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Danny Moore
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While Moore has been a first team
all-ClAA center through his first two
seasons, this year has posed some nagging
problems. Moore sustained an
ankle injury early in the season that
would have prevented most people
from even walking. But Moore refused
to stay out of the lineup. As if that
I. 1- > _1 ? t - V /
wasn i cnuugn, ne aiso nun nis arm.
"He played two or three games with
a broken arm," says Hayes. "We
didn't even know that he was hurt. 1
. sent him to have it looked at and the.
doctor said his arm had been fractured. .
'That's what the players really
respect about Danny," Hayes says.
"He's a leader because he's going to be
there when 1 need him. I never have to
worry about whether or not Danny
Moore is going to play up to his potential.
Injured or not, he's always going
to do his best."
Moore has also had to adjust to a
change in position this year. The Rams .
lost all-CIAA guard Alvin Powell to
graduation and Hayes needed a strong
David Parker
already within 1,200 yards of the
NCAA passing record. However,
i>ecause of rainy weather and Bishop's
increased emphasis on its running
game, Parker hasn't thrown as much
as he once did.
' Still, instead of making a big deal of
going for the passing record, he has
been contentwin football games.
"We've had a lot of different circumstances
this year," says Parker.
"As long as we're winning, 1 don't care
about how many yards I throw for.
Winning comes first."
What's more, Parker says, he's enjoying
this season more than previous
ones.
"We're winning this year," he says.
"Why bother with passing the ball0 I'm
not going to do anything different than
what's been working for us. I just want
iw u y aiiu imcuuuuu lug same type ui
performances that I've had in the
~ gaittcs-weN^ wtm ihis'sroon ^
At this stage of his passer's career,
Jones says, he couldn't be more pleased
with Parker. And, while there are
plenty of talented quarterbacks in
black college football, Jones says, he
rates his hard-throwing signal-caller second
to none.
I1'David has done a super job for
us," says Jones.. "He's, a good kid
that's worked hard and done
everything we've asked of him. He's
developed into a leader for us. What I
like about him is that he's matured a
IBM
From Page 11
blocker who can pull when the Rams t
run outside. Hayes^asked for t
volunteers and Moore was quick to i
step in. ?^ i
"He piciced it up in a matter of 1
minutes^ Hayes says of Moore's tran- 1
sition to guard. "Once he found out 1
wno ne was supposed to block it
became second nature for him. It's the j
easiest transition I've ever seen anyone <
make." I
For Moore, it was simply a matter of
helping out the team. <
"As long as I'm helping the team it '
doesn't really matter what position I (
play," says Moore, who had been a
center since the 11th grade. "I knew a
lot of the things that a guard has to do, I
so it wasn't that bad making the (
change to guard." <
It might seem that, since he's a cinch I
to earn all-ClAA honors for the third 1
straight year, Moore doesn't have
anything left to prove. However, I
Moore insists there's still room for im- <
provement.
"I have to put out more effort now i
*
From Page 11
lot and he's doing what it takes to win p
games.
1 'David knows our system as well as s
the coaches do," Jones says. "In one s
of our games this season, he kept (
audibling at the line of scrimmage and i
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him why and he said, 'You told mc that"
when the linebackers do this I'm sup- \
posed to change the play.' That show- (
ed he's thinking on the field and reacting
to the other team."
While Willie Totten of Mississippi
Valley is widely considered to be the y
class of the black college quarterbacks,
Jones says Parker is better in some
areas. 9
"I've watched them (Mississippi c
Valley) on cable television and I think
David has a better release and he's big- a
ger than Totten," Jones says. "We j
don't have the personnel to do what f
Archie {Mississippi Ycllev Coach Ar
chre Cwtey) does.'Bui-it wmikH>c^r?^
good war between Totten and David." r
Despite playing for a Division III ^
school, Parker believes he stacks up
favorably with any quarterback in the
country.
