David Moorman Takes Wisconsin Pedigree Beyond the Game in Next Journey

List of those at Pro Day, plus a chat with a Badger who's on to the next stage of his life.

Author:
Jake Kocorowski
Publish date:
Mar 11, 2020 7:01 AM EDT

NFL scouts and personnel will make their way to Madison this week as Wisconsin holds its 2020 Pro Day inside the McClain Center on Wednesday.

Perhaps one name some thought would be participating in the various drills and on-field work that accompanies this annual event was offensive lineman David Moorman. The Northville, Mich., native played in 55 games during his UW career, and in 2019, he emerged as a versatile player who started over half of the games in his final year as a Badger.

Now back in the Wolverine State, however, he tackles a new set of goals -- with one drawing from the inspiration of a former Badger lineman.

"I'm trying to lose weight. I was trying to get on the 'Joe Thomas plan,'" Moorman told AllBadgers.com on Monday evening. "I'm doing okay so far. I played in the Rose Bowl probably around 307 pounds, and I'm down to 275 this week.

"I'm under 280 for the first time since my sophomore year of high school, so it feels good. I'm doing that. However it does suck because when you're 300 pounds, you're an offensive lineman, you can justify eating whatever you want. Now I actually have to watch what I eat, which isn't very fun."

After dedicating his hours, weeks, months, years to football, Moorman decided to not train for or pursue a spot at the next level. Rather, he will start a new career outside the game in software sales beginning in August.

Despite the ability to play multiple positions on the line and that late senior season surge, the 6'5 lineman explained that he looked around the league. In his eyes, he came to a realization that he probably would not be selected in the upcoming NFL Draft that takes place in late April.

"Best scenario for me, I would get undrafted and have to go through a camp," Moorman said. "When it's all said and done -- when I look back quickly after the Rose Bowl, I kind of took some time, and probably a week after -- I just realized that I didn't really have much left in the tank when it came to football.

"I gave everything I had into last season and earned a starting spot and then doing everything I could for my teammates in a variety of different roles. I had so much fun doing it, man."

Before the 2019 season, Moorman worked as a reserve lineman and primarily saw snaps on special teams. Around his second or third year at UW, he felt like he was not going to see the field that much, and with that, perhaps a professional football career would not be feasible. He took it upon himself to look outside of football to lock down internships and take advantage of the resources available to him. Those efforts, he hoped, would put himself in a position to have strong job opportunities after he graduated.

Then came 2019, and the opportunity to find substantial time on the field came to fruition with Michael Deiter, Beau Benzschawel, David Edwards and Jon Dietzen all leaving the program. In mid-April during spring ball, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Joe Rudolph complimented Moorman on "busting his butt," and the assistant also told reporters that the fifth-year senior was having the best spring out of the offensive linemen to that point.

During the actual season, Moorman proceeded to make the most impact in his Wisconsin career. When in midst of the competition for reps at particular positions on the line, he gladly welcomed the chance to contribute anywhere he could. If the NFL was not an option, he was just going to have fun playing as a senior for one of the Big Ten's top programs.

"That's a dream in itself, man," Moorman said. "I achieved it, and I loved it."

Eventually, he started eight games -- one at right tackle and seven at left guard. In the season-opening win at South Florida in late August, Wisconsin even utilized him as a pseudo-tight end.

Towards the tail end of the season, he started seven of UW's last eight games at the left guard spot. After a 24-22 home win against Iowa that snapped a two-game losing streak -- one in which UW ran for exactly 300 yards against one of the nation's best rush defenses -- Moorman noted the possibility of playing on Sundays came knocking. However, he had also interviewed for some jobs and even received a couple of offers. It was the first time he needed to think about making that decision.

Though college football can be looked at as a business in operation, Moorman saw the bonds of the Wisconsin program. He played with his best friends. He called Rudolph a "second dad" and would do anything for him and head coach Paul Chryst. That likely would not be there at the next level, and he also felt energy in a potential new endeavor.

"I looked at the possibility of making the jump in the NFL or accepting this job offer with Oracle in Boston, I kind of came down to the fact where I probably wouldn't get that family atmosphere again," Moorman said. "Then also, I just got really excited about the opportunity to go attack this new part of my life head on and full speed. The opportunity to move to Boston, it was something that I wasn't really looking to happen. It kind of just happened, but it's a new challenge and I'm super excited for that and to start my career in software sales.

"Sales in general, you have to be competitive, and you have to be a people person, and those are the two things that I think I thrive at. I think it's also a good industry that Wisconsin prepared me for. When it all came down to it, I kind of weighed my options and realized that it is time to move on and attack the next chapter of my life."

Looking back on his senior class, Moorman believes part of the legacy left revolves around the resiliency of the group -- especially in a year where there was lack of a hype surrounding the program and the players pushed themselves through offseason work and into fall camp. After the team started 6-0, it suffered two consecutive defeats at Illinois and Ohio State but rebounded to win its final four regular season games to claim berths in the Big Ten championship game and the 2020 Rose Bowl.

"I think that our biggest legacies we showed, hopefully the younger guys, (are) what it takes to get to big games and what it takes to overcome big challenges," Moorman said. "I think moving forward, I'm so excited to see what the team next year and the guys after them do because I think now those guys have an advantage of realizing what it takes to get to these big games.

"But now they need to figure out, what's the next step to actually go and win it?'

Moorman gushed about how proud he is of everyone whom he played with. Whether those Badgers go on to the NFL or move on to the next phase of their lives, he believes Wisconsin produces "great men of character."

Now with a degree in hand, Moorman awaits his next professional career while enjoying cooking, eating healthy and "that new lifestyle." The former lineman has traveled a bit, going to Europe with friends and family and also visiting former Badger fullback Alec Ingold in Las Vegas. He also helps a friend with a startup company and will assist his old high school in working with its offensive line in a couple of weeks.

"It's nice to catch your breath, but I'm just kind of readying myself for what the next part of my life will be."

Expected Attendees for Wisconsin Pro Day

AllBadgers.com will be down at the football facilities for the event and will hope to publish results, interviews, analysis and more. Drills are slated to start at around 11:30 a.m. CT. In a release sent out by UW on Tuesday, the following players "are scheduled to be on hand" for the event: