From Walk-On To Team Captain, K-State Linebacker Austin Moore Becomes Leader
Kansas State senior linebacker Austin Moore is like so many others before him who grew into a leadership role instead of being one the first day he stepped on campus.
It is virtually impossible to be a leader as a walk-on. But if a walk-on sticks it out, earns a scholarship and starting position, there is no better person to be one of the leaders because he knows the hard work it takes to reach those achievements.
The journey by Moore makes him perfect to be a captain and team leader in his final season playing football for the Wildcats.
Moore talked about his evolution of becoming a leader last week at the Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas.
“It wasn’t natural for me,” Moore said in a breakout media session. “When I first started out, I saw myself as a lead by example kind of guy. Kade Warner (former K-State wide receiver) told me that his dad told him that lead by example is kind of selfish. You know right from wrong and you are not saying something when you should. I tried to embrace that.”
Moore was thrust into a leadership role early last year when senior linebacker Daniel Green suffered a season-ending injury in the third game of the season against Missouri.
Green was poised to have an impressive season after earning All-Big 12 honorable mention by the coaches in 2022. In the Missouri game, he recorded nine tackles, including 2.5 for losses and a sack.
“Trying to fill the shoes of Daniel Green has been my goal,” Moore said. “I have learned a ton from him. I got thrown into a bigger leadership role after he got hurt. I have taken more of a vocal role.”
When Moore speaks, the freshman and sophomore linebackers should definitely take notes because Moore knows what it takes to be successful in the Big 12.
David Boyce is a contributing writer to K-State On SI. He can be reached at davidboyce95@gmail.com.
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DAVID BOYCE