Northwestern linebacker Paddy Fisher was exasperated. He had no answer for Rondale Moore. No one on the Wildcat defense did.
"I couldn’t even catch him,” said Fisher, an All-Big Ten linebacker who was one of the first Big Ten players to try to contain Moore in 2018. “I don’t think I ever encountered him because he was in the end zone when I was looking back. Where did he go?”
That August night under the lights of Ross-Ade Stadium with a national TV audience watching, Fisher saw Moore set the Purdue single-game record for all-purpose yards (313) in the season opener. The Wildcats prevailed, 31-27, but Moore made his mark. He burned Northwestern for 11 catches for 109 yards and a score, and he ran twice for 79 yards and a touchdown. If that wasn’t enough, Moore also ran back five kickoffs for 125 yards.
"That dude is something else,” said Fisher.
It was a preview of things to come, with Fisher learning what the rest of the college football world soon would discover: Moore is a special player. The New Albany, Ind., native and product of Trinity High in Louisville, Ky.,--the alma mater of Purdue coach Jeff Brohm--went on to collect a raft of honors during a sensational freshman season:
• Big Ten Receiver of the Year
• Big Ten Freshman of the Year
• All-Big Ten
• Consensus All-American
• Paul Hornung Award winner
On and on and on the list of accolades went. Now, the question begs: What will Moore do for an encore in 2019?
“I am just trying to stay humble,” he said. “I want our team to win and improve.”
That’s something about Moore that’s not chronicled in black and white in his bio: His humility. For someone who has gotten so much, so fast, Moore remains grounded and selfless. He’s a unique individual who isn’t impressed by his resume. It’s all about improving ... and wanting to win.
That was apparent to Brohm the moment Moore stepped on campus with a load of expectations. Moore wanted to make a difference. That’s one reason why he surprised many recruiting pundits and picked Purdue over scores of offers from across the nation. And Moore quickly strutted his stuff in the aforementioned debut vs. Northwestern--and he never stopped.
"We knew he’d be special,” said Brohm. “He showcased that in practice. I didn’t think it would translate to the game that fast, but it did. From the get-go, we threw a lot at him. We tapered it back for Game One. After he did those things … he’s a dynamic player. He has great speed and strength, and he’s a great receiver.”
Moore finished the year with 114 catches for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns. He ran for 213 yards and averaged 6.8 yards on 12 punt returns and 20.1 yards on 33 kickoff returns. When the dust had cleared, Moore had set school marks for most all-purpose yards in a season (2,215) and tied the school record for most 100-yard receiving games (7).
“This is a football guy,” said Brohm. “He wants to be a great football player and he will do everything in his power to get that done. That’s his goal. He is very driven. He wants to have great success. And he wants to duplicate--if not do better--than he did last season.”
Moore quickly became a marked man last season. Now, defenses will draw even tighter on the diminutive speedster, trying to mute his skills.
“There will be a lot of eyes on him, a lot of people trying to defend him different ways,” said Brohm. “We have to do our part to make sure we are at least moving him around some and making sure he gets touches with the ball in his hands so he can showcase his talent and at the same time keep him healthy so he can have a productive year.”
With defenses drawing a bead on Moore, it could open opportunities for some of the promising freshman wideouts on the roster: David Bell, Milton Wright, Mershawn Rice and TJ Sheffield. And senior tight end Brycen Hopkins could benefit, too. What’s it all mean? Moore could be challenged to match the output from his sensational freshman debut.
“So, will he put up the numbers he had last year?” said Brohm. “I'm not for sure, but we are going to try to get it done for him. He's unselfish, as well. He wants to win. But he does know that he has to make plays for us, and he has to stay healthy for us to have the best chance to succeed.
"He's always been fast. And he just works extremely hard in practice. He gives great effort. He goes full speed all the time, and I think he'll have another tremendous year.”
Moore is doing all he can to get an edge. He is bigger ... and stronger.
“I am 185 right now,” said Moore, noting he is 10 pounds heavier. “I may drop a few (pounds) during camp because of the work load."
He also has gotten stronger. Remember: A social media post prior to last season showed him squatting 600 pounds. So, strength already was an asset for the 5-9 dynamo.
“His legs, if you ever get to peek at his legs, how strong his legs are, how big his legs are,” said Fisher. “He has incredible balance, incredible strength and incredible speed, as well.”
Brohm wants to take advantage of those attributes. That’s why you’ll often find him watching film of NFL and college teams, always looking for new ideas, new plays, new schemes … new ways to get the ball to Rondale Moore.
“We are always looking to improve and get better,” Brohm said. “I probably watched more film than ever this year.”
And Brohm’s staff is making an effort to get even more out of Moore in the return game. Who knows? If things go as planned, Moore could become a legit Heisman contender.
“I think the individual awards take care of themselves,” said Brohm. “Your team has to win and do a good job for anything like that to happen. He is a dynamic, special player. We will utilize him every way we can. I think we did a decent job getting him the ball last year. We will always be creative with that. I think we need to do a better job in the return game, give him some space and more yards. He’s special.”
Fisher knows.
“He is super talented, just a crazy football player who can accomplish anything he wants to accomplish,” said Fisher. “Playing against him is not fun.”
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