Derek Moye Talks Big 33 Game card, Pittsburgh Fandom, Penn State Alumni NFL Jersey Swaps
Rochester, Pennsylvania's Derek Moye was a four-sport standout in high school.
He stayed in state and attended Penn State University and became a star wide receiver for the Nittany Lions.
Elected as a team captain his senior season, the 6'5" wideout finished his career with 144 receptions for 2,395 yards and 18 touchdowns. He left State College as the third of all-time leading receiver at Penn State.
After going undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft, he signed a free agent deal with Miami Dolphins.
After being waived by Miami, he was added to the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad in November of 2012.
The talented college wide receiver suited up for the Steelers for seven games during the 2013 season.
In this recent interview, Moye talks about seeing himself on a trading card for the first time, playing at Beaver Stadium and Pittsburgh athletes he idolized growing up.
Tony Reid-You’ve had 14 different cards produced during your football career. When was the first time you saw yourself on cardboard?
Derek Moye-The first time I remember seeing myself on a card was in high school for the Big 33 game. It was a pretty surreal and cool experience to have my own trading card.
TR-Did you catch any cards of yourself over the years?
DM-I do have a few laying around. I’m not sure of which ones they are but I definitely have a few of them.
TR-You were a star at Penn State. You were suited up for a number of memorable games. What was the home environment like at Beaver Stadium?
DM-It was a really cool experience, just having the amazing crowd at Beaver Stadium, there aren’t many, or any, that can compare to it. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I was different than most people because I didn’t go to any games before I played in a game. I never went on a recruiting visit in season to watch a game. The first time I ran out of the tunnel was for a game. The normal atmosphere in Beaver Stadium is pretty crazy but the first ever whiteout against Notre Dame was a wild experience.
TR- Do you have any memorabilia displayed from your college or pro career?
DM-I do have a few things but they aren’t really displayed. I have one jersey from my college career displayed. I like to have those things but not necessarily display them. I keep the memories and keep them fresh in my mind.
TR- If you could go back and do a jersey swap with anybody you played against, who would you stop after a game and ask for their jersey?
DM-That’s a great question. That just started to be a thing during my career. I never had the experience of swapping jerseys. I would have loved to swap jerseys with former Penn State teammates. I remember playing the Bengals and talking to Devon Still very briefly afterward and he texted me after the game and said the next time we played I needed to get him a jersey. We never ended up doing it. You look back on it, you share so many memories and you have so many different experiences with the guys you played with in college and then to share the stage with them at the NFL level, you hold on to them for the rest of your life.
TR- What is a memorable fan interaction from your time at Penn State or in Pittsburgh?
DM-The most memorable moment for me was when I was with the Steelers. At Steelers games, they have youth programs play a game at halftime. We played the Ravens and the youth team I played for, the Rochester Rams, they played their game at halftime. It was really cool. That Mighty Mites team was able to come out on the field before the game. I was able to interact with them and take pictures and sign some stuff for them. I knew a lot of those kids since the time they were born until the time they were playing in the Mighty Mites. It was a cool experience for them to see me in that light and for me to be on the field doing what I was doing and them being a part of it.
TR- If we could flip over one of your cards and you could choose the stat or fact that was listed, what would you want on the card to read?
DM-You are asking me some tough questions. It was my style of play. I was somebody who showed up to work every day and put my head down and nose to the grindstone and came out to work and ready t play. I would do whatever was necessary in order to help the team win games.
TR- Whose cards would you have collected as a kid? What football players were your guys growing up?
DM-Being a Pittsburgh guy, the first two people to come to mind are Jerome Bettis and Kordell Stewart. Those are obviously two Steelers that I enjoyed watching and looked up to. From an overall standpoint, it would have to be Randy Moss, for sure. Even though I am a Penn State guy, I have to say Larry Fitzgerald. Being from the Pittsburgh area and having the opportunity to see his highlights on the news every morning and night, what he did was so special. I would love to have a card of his.
Tony Reid spent more than a decade covering combat sports at the highest level. He has written hundreds of articles and conducted hundreds of interviews about sports collectibles for such publications as Beckett, Sports Collectors Digest, and Sports Collectors Daily. Reid worked full time at a sports card shop in Central Pennsylvania for a number of years. A lifelong collector, Tony treasures his rookie card collection of star players in baseball, basketball, and football. If you want to discuss the greatness of Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson or Ken Griffey Jr., you can reach him at @tonyreidwrites on all social media platforms