moore was a man of principle, and the principles he embodied helped us become the best versions of ourselves,'' said Taylor, the 1993 Lombardi Award winner and chairman of the Moore Award voting committee. ''His focus on toughness, team work and hard work helped us become better football players, and made us better men. The Joe Moore Award is an appropriate symbol of that legacy.''

Finalists for the award will be announced Nov. 30.