On Saturday the Virginia Tech Hokies retired the jersey of one of the best football players to ever pass through the tunnel into Lane Stadium. The jersey= #56, The player= a quarterback's worst nightmare, Corey Moore.
Moore played defensive end for the Hokies from 1997 through the magical season that was 1999, and he was a force to be reckoned with to say the least. In 1999, Moore racked up 17 sacks, 62 tackles, 25 quarterback hurries, 4 forced fumbles, and he returned a fumble for a touchdown (against Clemson). He was the fearless leader of the best Lunch Pail defense to ever patrol Worsham Field. What Michael Vick was to the offense, Corey Moore was to the defense...and maybe even a little more. Moore was the difference between having a National Championship caliber team and not having one, just ask the 2000 Hokies who came one game short of making it back to the big game.
Moore's accomplishments from the 1999 season alone won him more awards than any other player in Virginia Tech history. Corey was a unanimous All-American selection at the Defensive End position. He won the Bronko Nagurski Award, which is awarded to the nation's best defensive player. He won the Lombardi Award, which goes to the nation's best lineman. He was voted the defensive player of the year for the Big East Conference. And to top things off he won the Dudley Award, which is awarded to the best football player in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
His career statistics are staggering. He finished his illustrious tenure at Tech with 172 tackles, 58 quarterback hurries, 37 sacks, 3 recovered fumbles (1 returned for a TD vs. Clemson), 8 forced fumbles, and 4 blocked kicks (got to get the Beamerball in there). As you can see, he deserved every one of the awards he received. He was the best D-lineman since Bruce Smith, and that speaks for itself.
As a player, he was undersized for his position. At 6 foot 225 pounds, He had the size of a linebacker but the speed of a runningback. He was dangerous. He was a head-hunter. At the snap of the ball he would dip his shoulder and come barreling off the corner like a stampede of bulls. No one could dip the shoulder like Corey Moore. He would get so low, but yet still be moving so fast. It was textbook football at its best.
Like his last name, he was MORE than just an outstanding player. He was a character. Corey Moore had possibly the most colorful personality of any player to ever wear the Maroon and Orange. He was always excited. He stayed wired up. He was amped...all day, every day. One look inside his helmet would tell you that. He had crazy eyes. They were as wide open as any eyes could be, and they moved feverishly back and forth. They were like the headlights of a Mack truck. They were the last thing that quarterbacks saw before they were face to face with grass. After each sack or tackle, he would celebrate. Maybe a chest bump with a fellow defender, maybe a yell in someone's face, maybe a dance. He celebrated without reprocussion. The refs were too scared to throw the flag on him, but can you blame them? When he had his helmet off he resembled Sinbad, but believe me he was never joking around. Corey Moore even un-officially re-named Lane Stadium. He called it "the Terrordome," and he couldn't have picked a more suitable name. He made it just that for opposing teams, a Terrordome.
I really can't capture the aura of Corey Moore in words, so with Halloween just a few days away I have a little treat for you. It's a highlight reel of Mr. Moore...from one game. And not just any game. It's a Thursday night game. And it's not just any Thursday night game. It's the 1999 Thursday nighter against Clemson, which was the first game I ever watched in Lane Stadium. If you've ever wondered why I'm a Hokie...well this is why.
Here's a few things to look for in this video:
Look at Tech's awesome endzones. They were sweet. Way better than the lackluster Arial font "VIRGINIA TECH" that we have now.
@ :50 The announcers saying Corey Moore is a man
@ 2:08 He hyperextends his back trying to block a pass, look at that hustle. How many D-Ends can get up like that?
@ 3:02 The crazy eyes. Look at the eyes!
@ 4:44 Moore forces the qb to throw a pic 6 to "Iceman" Ike Charlton. Watch Moore beat Ike to the endzone. Always hustlin.
@ 7:47 The hallmark Corey Moore play. He smashes the qb, picks up the ball and takes it to the house. Lane Stadium went bonkers. I remember this play more vividly than anything else that happened in this game. I'll never forget this play
@ 8:47 Corey Moore talking smack. (can you see the Sinbad resemblance, or is it just me?)
@ 9:39 Welcome to the Terrordome: the legendary statement
@ 10:25 Moore Exits Sandman into the stands
@ 10:35 Collage of Moore's highlights on the night
I hope you enjoyed this educational, instructional, and highly entertaining video. It showcases the Legend that is Corey Moore. I'm overjoyed to have him in Tech's Hall Of Fame, and to see his jersey number at the top of the North Endzone. That's where Corey Moore belongs...at the top of the Terrordome.
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