Josh Moore remembers the day he thought he’d never play football again.
That was before his 10th birthday. Moore has been cancer-free for six years now and is on course to become an Ohio State Buckeye in February. He committed to head coach Urban Meyer at Friday Night Lights in what was an unexpected announcement.
If you ask Moore, though, it was weeks in the making.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while,” he told Eleven Warriors. “I actually almost committed a few weeks ago. I told my mom on the ride [to Columbus] if I liked the visit I was going to commit.”
When Moore was 8 years old, a cancerous tumor was discovered in his neck. The only evidence from that scary chapter is a scar on his neck, acting a daily reminder to never quit.
“I feel really blessed. I didn’t know if I’d ever get recruited like this when I was younger,” Moore said. “I remember right after surgery thinking I wouldn’t be able to play sports. I couldn’t put on a helmet right. I never thought I’d play football again.”
Moore, a three-star tight end, pledged his allegiance for Ohio State in the opening hour of FNL. At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, he fits the mold of an athletic tight end Meyer covets. Being an integral part of the offense was music to Moore’s ears.
The assist on the commitment goes to Tim Hinton, who developed a bond with Moore during the recruiting process that played a significant role.
“We had an instant connection when he came to [Kansas] and saw me work out,” Moore said.
The Olathe native was wowed by the Buckeyes’ new locker room and the energy in Ohio Stadium for a recruiting event. It was all icing on the cake for Moore, who cited relationships established with coaches and Ohio State’s academic reputation as reasons for choosing Ohio State over Florida State, Auburn, Oklahoma and others.
“I thought it was great,” Moore said. “The camp was really good. Being under the lights was amazing.”
He can now call the Horseshoe home.
