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Mike Lucas: Dan Moore's career starts on the right foot

Mike Lucas  —  9/03/2008 5:44 am

University of Wisconsin defensive lineman Dan Moore seemed to be enjoying himself during media day, a mid-August ritual that can be a tiresome exercise for some players. Maybe he was just more appreciative of the little things. While he was holding court with a few reporters, he was also holding a camera.

Why not take advantage of the photo op at Camp Randall Stadium? "My mom hasn't been able to visit campus yet," Moore said. "And I figured since it was media day, I could take some pictures and send them home to her."

If you're not familiar with Moore -- No. 45 in your game program -- you're probably not alone, though Moore did make a favorable first impression in the Badgers' opener against Akron by making a tackle on his first play. If you're still in the dark about who he is, or where he's from, or how he got here, there are some telling snapshots that can help illustrate his story.

There's a picture of Moore in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. As a senior at O'Fallon (Ill.) Township High School, he was named the newspaper's Defensive Player of the Year. O'Fallon, the birthplace of renowned Hollywood actor William Holden, is a short drive from the Gateway Arch. But the college recruiters didn't beat down a path to Moore, a prep linebacker and running back.

"I'm not sure what the rap was against me," Moore said. "At first, I think it was my foot speed. Coming out of high school, I ran 4.8 (seconds over 40 yards) and I weighed about 240 pounds. The recruiters didn't know if I could run well enough to play linebacker, or if I was big enough to play defensive end. A lot of colleges put me on their B-list."

There's a snapshot of Moore at Eastern Illinois University, the only school to offer a scholarship. But he's not smiling in this picture. "Everybody dreams about making it to the Division I level," he said. "I'd see these guys playing on ESPN -- getting their accolades -- and if you're a true competitor, you want to play against the best competition. I've always had confidence in myself, and there was just something inside of me saying, 'If you want to do something, go and do it.'"

There's a snapshot of Moore leaving Eastern Illinois after his redshirt season. In the background, you can see someone sneering. "I had one coach tell me, 'We'll call you in a couple of years and we'll see how you're doing, and I bet you're not going to be doing anything,'" Moore related. "My defensive coordinator said, 'If you think you can play Division I football, you can't. If you leave this program, you will never play football again.' Those were his exact words, too."

Before we move on to the snapshots from Joliet (Ill.) Junior College, where Moore regrouped and rekindled his dream, here's another look at what makes Moore tick. "I didn't take it badly," he said of being dissed by the Eastern Illinois coach. "He was upset because he was losing one of his players that he was counting on, and people say things in the heat of the moment. I didn't look at it as inspiration. But that's something you don't say to a player."

Keep in mind that Moore was walking away from a free ride. "It was tough for my mom because she couldn't understand why I would throw away a college scholarship (to Eastern Illinois)," he said. "All the changes were stressful on the family. I had to put myself through junior college, but they supported me."

Moore was a good enough player in Joliet to attract Wisconsin's attention. With the graduation loss of Nick Hayden, and the uncertainty surrounding the status of some injured players, Moore appeared to be a solid catch. If for no other reason, he was more mature than some of the incoming freshmen, having been shaped by his journey. "After going through the rougher times," Moore said, "I appreciate it here so much more than maybe if I had gone to a Division I school right after high school."

You may want to turn away from the next snapshot: a photo of Moore writhing in pain after injuring his knee during a one-on-one drill in spring practice. The whole thing could have been avoided, and Brad Thorson, the offensive lineman who was responsible for twisting Moore to the turf, has since left the program. Moore did not have surgery, but he was left with plenty of questions about his rehab.

"Whenever something like that happens to your knee, the first thought that goes through your mind is that your career is over," Moore said. "I was just praying to God that it wasn't my ACL, and luckily it wasn't, or I would have been looking at being out for six months and maybe missing the season. I was blessed that I was able to come back from it. And what I learned about myself is that I really enjoy football, and this is what I really want."

Moore had to push himself to get into the training room every day for treatments. "I've had sprains and nicks and bruises in the past, but this was the first time I had a significant injury," he said. "The only thing I kept thinking about was coming out of the tunnel on Aug. 30 for the opener. It would have been devastating for me to not come out with the team. Once I was cleared to put the pads back on during training camp, I was smiling."

The night before the Akron game, though, he had a bad dream. "I was sitting in the locker room by myself, and everybody else was on the field," he said, adding that he eventually ran out late and joined his teammates. What wasn't a dream was his anxiety level before kickoff. "I definitely had some butterflies," he said. "I wasn't nervous and scared; I was more nervous and excited. I was just anxious to go out and show what I've got."

With a little over six minutes left in the third quarter last Saturday, the 6-foot-2, 280-pound Moore entered the game and lined up over Akron's tight end. "When he blocked down, I knew I had the 'C' gap (between the tackle and tight end), so I got in my gap and made things happen," said Moore, who stopped tailback Alex Allen for no gain. "Yes, sir, my first Division I play, and it just felt amazing. I couldn't have dreamed this -- because this was much better. It was everything I expected, and more."

Still, he knows that he has so much more to work on, starting with his pass rush. For now, he's more of a run-stuffer. "There's definitely some growing room," he said.

And there's definitely a spot in his photo album for a snapshot from Camp Randall. "Everybody who told me that I couldn't play at this level, I proved them wrong by doing what I did today (Saturday)," he said. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time -- since I left high school in 2005."

His mom, Kimberly, wasn't at the game. "But I'm going to call her right after I get done with this interview," he said, "and I'm going to tell her I love her."

Mike Lucas  —  9/03/2008 5:44 am