Flashback to 1999 — it’s a Friday night and there's a
thunderstorm building to the south of the "Wool Bowl" in
Roswell New Mexico. I'm standing on the sideline as I
always do at every football game of my alma mater, the
"Fighting Wildcats" of Clovis. I have just driven 2
hours to see if we could contain some guy named DonTrell
Moore of the Roswell Coyotes, just a sophomore, who has
been running over opposing defenses. Clovis is known for
its tough defense and usually a top unit across the entire
state. Nobody runs on the Clovis defense. Well, almost
nobody.
I
stood helplessly by as I watched DonTrell Moore run up and
down the sidelines, appearing to be a solid red streak for
all 4 quarters. Moore gained an unbelievable 280+ yards
against my beloved Wildcat defense.
In
the subsequent re-match in 2000, I felt sure my Wildcats
would be prepared for DonTrell. One 4A running back just
does not have that kind of game against this 5A Clovis
defense twice. Well, this time Moore did the unimaginable
on the Wildcats’ own field – running for closer to 300
yards this time along with 4 TDs. I was in awe again.
DonTrell Moore went on to lead his Coyotes to a State
title that year. He finished his high school career with
6,000 yards rushing and 33 TDs. As impressive and
apparent as his abilities to play football, graduating
with a 4.0 GPA and 9th in a class of 267 ain’t too shabby.
Moore
certainly would have played as a true freshman in 2001,
had it not been for the lingering effects of a high ankle
sprain and a sprained MCL. It didn't take him long to
rebound though; after missing just the season opener
against N.C. State in 2002, he rushed for 1,134 yards and
13 TDs. Over the final 6 games of his first campaign, he
averaged 141.7 yards per game with 5.4 yards per carry,
scoring 10 TDs. Moore was named Mountain West Conference
Freshman of the Year and was the first Lobo in history to
be voted first-team all-conference in his first year.
DonTrell Moore followed his first season’s effort with an
impressive effort of 1,450 rushing yards, averaging 5.3
yards per carry, and 19 TDs in 2003. In my estimation and
this is not going out on a limb, he will continue to build
on his success and be the elite back of the Mountain West
Conference this year.
Moore
is not the biggest back in the country with his 5’ 11”
frame carrying 214 lbs. soaking wet, nor is he the fastest
by any means, but he will run over you. His frame is
deceiving. He runs with loads of power and is not easy to
bring down. DonTrell Moore won’t be seen ripping off
long, high-stepping runs with regularity; but, if you need
a first down, he'll get you one. His ability to hit the
hole aggressively, decisively, without fear or hesitation
is second to none.
So
having watched this kid play since High School as I have,
he’s continued to cause more people than just me to have
their eyes pop out of their heads as he’s managed to
always get better at every level. So some may question
why write about a kid that is only going to be a junior?
The answer is that DonTrell Moore could easily be an early
entry in the 2005 NFL draft. Barring injuries, I believe
he will make that leap and leave some scouts with their
eyes popping out of their heads and easily end up being a
steal as a 2nd or 3rd round pick.
When
you live in New Mexico as I do, the opportunities to brag
to friends in other parts of the country about the
dominant athletes coming out of the Land of Enchantment
are few and far between. Sure, I’ve gotten a lot of
mileage out of Brian Urlacher and a there have been a
handful of others, but New Mexico is not a substantial supplier
of talent
to the NFL. I do believe one day DonTrell Moore will
provide those of us in New Mexico with bragging rights
sooner rather than later.
The
Clovis Wildcats have a team this year that will contend
again for the state title. Again, I'll be on the
sidelines. But as has been the case the past few years
with DonTrell Moore safely away at the University of New
Mexico, I'll be able to breathe a little easier. My cold
sweats in the middle of the night accompanied by talking
in my sleep with screams of "Someone tackle that kid!”
have given way to "Ha! No one can tackle that kid!"
