DeAndre Moore Jr. remembers the moments following a very scary hit against Baylor, and regaining full consciousness and seeing people gathered all around him while he laid on the field. His first thought was getting back into the game.
“I wanted to play, bro,” Moore said. “I came to and I see all these people on top and I’m like, ‘Okay…no cart and I’m playing in this game.’”
Moore said he felt woozy, but wanted to help Colorado however he could. The medical staff had other priorities.
“[They were] like, ‘We got to get you off the field first, buddy. Like, what are you talking about?’” Moore recalled.
Moore chose to walk off under his own power rather than ride in a cart. He said he was grateful he could do so and later saw a very emotional response from teammates that stayed with him.
“They came up to me after I came to,” Moore said. “They was like, ‘Dude, you scared us.’”
Moore said some teammates showed “real tears” and vulnerable emotion. While he called the situation unfortunate, he also described it as a meaningful moment for the team.
“It was a really cool turning point in where we are in this brotherhood,” he said. “These guys are bought in. These guys are caring.”
Moore’s close friend and fellow receiver Joseph Williams helped him off the field and rallied the team at halftime, telling them to “do it for three,” Moore’s jersey number. Williams said he spent much of Sunday night at Moore’s home, talking football and checking in on him.
Moore called Williams his brother and praised the way he has grown into a leader in the receiver room. The two have pushed each other throughout the season, with Moore saying Williams has the talent to be among the best receivers in the country.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Moore wanted to practice after the Baylor game, but the staff held him out. Sanders said Moore was “ready to go” and expects him to be available against Texas Tech.
Moore said the Buffaloes still have an opportunity to turn their season around. The team, he said, has to protect its home field and keep improving.
“Everything that we want for this season is still there for us to be had,” Moore said.
Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The game will air on FOX.
Add us as a preferred source on Google