The Humble Perfectionist
Sep 3, 2003 | Football
Sept. 3, 2003
NEW ORLEANS, La. - His full name is Mewelde Jaem Cadere Moore.
Literally translated, Moore's name in Swahili means "he who gets his wisdom, knowledge and strength from God." To Tulane fans, however, Moore's name is synonymous with long runs, great catches and outstanding overall play.
One would be hard-pressed to disprove either interpretation. One would be even harder pressed to find a day when Moore has not succeeded in living up to both of them.
"Every day, I feel that is with me," Moore said of his birth name. "I love my name, I thank my parents for giving it to me, and I believe in my name. There's nothing that I have to live up to. It's just who I am."
What Moore is, however, is much more than a student-athlete with a unique name. Over the past three years, Moore has gone from an unheralded recruit to the 2000 Conference USA Freshman of the Year, to the first player in NCAA history to rush for over 1,250 yards and catch more than 60 passes in a single season, to just the second player in Tulane history to log back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, to the 2003 Preseason C-USA Offensive Player of the Year.
His 3,449 career rushing yards is tops in Tulane history. As a sophomore, he became the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to rush for over 1,250 yards and catch more than 60 passes. His 1,138 rushing yards last year made him just the second player in Tulane history to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. With 5,182 career all-purpose yards, he leads the nation's returning players.
What's more, Moore needs just 192 rushing yards and 636 all-purpose yards to break the Conference USA record in each category.
But, when asked what he thinks of his accomplishments, Moore sums up his thoughts in one word: "Nothing."
"Records are meant to be broken," Moore said, "and someday, somebody's going to break mine. Whatever. Actually, I'll be happy. That means somebody got better. It's part of history, but soon enough, it'll be history."
What is, and always has been, important to Moore as a competitor, however, is two-fold: getting better and winning. And while Moore is quick to dismiss his individual accomplishments, he is the first one to give credit to his teammates for what Tulane has done since his arrival prior to the 2000 season.
"Anytime someone asks me about myself and what I've done, I just try to be humble about it," Moore said. "I'm so happy for (all the attention) J.P. and the wide receivers (are getting). I think they deserve the credit, but as for me, it doesn't really matter."
Head Coach Chris Scelfo says while Moore realizes that his success and the success of the offense depends on all 11 people doing their job, the senior's productivity has been impressive.
"His production is unparalleled across the board over the last two years," Scelfo said. "What he's been able to do without as much help at times is amazing. I really think his character, his dignity, his pride is what really makes him the type of player he is."
A native of Baton Rouge and a 2000 graduate of Bellaire High, Moore was heavily recruited by both Tulane and SMU with LSU making a push late in the process. But when it came down to a decision, Moore weighed his options and took the advice of his family, in particular his mother.
"I signed with Tulane because it was an opportunity to get a great education and play Division I football," Moore said. "It was also a fair chance to play. The coaches shot me straight and everything was legit and true. And besides, my mother said she would love for her child to go to Tulane, so I went."
But while Moore earned all-metro MVP and second-team all-state honors as a senior at Bellaire, he found himself third on the depth chart when the Green Wave opened the 2000 season against Ole Miss, behind then-sophomores Jeff Sanchez and Brandt Hocke.
He would not stay there long, however, rushing for 82 yards on 16 carries in his first collegiate game and racking up a season-high 131 yards in game two to post Tulane's first 100-yard rushing effort since 1988. Since then, Moore has been a mainstay in the Green Wave starting lineup and has since hit the century mark a school and C-USA record 16 times.
"You always hope that when you recruit a player he becomes a player that can be a difference-maker on the team," Scelfo said. "You never know for sure, but he's never gotten sidetracked. His work ethic is second to none on the football team, and that speaks volumes about the time he puts in to become the player he has."
While Moore has become a star donning the Olive and Blue, he could very well have skipped college altogether and pursued a career as a professional baseball player. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by San Diego, Moore inked a contract with the Padres out of high school and has spent every summer since working out in the organization's farm system.
The decision to attend college and play football was an easy one for Moore, however.
"I've always wanted to play college football and I've always wanted to play in the NFL," he said. "This gave me an opportunity to accomplish one of my goals in life.
"At night when I was a kid, I used to always dream of playing in the NFL - playing under the big lights, just going out there and making things happen and making the big plays. I used to play and would say to myself, 'Here we are in the fourth quarter. Handoff to Moore. He goes over the top. Touchdown!' I was always a creative kid and I try to be creative now."
Moore's creativity has helped the Green Wave to a pair of winning seasons in his first three seasons, and is a reason for optimism for the upcoming year. While he is obviously a key part of the Tulane attack, Moore shies away from personal recognition and chooses instead to focus on the team.
"I never really sat down and thought about what I may mean to the football team," he said. "I think I'm just like anybody else. We have a thing about our team that we're the "Green Machine." If somebody comes out of the machine, we just plug somebody else in and keep on going."
While his statements are humble, he is far from just another player in the eyes of opposing teams and coaches, who have geared their defenses around stopping Moore.
"He recognizes that he has to report every year in great condition because he's going to get the ball a lot," said Scelfo, who has held Moore out of contact drills in practice for the last two years. "His durability the last couple of years has been really good and for him to continue on and sustain the pace as a marked man week in and week out, he's got to be in great condition."
Running backs coach Greg Davis, Jr. knows that Moore brings much more to the Tulane offense than just his running abilities.
"I think Mewelde is a tremendous combination of receiving skills and running skills," Davis, Jr. said. "He's been able to take 20-30 carries per game, he hauls in his fair share of passes, and he's been able to block and protect the quarterback."
That work ethic and durability has put Moore on the map as one of the best backs in college football entering 2003, as he was voted the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year by league coaches, and has been named a candidate for the Doak Walker Award.
"He's the most complete back in the country that I know of," Davis, Jr. said. "If there's a back out there who has done more rushing and receiving and blocking than he has, I'd like to see him.
"He's a great player, but he's a better person. He does everything you'll ever ask of him and more, and that's what sets him apart," he continued. "He's never satisfied with what he did, how many yards he ran for, how much he got on a particular play, or anything. He's a perfectionist the whole time."
Though few can tell from watching his exploits on the field, Moore admits to answering to that description.
"I always want everything to go perfectly," he said. "If things aren't perfect, I'm upset with the day. However, I leave everything where it is. I leave a play and go on with the next one, but then I watch the film and know there's always room for improvement."
But what may be even more impressive about Moore is not his work on the field, but off it. By carrying a heavy load of 18 or more credit hours per semester, Moore is on track to graduate in four years with a degree from Tulane's prestigious A.B. Freeman School of Business. This comes despite not having the luxury of attending summer school classes due to his baseball obligations with the Padres. In addition, Moore was presented with the Community Service Award for Business Ethics at the Tulane Council of Entrepreneurs and Business School Council Awards Gala in the spring of 2003, earning the award for his work with high school kids as a mentor at John McDonogh High School.
"You should always look at it as circumstances and consequences in everything you do in life," Moore said. "You also look at it as gains and losses. You should never go into anything full steam ahead without looking at the bigger picture."
In the future, some may remember Mewelde Moore for his unique name. Many more will remember him for his unique talent, amazing feats and playing ability. Others will recall his numerous Tulane and Conference USA records. Few will know that Moore is a humble perfectionist who wants nothing more in his senior season than to lead Tulane to a Conference USA title and the Liberty Bowl.