"They put on their equipment the F
same way I do," says Parker^ "I feel I i
can play with anybody." ^
Already this season Parker has led (
Bishop to victories over NCAA Divi- S
sion I-AA Prairie View, two Division I
II schools and highly-touted Texas
Lutheran. That ought to impress,the F
kCr f CLt ECt s
han ever before," he says. "You have
:o come in with the attitude that you
iren't the best and there's always soneone
else out there better than you.
Hight now I'm making myself work
lard because you have to work hard to
ceep yourself on top."
In doing so, Moore hopes that he'll
get his chance to fulfill one of his
dreams ? to make it as a professional
football player.
"That's probably in the back of
;very college athlete's mind," he says.
'I would like to get a chance to play in
he pros."
There are other goals as well.
"I'd also like to get my degree,"
Vloore adds. "Hopefully I can use my
legree to get a job working with han
4IVap|JVU VllllUICil. 1 vc WUI NCU Willi
landicapped children on and off since
before I came here to school."
Helping others is important to
Vloore. A shy, reserved young man, he
operates on his inner feelings.
In fact, he chose to attend WinstonSalem
State because of the way he felt
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>ros, say Parker and Jones.
"Somebody's going to give him a
1 i ,, 1 _ _ ?? II1K kainkt
nui, says JUIICS. nc uas IIIC ucigiu,
peed, weight and range to make it.
)nce he learns the system that's used,
t shouldn't be too hard for him to
nake it."
If he gets the chance, Parker says,
ie'll do his best to make it as a pro
quarterback.
"Ever since I was a little kid I've
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Virginia Union
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rippling injuries.
'We've had 17 players, on offense
done, miss at least a game with an inury."
says Taylor. "We average about
?
our or nve missing a game.''
Things got so bad against Norfolk
egulars, David Robinson and Keith
foung, to the offensive line.
"I didn't like doing it," said Taylor
Tt was out of necessity."
While the offense has been disapK>inting,
the defense has remained
mflinching under coordinator Richard
dcFee. In fact, middle linebacker Sam
jrooms rates right up there with Herb
>cott and Malcolm Barnwell as one of
Jnion's all-time greats.
Still, as the losses mount at Union,
'anther alumni have begun talking
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<r_"
that people treated him there as much
as anything else.
44I felt at home when I came to
visit/* Moore says of his decision to attend
WSSU. 4 The atmosphere was
nice and I thought I could get a good
education in an area that 1 was interested
in.** , ^
Moore turned down offers from
several major colleges to come to
Winston-Salem, including Clemson*
and South Carolina.
441 thought that 1 would have an opnortlinitv
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|#wa VM? *J III 111J VIM VV I II A
came here (to WSSU)," he says. "It
was a decision I had to make and I
knew what I wanted."
Apparently so. In addition to earning
all-CIAA honors for the past two
years, Moore has played on Ram teams
that have gone 16-2-1 at this writing.
He's also performed well in the
classroom.
To add a new twist to the old James
Brown lyric, Moore is "Talking a little
and saying a whole lot."
always thought about that," he says.
"I've been playing football since 1 was
about 10 years old and it's always been ?rthere.
"I really want to get my shot at it.
I'm going to try to do my best. I know
that, once I get started, it won't tate
me long to learn the formations and
plays. I'm going to be all about studying
and being serious because professional
football is a business."
From Page 16
<
season as head coach at Howard. No
one doubts that Taylor was dealt a
weak hand at Howard, but his 1-10
record is still there as an eyesore on the
resume,
i.i -.? .h. r j-y-irnr- I "
Taylor was dismissed after that one
season, and replaced by Willie Jeffries,
one of the top coaches, black or white,
in America. Jeffries produced a I-AA
powerhouse at South Carolina State,
and went on to compile an excellent
record at Wichita State in the I-A t
ranks.
So, what now? What does the future
hold for Union's proud program?
Was this a fluke season, one
overloaded with injuries and mitigating
Please See Page 21 1994-Page
17!