Post by 50yardfan on Feb 22, 2012 22:29:49 GMT -5
www.rrobserver.com/sports/article_1e96be78-5ced-11e1-943f-0019bb2963f4.html
Let's face it, New Mexico hasn't been exactly a hot bed when it comes to producing top-notch football players.
Let's name a few: Tommy McDonald, enshrined in the football Hall of Fame; Bobby Newcombe, Brian Urlacher, Charley Johnson, Jim Everett, Tom Brookshier, Ralph Neely, Timmy Smith, CFL Rookie of the Year Chris Williams and current NFL players, all from Cibola High, Alan Branch and brothers Erik and Ryan Cook.
Of course, we can't forget Denvis Manns and DonTrell Moore, guys who ran for 1,000 or more yards four years in a row while playing at, respectively, New Mexico State and the University of New Mexico.
You can see Moore, who turns 30 on Sept. 25, in action Sunday, when he will play a role in the success in the debut season of the New Mexico Stars. Their Indoor Football League opener kicks off at 3 p.m. at Santa Ana Star Center.
Here's the 411, as the kids say, on Moore:
He helped Roswell High School win the Class AAAA championship in 2000, when he led the state in rushing, with 2,600 yards and 22 TDs as a senior. He was also a Parade Magazine All-American.
At UNM, where he played from 2002-05, he was the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2002, the Mountain West's Offensive Player of the Year in 2005, and was an All-MWC first-team selection all four years he played for the Lobos.
He is the Lobos' all-time rushing leader (4,973) and TD leader (51) and played in three bowl games while with UNM: the Las Vegas Bowl in 2002 and '03 and the Emerald Bowl in 2004.
An undrafted free agent, he spent time on the rosters of the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2010, he played for the Amarillo Venom of the IFL, for whom he scored four TDs in his home debut on March 27 that season.
Here's what one NFL draft website noted about him in 2006: "The best thing about DonTrell Moore is how hard he runs. He attacks the line of scrimmage, and he will not go down easily. He keeps his feet moving and routinely drags defenders with him. His toughness is second to none. He also displays excellent quickness and change of direction ability to make defenders miss. Moore has also improved his hands over the years, and is now a viable option as a receiver out the backfield. He has shown the durability and talent to be a major threat all over the field."
Yes, that was almost six years ago and the Stars' DonTrell Moore probably isn't as fast as the Lobos' DonTrell Moore, but he says he's looking forward to the challenge and willing to do whatever it takes to help the Stars win games and make the playoffs.
"It's a different game," Moore said last week in a telephone interview. "Basketball's my favorite sport and this reminds me of playing basketball. It's different than outdoor ball because everything happens faster."
Moore said he stayed away from the game in 2011, but felt the urge to get back on the field. Believe it or not, here's what he's been doing to stay in shape: "Playing soccer and volleyball and tennis."
And - this is harder to believe - playing Pictionary. That's for his mind, he says.
"(Football) is something I need for my psyche and it's the love of my life," he said. "Getting back to the NFL is not my dream. I want to regain that competitive edge.
"Dart (Clark, Stars' owner and GM) called me in October. I had just moved back from Amarillo," Moore said. "He said this is who I am, can we meet up. He told me what he wanted to do and his ideas - I'm on board."
Naturally, Clark's happy about that.
"DonTrell was on my radar from day one that we decided to come to New Mexico," Clark recalled. "We located his number and called DonTrell and had a chance to visit. We simply offered an opportunity to be the first player on the team, and explained what we are looking for in our players. He is a very skilled player and valuable to a team like ours. He is a very devoted guy to the community and to his beliefs.
"Guys like DonTrell are hard to find, so when a team has an opportunity to sign them you have to act fast. That's why we signed DonTrell as the first player to the New Mexico Stars. He is talented, a gifted player and he has a lot of experience, not to mention a great guy who has devoted his life to helping kids succeed."
