2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Briley Moore, TE, University of Northern Iowa

Briley Moore is a top tier tight end for UNI, and he recently sat down with NFL Draft Diamonds Jonathan Joyce

Student-Athlete Profile:

Briley Moore
University of Northern Iowa
TE
6’3”
242lbs.
Hometown: Blue Springs, MO
Twitter: @Briley_moore22

2018 Accolades & Statistics:

2018 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference First Team.
GP: 12
Receptions: 39
Receiving Yards: 536
YP/REC: 13.74
TDs: 4

As an athlete, what is your motivation?

First and foremost, my faith is something that has always motivated me and gives me comfort. My mother and my grandma, Nana, helped me grow in my faith and helped me form my own beliefs leading me to be a follower of Christ, so I owe them the world. Other than that, most of my motivation has always come from my family. I put in the work that I do so I can provide for my family one day and tell my mother and sister we don’t have to worry anymore, I got it all taken care of. Expecting a son this fall, I have a whole new level of motivation to make sure that first, aside from sports I am the best father that I can possibly be and second, to make sure that I do all that I possibly can to assure that I leave him the platform to be successful in whatever he chooses. Since I was a little kid I dreamed of becoming an NFL player and hearing my name called in an NFL draft and that has always driven me. Seeing myself actually put me in a position for that to possibly come true has been a big motivating factor in my life lately. A lot of my motivation comes from struggle and things I’ve been through in my past so to assure I don’t allow my future kids and family to go through that, I put in the work in the weight room, on the field, in the classroom, in myself as a man and in my faith to assure that whatever happens I can provide my family the best life possible.

What defines success for you?

Success to me has never been about stats or materialistic things. Success differs from person to person but to me, success is happiness. As long as at the end of the day, my family and those around me are happy and taken care of, I can say that I am successful. With that being said, I am my own biggest critic and am very hard on myself when it comes to football which has been a blessing because I’ve never been content with anything, always wanting more and believing I have more in me has allowed me to push myself further and has made achieving goals something that I do not allow myself to get content with because I know I can achieve more once I reach them.

What would your teammates say about the type of teammate you are?

I would expect my teammates to say that I am a guy that is going to come in everyday with the mindset that I am going to work hard, lead by example and put others above myself.

What are some of your personal “rules” that you never break?

One of the rules that I would never break is never switching up who I am. We see it a lot in today’s society, people switching up because they have success and to me, that’s not honorable. I will always hold myself accountable to stay true to myself, those around me and stay humble no matter how much success I have. Another rule that I have is spreading positivity as much as I can. I want to be able to make a difference in the lives around me and being a negative person is only going to bring negativity to your life and those around you.

Who is the toughest player you’ve competed against during your collegiate career?

I’ve been fortunate enough to go against some very talented people in my collegiate career. Luckily, some of the best players that I have been able to go at it with have been on my own team. Going against guys like that have some pretty nice accolades such as Karter Schult and Rickey Neal have really helped me develop in the run game. We also have some guys on the D line that I expect to take over the MVC in the next couple years that have pushed me as a player are Elerson Smith and Brawntae Wells. In the receiving game, having an All-American in your secondary, Xavior Williams, is always a plus because having a guy like that makes you assure that you bring your A-game every day. Korby Sander, Christian Jegan, Shakespeare Williams and Alphonso Lambert are just a couple of the other names on our defense that help me with my game and that I believe will have success in the near future.

Who is the best player in the NFL?

Patrick Mahomes. Funny story on him, I went to a concert at Arrowhead last summer and I can’t even count the amount of people that thought I was him. People were yelling his name at me, trying to take pictures of and with me and all of that. It was pretty funny.

What is your team of choice on Madden, why?

Panthers or Chiefs. Either I’m going to use QB1, Cam Newton, to run around and throw bombs or I’m using the chiefs who should be illegal to play with in Madden 20.

Failure is inevitable in life. How do you handle situations that don’t go in your favor?

Without failure, there would be no success. In my life, there have been countless amounts of situations that would be considered “failure.” Instead of dwelling on those situations I have always had the mindset of turning a loss into a lesson and using it as fuel to my fire. Some of my best successes have been stemmed from failing time and time again but I’ve always used rock bottom as my foundation.

Is there a current/former NFL player that you model your game after?

Travis Kelce would be the first person that comes to mind for this one. I’ve studied a lot of his game film this offseason and have been able to implement a could things from his game into mine. The way he gets in and out of his breaks is deceptive in his routes and his passion that he plays with are a couple of the things that makes him great. Growing up watching Tony Gonzales dominate the league has had an impact on my game also, even before I knew I would be a tight end.

Knowing what you do now, what would you go back and tell yourself as a High-School Freshman?

If I could go back and give myself advice I think that it would just be to understand that everything happens for a reason and embrace it. A lot of things are going to happen in the next few years, just embrace it and use it as motivation. Don’t be afraid to relax and just enjoy your time. High school flies by so enjoy all the wonderful times it brings. Show love to the ones that have always shown love to you because you’re going to need them to become the man you want to be. Dig deeper into your faith and put in the work.

What is your go-to restaurant near campus?

Momma J’s. If you’re ever in Cedar Falls, it’s a must try for breakfast. It’s life changing.

If your life was a book, what would its title be?

Either Grinding All My Life, RIP Nipsey Hussle, or Nothing Was The Same, S/O Drizzy.

What song or artist do you like but rarely admit to liking?

Ariana Grande. Thank U, Next is filled with bangers.

If you could have dinner with anyone in the world, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

Will Smith without a doubt. He has always been my favorite actor but through the past couple years that I have gotten older and studied him a little more I’ve learned that the man is a genius. His outlook on life, happiness and success are a couple things that have been very eye opening to me and have pushed me to become a better version of myself. I would have so many questions and would just soak up as much knowledge as I could. Oh and Fresh Prince is the best TV show ever hands down.

Forty-years from now, what do you want to be remembered for?

Having a positive impact on the lives around me and being a great husband and father. Being in the NFL has always been my dream and I believe that it would give me the platform to touch lives in a positive way. Growing up without a male role model in the house I’ve seen first-hand the impact that an absent father can have. Although I never let it negatively affect me, I know the power it has had on other people. If I were to be fortunate enough to make it to the NFL I would love to use my platform and start an organization that brings kids from single parent homes together and puts positive male role models around them to make up for the absence of their fathers. This is something I would love to be remembered for.

In 15 words or less, why should an NFL team invest in you?

Production, morals, family, loyalty, dedication, ambition, faith, discipline, coachable, positive, relatable, honor, competitive, passion, authentic.