Briley Moore
Tight End / Kansas State
Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
Briley Moore: I am 6’4, 250 and I ran a 4.71 laser time last summer.
Alex Khvatov: How did you prepare for the 2020 season with no offseason training?
Briley Moore: The biggest thing was just making sure I was holding myself accountable and doing the most. Before I ended up moving, my teammate had a home gym in his garage. I was doing lifting at his place. Before we started working out at the facility, I was doing band workouts and full body workouts. One week ago, all of the activities were suspended at Kansas State because of the Covid-19.
Alex Khvatov: Besides football, what other sports did you play in high school?
Briley Moore: I played basketball. It my favorite sport growing up. Closer to my senior year, football became my main sport. I fell in love more with football.
Alex Khvatov: What positions did you play in high school?
Briley Moore: I played WR and LB once in a while.
Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in you?
Briley Moore: Coming out of high school, I didn’t have a lot of FBS interest. It was mainly the MVFC conference teams. Navy offered me late.
Alex Khvatov: How did you wind up at Northern Iowa?
Briley Moore: UNI was the right fit for me. I knew the way they used their TE’s. I loved the coaching staff. It was the right fit out of high school.
Alex Khvatov: You missed the entire 2019 season with an injury. Tell us about your recovery process.
Briley Moore: I fractured two bones in my shoulder socket. I suffered the injury in the second half of the first game of the season. It was supposed to be a six-week deal. I was supposed to come back and play. It got pushed back. It was a four-month recovery. There was no surgery needed. The recovery process was very slow. I was trying to get the range of motion back. It healed very well. I don’t even notice now.
Alex Khvatov: How would you describe your overall career at UNI?
Briley Moore: I played a little as a true freshman. I weighed 220 pounds. I was split out in the slot. I had four catches for 60 yards and one TD. Sophomore year, I made the biggest jump. I added strength. I split time with another guy. We played a lot of 12 personnel. Junior year, I began to feel more comfortable at the TE position. I knew the playbook well. The coaching staff was amazing. They were designing plays for their playmakers. We had a great team that year. UNI was amazing to me. The players will be my brothers for the rest of my life. There are some elite players who will get drafted. Elerson Smith, Isaiah Weston, Xavior Williams and Spencer Brown. They will be competing for the national championship. During my junior year, I was first team all-conference. Going into my senior year, I was named preseason All-American. I was a team captain in the 2019 season.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you transfer to Kansas State for your final season?
Briley Moore: It was a hard decision. There is certainly no bad blood towards anyone at UNI. It was the right decision for me and my family. I want to play in the NFL. With everything going on with the pandemic, things can be taken away from you. Playing in the Big-12 was my goal. I bet on myself. I wanted to play at a Power Five level. My final three schools were Missouri, Baylor and Kansas State. I am from Kansas City, Missouri. I wanted to be closer to home. The campus is only two hours away. I have a son. He is eight months old. He was born last November. I wanted to be here with him. I have a great relationship with QB Skylar Thompson. We have been playing against each other since high school. I knew coach Klieman from his time at North Dakota State. It was a no-brainer. I know how they use their tight ends in this scheme. It was the right fit for me.
Alex Khvatov: What can we expect from the Wildcats this upcoming season?
Briley Moore: I believe that we will compete for a Big-12 championship. This team had a lot of success last year. There are no egos on this team. We are a bunch of guys that work for each other. It is a genuine team environment. I am excited to be a part of this team.
Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths?
Briley Moore: My biggest strength is experience. Just being able to run routes. I compete. I am also a team guy.
Alex Khvatov: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
Briley Moore: A lot of areas, but the main area is inline blocking.
Alex Khvatov: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
Briley Moore: Honestly, the past season at UNI. I didn’t play. Seeing the guys beat South Dakota State in a playoff game. They beat us a few weeks prior to that. We competed and ended up winning.
Alex Khvatov: What is the biggest lesson that you have taken away from your coaching staff?
Briley Moore: I had a great relationship with our OC and TE coach at UNI, Ryan Mahaffey. He showed me what it takes to be a man. He had a young son. Seeing him with his family. We are similar people. He was a role model and a mentor to me.
Alex Khvatov: What is your favorite NFL team?
Briley Moore: I grew up in Kansas City. The Chiefs. I watched Trent Green and Tony Gonzalez when I was young. Now, they have Mahomes and Kelce.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?
Briley Moore: Travis Kelce is my number one guy. Cam Newton is my second favorite player.
Alex Khvatov: What players on your team should we keep an eye on for this upcoming season?
Briley Moore: QB Skylar Thompson will be a senior this year. He has had lots of success. We grew up together. I am also a big fan of the receiving core. Josh Youngblood was a freshman All-American. WR Malik Knowles battled some injuries last year. They are both very hard working guys.
Alex Khvatov: Who is the best player that you have faced?
Briley Moore: Elerson Smith, my former teammate. He is a freak. He is explosive and so quick off the ball. He is explosive from his hips. He has a long body and knows how to use leverage. He put on some weight during the offseason.
Alex Khvatov: What is the most important trait for a TE?
Briley Moore: Versatility. The ability to be a dominant blocker and a dominant force in the receiving game.
Alex Khvatov: What makes you unique?
Briley Moore: My perspective on life now. I have a fiancée and a son. Family is the most important thing to me. I will continue to work and bet on myself.
Alex Khvatov: How has fatherhood changed your life?
Briley Moore: I want to tell my son to follow his dreams. I want to be a good role model to him. Your perspective on everything changes. You see life differently when you have a child. You are providing for another human, and he relies on you. Every day, it is an amazing journey, and I want to continue on with it.
Alex Khvatov: What do you enjoy most about football?
Briley Moore: I enjoy being in the locker room with the guys from different places and different paths. It becomes a brotherhood. Everything going on in the world today, we are a family. On the field, I enjoy taking a man’s will and getting the guy to the ground when I am blocking.
Alex Khvatov: What is your definition of a leader?
Briley Moore: A leader is someone who wants to help by example. Somebody that impacts the team for a greater good and does things for his teammates.
Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?
Briley Moore: With school, football and family, there is not that much free time. Our apartment is located right next to a par 3 golf course. I have been teaching myself to play golf.
Alex Khvatov: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
Briley Moore: I want to make an impact in my community. Having a son, it is my primary person that I am focusing on. I want to allow him to be successful in life. I want to have an impact on the youth. I want to start a non-profit organization, where kids would be able to have an impact in school, sports and life.
Alex Khvatov: What five words best describe you?
Briley Moore: Committed, versatile, hardworking, courageous, and faith.