"I can still play at a high level, that's my objective, and we want to win. If it gets people out (to the Star Center), I'm all for it," Moore said. "What I appreciate so much about the state of New Mexico is, I haven't played for four or five years and they still show me love; the fans love their homegrown people."
Moore fondly remembered some of his outstanding performances at Roswell High, which put him on the Lobos' radar, and countless memories from his four great seasons wearing the cherry and silver remain.
"It gets talked about - resiliency, ‘diligency' - and part of being a great player, out of the hundreds of thousands, is not only a testament to myself but the offensive line: They loved me and I loved them," Moore said.
Yes, he keeps abreast of what's been going on in Lobo Land, and he knows the Lobos have gone 1-11 in each of their past three seasons.
"Three consecutive bowl games; being ranked ... it's tough to swallow to see where (the program has gone)," Moore said. "Coach Davie will do a good job, but it's a work in progress."
Whether or not the Stars are a work in progress might not be known for a few weeks. You can bet that guy wearing No. 22 will give everything he has.
Although Moore said he wears 22 not because of one-time Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith (he's a 49ers fan), which is what many people think, but because, "Two is better than one. I've worn (22) every game since I was 6."
Moore was asked, because not every fan at Sunday's game will have seen him play, who in the NFL today reminds himself of the guy who once wore 22 for the Lobos and had several NFL tryout camps.
"LeSean McCoy - that's exactly who I am," he said of the talented Philadelphia Eagles' running back.
Moore won't make any predictions, nor set IFL goals for himself.
"I've never been a guy that set parameters on statistics, that's why I was successful," he said. "I want to contribute to a winning season - there's no number on success - just winning and doing whatever is necessary," he said.
"Rio Rancho and New Mexico deserve a winner and I'm going to be part of that, that's for sure."
Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack is eagerly anticipating Sunday's IFL game here.
"I am (excited) and let me explain why I am. More people have been asking me, ‘When do they start?'"
Of course, he has the answer for them.
"I think it is going to be a good event. This group is better organized and has better players that will attract more people and they have a better marketing campaign (than the ill-fated New Mexico Wildcats)."
Let's face it, New Mexico hasn't been exactly a hot bed when it comes to producing top-notch football players.
Let's name a few: Tommy McDonald, enshrined in the football Hall of Fame; Bobby Newcombe, Brian Urlacher, Charley Johnson, Jim Everett, Tom Brookshier, Ralph Neely, Timmy Smith, CFL Rookie of the Year Chris Williams and current NFL players, all from Cibola High, Alan Branch and brothers Erik and Ryan Cook.
Of course, we can't forget Denvis Manns and DonTrell Moore, guys who ran for 1,000 or more yards four years in a row while playing at, respectively, New Mexico State and the University of New Mexico.
You can see Moore, who turns 30 on Sept. 25, in action Sunday, when he will play a role in the success in the debut season of the New Mexico Stars. Their Indoor Football League opener kicks off at 3 p.m. at Santa Ana Star Center.
Here's the 411, as the kids say, on Moore:
He helped Roswell High School win the Class AAAA championship in 2000, when he led the state in rushing, with 2,600 yards and 22 TDs as a senior. He was also a Parade Magazine All-American.
At UNM, where he played from 2002-05, he was the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2002, the Mountain West's Offensive Player of the Year in 2005, and was an All-MWC first-team selection all four years he played for the Lobos.
He is the Lobos' all-time rushing leader (4,973) and TD leader (51) and played in three bowl games while with UNM: the Las Vegas Bowl in 2002 and '03 and the Emerald Bowl in 2004.
An undrafted free agent, he spent time on the rosters of the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2010, he played for the Amarillo Venom of the IFL, for whom he scored four TDs in his home debut on March 27 that season.
Here's what one NFL draft website noted about him in 2006: "The best thing about DonTrell Moore is how hard he runs. He attacks the line of scrimmage, and he will not go down easily. He keeps his feet moving and routinely drags defenders with him. His toughness is second to none. He also displays excellent quickness and change of direction ability to make defenders miss. Moore has also improved his hands over the years, and is now a viable option as a receiver out the backfield. He has shown the durability and talent to be a major threat all over the field."
