One of the coolest moments from "Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts" came from the Colts' Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"Way to play, dude," Tom Brady told Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II. "Great job out there. Keep it going. You got a great career going. You know what to do. I already seen it for the last four years."
Brady remembered Moore as No. 42 from training camp in 2017. Moore, then an undrafted free agent from Division II Valdosta State, made a strong impression on Brady and the Patriots that summer, but wound up being waived when New England trimmed their roster to 53 players.
The Colts claimed Moore and he's been a staple of their defense ever since.
"For sure it was inspiring just talking to Tom Brady," Moore said. "You never know who is watching. I just feel like I was another guy in New England just trying to find my way. You know, rookie season. He called me 42 whenever I was over there. That was my jersey number. It's pretty cool to years later to hear him speak about me and how I was when I was over in New England. Like I said, I thought no one else was really paying attention."
Moore, is thankful for the opportunity to start his NFL career with the Patriots and does not feel slighted for being cut by them four years ago.
"I don't really think that way," Moore said. "Just whoever has helped me grow and the Patriots have helped me grow and gave me a lot of knowledge to be the player that I could be right now. That's knowledge that I can still keep up and share with my teammates now. No bad blood at all. I just appreciate the opportunity of playing for the Patriots when I did."
In his fifth year with the Colts, Moore was named the team's Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee and is making another strong Pro Bowl case. Over the last six weeks, Moore is tied for the league lead in interceptions (three) and has allowed the third-lowest passer rating when targeted (48.5).
"A large part of all the success we've been able to have since I've been here defensively, a lot of it's been predicated around him – his flexibility to be able to make plays, in the box, open field, guard, play man coverage," safety Khari Willis said. "I think just as a person, how sincere he is. As a friend, as a teammate, as a brother, you appreciate people like that. You don't get very many people like that that are just that good of a football player and that good of a person.
"So that's what I appreciate about him. Even on the football field, he's always willing to learn, willing to listen, asking questions not only to coaches but to players, as well as teaching and instructing. That's my brother. We all love him and appreciate him here."
So Moore is going to head into Saturday night's massive clash with the Patriots with the same approach and mindset he's had while building his Pro Bowl resume all season.
"For me to play with a different type of emotion, I feel like it would be different — or, I guess, a slap in the face to all the other teams in this league," Moore said. "Just because they let me go in 2017, that doesn't mean that I'll play more emotional or anything like that."
Wednesday's practice report
