NFL DRAFT CLASS OF 2021 INTERVIEW: BRILEY MOORE | KANSAS STATE | TIGHT END
What was your inspiration to come back and have a great season after short-term paralysis? The injury he was referring to was 2019 while I was still at Northern Iowa. Went into a head-on KOR with my head down and stumbled a little bit and just hit the crown of my helmet on the back of one our players actually, and came out with a concussion. Everything was okay, but I was laying there for 15, 20 seconds not really able to move or know - it was a crazy experience not moving. I could hear people talking to me, but couldn't really respond. Fortunately, I was able to come back and had to go to the hospital, but it was because I had a little bit of pain in my neck from the hit; just precautionary. But it's almost a life-changing experience to know how close I really could have been to maybe never walking again and it not being short-term, but it being permanent. So, it was like it was really an eye-opening experience for me. I wasn't able to fly back with the team. I had to stay out in Youngstown, Ohio, and fly back the next day. But I knew football was my calling. This is what I was supposed to do. I love this sport. So, there was never a question on is this experience going to make me not want to play football anymore. It comes with the game, especially the way I play. I play physical. So, things are going to happen. I'm just very blessed I was able to walk away with that situation without any major injuries or anything.
What are your expectations for the draft? I don't try to think about it too much. It's fun to look at mock drafts and stuff, but those don't mean anything, and the way the draft is, you never know until it happens. I've heard stories guys going in thinking they're going to be a third, fourth-round pick going in, and all of a sudden, they're a free agent. They'll call you and say, 'Okay, we're going to take you with this pick.' All of a sudden you don't get a call and free agency is here. So, whatever it is, whether it's early or it's later, whether it's a free agent, a team is going to get the same me. I'm going to come in and compete to make a 53-man roster and do what I can for a team. Like Wyatt said, the higher, the better, the more financial stability you get and a little bit safer when it comes to fall camp. But at the end of the day you can make it from anywhere, and with my journey in football, I think everything that I've done I've had to work hard and make nothing into something. And I plan to do that whether it's, like I said earlier, late or free agent.
What kind of feedback have you been getting? What are you working on now? I heard a lot of good things today. I think I was able to surprise people with my numbers on almost everything that we did today, which is great. I lost about 10 or 11 pounds over the past nine weeks, mainly all body fat, which is nice. I'm slimmer. I came in 240 today. I played around 250. So, I had a few scouts tell me I look good. I made the right changes over the past couple of weeks. Everything has been good to this point, especially the things that I have today. So, going into this next phase, the numbers I was able today, I can go to sleep tonight knowing that if May 1 comes around and I don't get a call during the draft or whatever it is, I can go to sleep tonight knowing that it's not because I didn't do everything I could at pro day because I feel confident in what I did, and God is amazing for allowing me to be here in this position. I thank him for allowing me to go out there and showcase my skills the way that I was able today. I did what I needed to do in my head, so, it's up to them what they do with those numbers. I'll just be focusing on more football training over the next few weeks and be ready the first time that I can step into somebody's facility and get going as a football player.
What other tight ends have you taken a hard look at as you try to mold your game? One of the biggest outside of those two would be George Kittle with the Niners just because of his emphasis in the run game as much as receiving, and I think that's one of the biggest things I bring to an NFL roster going into this draft is I can be the point of attack in the run game. You can run the ball right behind me, and if the game is on the line, you can throw me the ball. If it's third-and-long, I want to be the one that's called. If it's third-and-short, I want to be where you run the ball. That's my mentality, and that's the mentality that he takes. He's a hardworking, gritty person. That's the approach that I take to the field also. He's been one of the biggest guys I've been able to watch both receiving and run-blocking.
QB | RB | FB | WR | iWR | TE | LT | RT | OG | OC | DT | NG | 3-4 DE | 4-3 DE | 3-4 OLB | 4-3 OLB | ILB | CB | iCB | FS | SS
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