Yes, that was almost six years ago and the Stars' DonTrell Moore probably isn't as fast as the Lobos' DonTrell Moore, but he says he's looking forward to the challenge and willing to do whatever it takes to help the Stars win games and make the playoffs.
"It's a different game," Moore said last week in a telephone interview. "Basketball's my favorite sport and this reminds me of playing basketball. It's different than outdoor ball because everything happens faster."
Moore said he stayed away from the game in 2011, but felt the urge to get back on the field. Believe it or not, here's what he's been doing to stay in shape: "Playing soccer and volleyball and tennis."
And - this is harder to believe - playing Pictionary. That's for his mind, he says.
"(Football) is something I need for my psyche and it's the love of my life," he said. "Getting back to the NFL is not my dream. I want to regain that competitive edge.
"Dart (Clark, Stars' owner and GM) called me in October. I had just moved back from Amarillo," Moore said. "He said this is who I am, can we meet up. He told me what he wanted to do and his ideas - I'm on board."
Naturally, Clark's happy about that.
"DonTrell was on my radar from day one that we decided to come to New Mexico," Clark recalled. "We located his number and called DonTrell and had a chance to visit. We simply offered an opportunity to be the first player on the team, and explained what we are looking for in our players. He is a very skilled player and valuable to a team like ours. He is a very devoted guy to the community and to his beliefs.
"Guys like DonTrell are hard to find, so when a team has an opportunity to sign them you have to act fast. That's why we signed DonTrell as the first player to the New Mexico Stars. He is talented, a gifted player and he has a lot of experience, not to mention a great guy who has devoted his life to helping kids succeed."
"I can still play at a high level, that's my objective, and we want to win. If it gets people out (to the Star Center), I'm all for it," Moore said. "What I appreciate so much about the state of New Mexico is, I haven't played for four or five years and they still show me love; the fans love their homegrown people."
Moore fondly remembered some of his outstanding performances at Roswell High, which put him on the Lobos' radar, and countless memories from his four great seasons wearing the cherry and silver remain.
"It gets talked about - resiliency, ‘diligency' - and part of being a great player, out of the hundreds of thousands, is not only a testament to myself but the offensive line: They loved me and I loved them," Moore said.
Yes, he keeps abreast of what's been going on in Lobo Land, and he knows the Lobos have gone 1-11 in each of their past three seasons.
"Three consecutive bowl games; being ranked ... it's tough to swallow to see where (the program has gone)," Moore said. "Coach Davie will do a good job, but it's a work in progress."
Whether or not the Stars are a work in progress might not be known for a few weeks. You can bet that guy wearing No. 22 will give everything he has.
Although Moore said he wears 22 not because of one-time Dallas Cowboys great Emmitt Smith (he's a 49ers fan), which is what many people think, but because, "Two is better than one. I've worn (22) every game since I was 6."
Moore was asked, because not every fan at Sunday's game will have seen him play, who in the NFL today reminds himself of the guy who once wore 22 for the Lobos and had several NFL tryout camps.
"LeSean McCoy - that's exactly who I am," he said of the talented Philadelphia Eagles' running back.
Moore won't make any predictions, nor set IFL goals for himself.
"I've never been a guy that set parameters on statistics, that's why I was successful," he said. "I want to contribute to a winning season - there's no number on success - just winning and doing whatever is necessary," he said.
"Rio Rancho and New Mexico deserve a winner and I'm going to be part of that, that's for sure."
Rio Rancho Mayor Tom Swisstack is eagerly anticipating Sunday's IFL game here.
"I am (excited) and let me explain why I am. More people have been asking me, ‘When do they start?'"
Of course, he has the answer for them.
"I think it is going to be a good event. This group is better organized and has better players that will attract more people and they have a better marketing campaign (than the ill-fated New Mexico Wildcats)."