Moore’s Growth Takes Him to a Starting Role
Sep 01, 2022 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Everyone is going to watch Kansas State senior middle linebacker Daniel Green on Saturday. Better watch out for junior weakside linebacker Austin Moore as well. "The Machine," as they call him, could develop into a whale of a story in the 2022 season.
But before any of that, let's go back to that intriguing nickname — "The Machine" — which makes Moore grin as he stands inside the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"That kind of started with Coach (Scottie) Hazelton my freshman year, mostly because he said that I wasn't showing a lot of emotion, and I was answering questions really fast," Moore says. "Cody Fletcher started calling me 'The Machine' after that. It kind of developed from there."
"The Machine" has grown in popularity.
"I like the nickname because he's all about business, comes to work every day, and brings that same intensity," K-State quarterback Adrian Martinez says.
"The Machine does everything right," safety Kobe Savage says. "He's really smart."
"He's quiet and doesn't say a ton," K-State center Hayden Gillum says. "A lot of people probably don't know Austin Moore, but he works. You can see him work. You definitely notice that."
We'll see The Machine at work as K-State opens the 2022 season against South Dakota at 6 p.m. Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Moore, a former walk-on, will start at weakside linebacker for the Wildcats.
"This means a lot," Moore says. "It's the dream of every walk-on to earn a scholarship and to eventually get that starting job. It's something I've really thought about for a long time. I'm excited for the opportunity."
Moore didn't arrive at Manhattan with hype. He didn't have many recruiting stars next to his name. In fact, he didn't have any stars. His tale began in the east Kansas town of Louisburg, which has about 5,000 people, and he was an all-state running back and an all-league linebacker. As a senior, he helped the Louisburg Wildcats to an 11-2 record and a berth in the 2018 state playoffs.
Blake Seiler, K-State's linebackers coach at the time, liked the way Moore moved. He liked the way he played. He offered Moore a chance to walk-on. Moore eagerly obliged. Although Moore admits he spent his younger years a KU fan — his mother is a KU alum — Moore's allegiance slowly shifted to purple and white, and he had long been a fan of K-State's walk-on tradition.
"I knew it was a group of guys that were hard workers and maybe not the most highly-recruited people," Moore says, "but they came to work every day and proved themselves on the field."
Although K-State coaching staffs changed following the 2018 season, Moore remained on the roster. He redshirted the 2019 season, played in seven games in 2020, and played in all 13 games last season while making his first-career start at Kansas. He has 22 tackles in his career and has earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors each of the past two years.
He earned a scholarship last spring.
It was Moore's ability to make the most of his experience last season during games and in practice — Moore often spent practices playing in place of sixth-year senior Cody Fletcher in order to keep him fresh for games — that caught the eyes of K-State head coach Chris Klieman and linebackers coach Steve Stanard.
"Austin just continued to learn the system and learned how to play," Klieman says. "He knows our defense. He's a quiet kid, but he's one of the best communicators on the football field. We're excited for Austin."
He's apparently someone who can keep All-American Deuce Vaughn on his toes in practice as well.
"He moves really well," Vaughn says. "He's somebody that over my time here I've seen progress to the player he is now with how smart he is and how well he runs. He's somebody that whenever I come out of the backfield to run a route, I know I have to be on my Ps and Qs."
Green remains the constant within the K-State linebacking corps from a year ago. Along with Moore, transfer Shawn Robinson is slated to start at strongside linebacker, or possibly junior Khalid Duke, who missed almost the entire 2021 season due to injury.
Junior right guard Taylor Poitier calls Moore "a very physical and strong player."
"He'll come up and hit you when you don't think he will," Poitier says. "I'm awfully excited for him. He and Deuce Green share a mind sometimes. It's great to see them playing next to each other. Austin is good at reading keys and reading which gaps to fill, and if the run is not there, he's out in coverage, and he's very smart."
As for Moore's goals this season?
"I want to play fast, make big plays," he says, "and I want to become like Deuce Green, and help guys get lined up, and become a leader of the defense."
Here's why that might become possible: Moore is playing with more confidence.
"I think the main thing I did (in fall camp) was play faster and more confident, which comes from getting more experience, and coaches spending time with me," he says. "I think I've played faster, which allows me to make more plays."
Moore's parents, Tom and Alison, will be in attendance at the game Saturday, and his high school coach, Robert Ebenstein, is scheduled to attend as well.
Back home in Louisburg, Moore knows there's a prideful buzz over his promotion to a starting role.
"I try not to think too much about it, but I get a lot of people telling me congratulations, and that they plan to watch," Moore says. "I'm really thankful for the people back home."
On Saturday, Moore and the Wildcats will walk out of the tunnel. Upwards of 50,000 K-State fans will be screaming their heads off at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. And for a moment, Moore will pause and soak it all in.
"I'm just going to think about how happy I am to be here," Moore says. "Once the game starts, I'm going to be focused on my keys and focused on one play at a time."
