Q&A with Jalin Moore, RB, Appalachian State
I’m excited to bring you another interview with a 2019 NFL Draft prospect. Last week, we had Stetson TE Donald Parham. This week we are featuring Appalachian State RB Jalin Moore. I most recently wrote about Moore in my 2018 Sun Belt preview. In that piece, I picked Moore as my favorite to be the Sun Belt’s Offensive Player of the Year. He was draft eligible in 2018 so I covered him multiple times last season too. Moore is listed at about 210lbs and is an excellent pass blocker who runs with power. I hope to see Moore continue to get more involved as a pass catcher in 2018 which would really help increase his NFL Draft stock. Before we get to my Q&A with Jalin, let me show you my favorite play of his that I saw while studying some of his film. In this 31 yard touchdown run you see a bit of everything: his balance to avoid being tripped up, his speed to gain separation and his strong stiff arm.
Jalin Moore (Appalachian State RB) Vs. Toledo 2017 https://t.co/9Iw7XdzJ9j
— Robert F. Cowper | RSO (@RobertFCowper) June 10, 2018
Q: What’s the most memorable football game you ever played? Why does that one stick out?
A: The Idaho game my freshman year in 2015. It was a game where I got the opportunity I had been waiting for since I got here. I had been telling myself, with everybody on the team when you get to college, you don’t get too many chances, so I had in my head that this was my chance. I tried to make the most of the opportunity. (Moore certainly made the most his that opportunity; he ran 27 times for 244 yards in a 47-20 romp.)
Q: When you were growing up whose posters were on your wall?
A: Growing up, I was so good at basketball as a kid, everybody thought I was going to the NBA, so I had Michael Jordan, Shaq and Kobe, Tracy McGrady. I had all the jerseys, too. I was a real basketball fan growing up, and it’s funny now, I don’t even like playing for fun too much.
Q: If you could play one other position in college, offense or defense, what would it be? Why?
A: I’d probably say cornerback. Corners, they get to wear anything … long sleeves, towels. They’re not really in the trenches a lot, but they get to look good while they’re doing everything. They’re not bumping and grinding. They’re on the outskirts, so if I could play another position, it’d probably be corner.
Q: Do you have a player or team you particularly enjoy playing against? Maybe it’s a former teammate or a hated rival?
A: I’ve got to say Georgia Southern. Whether it’s Duke and Carolina and all the other teams, it’s up there with all the big rivalries in North Carolina. That’s Hate Week with trash talking and everybody saying everything to each other, and anything goes that week.
Q: Do you have any pregame rituals?
A: On the way back from the Mountaineer Walk, you meet with the fans, I’ll put my headphones back on when you get on the field just to get my mind right. I just try to zone out of everything and think about everything but the game. I can’t think about the game for too long. If I think about the game three hours before the game, by the time it gets there, I’d be drained out. I try to relax and get my mind right.
Q: What’s your favorite play that you’re always hoping gets called? Why is that your favorite?
A: Outside zone. That’s a play that’ll wear defenses down. You might get it the first four times, but you run it 30, 40 times, you get tired of running side to side. That’s when we’re going to chop you down and cut it straight up.
Q: Do you have any specific personal goals for the 2018 season?
A: I’ve got a few, but my No. 1 personal goal is to be the leader that this team needs me to be. We’ve got talent, but it takes way more than that.
Q: Is there a current NFL player that you model your game after?
A: I don’t really my model my game after him, but I feel like we have some of the same qualities, and he’s a young guy — Alvin Kamara. I feel like we have similar footwork, quick on the speed and shifty. Soft hands out of the backfield, I feel like I showed last year that I can catch the ball out of the backfield, too. As I look at his film, I feel like I see some of the same things.
Q: If fans want to follow you on social media, where can they find you?
A: On Twitter, it’s @itz__boobie.
(The above Q&A was lightly edited for formatting and clarification. Answers were received on June 8, 2018 via e-mail.)
Check back throughout the offseason as we showcase more 2019 NFL Draft Prospects. If there is somebody you would like to see us feature, please reach out to me on Twitter @robertfcowper.
Robert F. Cowper is a freelance writer who lives in New Jersey. He is a proud member of the Football Writers Association of America and the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. Robert works as a recreation professional, specializing in youth sports, when he isn’t acting as commissioner for his many fantasy sports leagues.