Like a machine.
Everyone is going to watch Kansas State senior middle linebacker Daniel Green on Saturday. Better watch out for junior weakside linebacker Austin Moore as well. "The Machine," as they call him, could develop into a whale of a story in the 2022 season.
But before any of that, let's go back to that intriguing nickname — "The Machine" — which makes Moore grin as he stands inside the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"That kind of started with Coach (Scottie) Hazelton my freshman year, mostly because he said that I wasn't showing a lot of emotion, and I was answering questions really fast," Moore says. "Cody Fletcher started calling me 'The Machine' after that. It kind of developed from there."
"The Machine" has grown in popularity.
"I like the nickname because he's all about business, comes to work every day, and brings that same intensity," K-State quarterback Adrian Martinez says.
"The Machine does everything right," safety Kobe Savage says. "He's really smart."
"He's quiet and doesn't say a ton," K-State center Hayden Gillum says. "A lot of people probably don't know Austin Moore, but he works. You can see him work. You definitely notice that."
We'll see The Machine at work as K-State opens the 2022 season against South Dakota at 6 p.m. Saturday at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
Moore, a former walk-on, will start at weakside linebacker for the Wildcats.
"This means a lot," Moore says. "It's the dream of every walk-on to earn a scholarship and to eventually get that starting job. It's something I've really thought about for a long time. I'm excited for the opportunity."
Moore didn't arrive at Manhattan with hype. He didn't have many recruiting stars next to his name. In fact, he didn't have any stars. His tale began in the east Kansas town of Louisburg, which has about 5,000 people, and he was an all-state running back and an all-league linebacker. As a senior, he helped the Louisburg Wildcats to an 11-2 record and a berth in the 2018 state playoffs.
Blake Seiler, K-State's linebackers coach at the time, liked the way Moore moved. He liked the way he played. He offered Moore a chance to walk-on. Moore eagerly obliged. Although Moore admits he spent his younger years a KU fan — his mother is a KU alum — Moore's allegiance slowly shifted to purple and white, and he had long been a fan of K-State's walk-on tradition.
"I knew it was a group of guys that were hard workers and maybe not the most highly-recruited people," Moore says, "but they came to work every day and proved themselves on the field."
Although K-State coaching staffs changed following the 2018 season, Moore remained on the roster. He redshirted the 2019 season, played in seven games in 2020, and played in all 13 games last season while making his first-career start at Kansas. He has 22 tackles in his career and has earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors each of the past two years.
He earned a scholarship last spring.
It was Moore's ability to make the most of his experience last season during games and in practice — Moore often spent practices playing in place of sixth-year senior Cody Fletcher in order to keep him fresh for games — that caught the eyes of K-State head coach Chris Klieman and linebackers coach Steve Stanard.
"Austin just continued to learn the system and learned how to play," Klieman says. "He knows our defense. He's a quiet kid, but he's one of the best communicators on the football field. We're excited for Austin."
He's apparently someone who can keep All-American Deuce Vaughn on his toes in practice as well.
"He moves really well," Vaughn says. "He's somebody that over my time here I've seen progress to the player he is now with how smart he is and how well he runs. He's somebody that whenever I come out of the backfield to run a route, I know I have to be on my Ps and Qs."
Green remains the constant within the K-State linebacking corps from a year ago. Along with Moore, transfer Shawn Robinson is slated to start at strongside linebacker, or possibly junior Khalid Duke, who missed almost the entire 2021 season due to injury.
Junior right guard Taylor Poitier calls Moore "a very physical and strong player."
"He'll come up and hit you when you don't think he will," Poitier says. "I'm awfully excited for him. He and Deuce Green share a mind sometimes. It's great to see them playing next to each other. Austin is good at reading keys and reading which gaps to fill, and if the run is not there, he's out in coverage, and he's very smart."
As for Moore's goals this season?
"I want to play fast, make big plays," he says, "and I want to become like Deuce Green, and help guys get lined up, and become a leader of the defense."
Here's why that might become possible: Moore is playing with more confidence.
"I think the main thing I did (in fall camp) was play faster and more confident, which comes from getting more experience, and coaches spending time with me," he says. "I think I've played faster, which allows me to make more plays."
Moore's parents, Tom and Alison, will be in attendance at the game Saturday, and his high school coach, Robert Ebenstein, is scheduled to attend as well.
Back home in Louisburg, Moore knows there's a prideful buzz over his promotion to a starting role.
"I try not to think too much about it, but I get a lot of people telling me congratulations, and that they plan to watch," Moore says. "I'm really thankful for the people back home."
On Saturday, Moore and the Wildcats will walk out of the tunnel. Upwards of 50,000 K-State fans will be screaming their heads off at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. And for a moment, Moore will pause and soak it all in.
"I'm just going to think about how happy I am to be here," Moore says. "Once the game starts, I'm going to be focused on my keys and focused on one play at a time."
Like a machine.
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