Rod Moore grew up in Clayton, OH — just an hour’s drive from Columbus — with many of his closest family and friends as Buckeyes fans. While they’ve always supported Michigan’s sophomore safety, they refused to shift their alle- giances in the rivalry for Moore’s first matchup against Ohio State last November. That’s why, in the aftermath of the Wolver- ines’ upset win, Moore couldn’t help but relish in the result. “I was going back talking to all of them,” Moore said. “Telling them like, ‘What happened? I told y’all we were going to beat them.’ ” This confidence radiates in Moore’s play on the field, exemplified by the career-high nine tackles he made that day. As a true freshman and former 3-star recruit, though, he didn’t always expect to be starting against the Buckeyes after arriving on campus just that summer. But Anthony Broering, Moore’s football coach at Northmont High School, certainly did. “When he left our program, I told the coaches he’ll have a chance to get on the field first before all the other guys because he’s so fast,” Broering told The Daily. “I predicted that Rod would have the best chance to get on the field early.” Broering has served as the football coach at Northmont for over three decades, and he knew Rod was different when he first saw him running track in eighth grade. The Thunderbolts play in the Greater Western Ohio Conference, one of the most talented high school football leagues in the state. To keep pace with the competition, Broer- ing typically rolls out juniors and seniors who’ve had a couple years to develop in the program. But Moore was too good to be kept on the side- line for that long. “He was literally the only sophomore out of 22 that played,” Broering said. “We knew that he was going to be really good when he was really young.” Despite his youth, Moore set himself apart with his blazing speed. The summer before his senior year, he ran a 4.38 forty-yard dash at a camp hosted by Pitt and that trait translated to the football field. Throughout his high school career, his side- line-to-sideline quickness made him an asset covering ground from the free safety position. Moore combined this speed with physicality to stifle opponents on the ground. He frequently crashed down from the secondary to get directly to the ball, turning what looked like an easy gain into a loss. These natural traits helped Moore to excel on the football field. But he also possessed a relent- less dedication to improving, whether that was hitting the weight room, studying extra film or keeping up with his academics, which allowed him to establish himself. “We kind of imprinted on him how important (that work ethic) was,” Broering said. “But he put that upon himself because he is such a hard work- er, he wants to know the answer. So, he studies really really well. And he’s super smart.” Moore’s individual success then carried over to the rest of his team. The Thunderbolts went 8-0 in the 2020 season before their playoff run was cut short due to COVID-19. Despite his ascent on the field, where Moore racked up 68 tackles for the year, he never wavered on his initial commitment to the Wol- verines he made back in the spring of his junior year. In December 2020, he officially signed his letter of intent. Unlike many of Michigan’s recruits, though, Moore didn’t arrive on campus until July — miss- ing valuable time to learn a complex defensive scheme during spring practice. Moore, as the the 538th ranked player in 2021 class, was underrated already and now was at a further disadvantage. But, just as he felt at Northmont, Moore was confident he could earn playing time quickly — and his work ethic was a byproduct of this mind- set. In fall camp, Moore constantly watched film, studying tape of himself in practice to fix his mis- takes. When the season began, Moore watched the film from team meetings again before prac- tice to get a better feel of what he needed to focus on. That dedication didn’t go unnoticed. “You can just tell how much he was studying from the beginning of training camp,” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said last November. “The hours he was putting in on his iPad watching tape was the most of anybody on the team.” The coaching staff didn’t think Moore would come along so quickly. But Moore’s trust in his natural abilities and extra effort off-field made noise which could only be ignored for so long. Ahead of Michigan’s pivotal showdown at Penn State last season, with the Wolverines’ Col- lege Football Playoff hopes hanging in the bal- ance, Moore earned the starting nod. He hasn’t relinquished that role since. “It was hard at first,” Moore said of his fresh- man season. “But as I continued to go and got my chance, I just made the best of the opportunity that was given. And it just went up from there.” In his debut, Moore held his own, accumulat- ing six tackles. Just two weeks later, Moore drew the start against his hometown Buckeyes, mak- ing an impact in Michigan’s biggest win in two decades. This season, Moore was one of the only returning players to the safety group. With Dax Hill and Brad Hawkins both departing the pro- gram, Moore became an obvious player to slot in as a starter from the opening game. But Moore didn’t want to just be plugged in for lack of a better option. He believed he could elevate his game. To do so, he just had to slow down. “He tries to do a lot,” Michigan defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale said. “That’s prob- ably the biggest thing I tell him, ‘Just don’t do so much. Do your job. Let it come to you. The ball will come to you, the players will come to you.’ And he’s starting to embrace that.” JOSH TAUBMAN Daily Sports Editor Inside Inside Rod Moore Rod Moore's s ascension ascension: How his How his confidence confidence quickl y quickl y earned him a earned him a starting role starting role The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com From the desk OF president santa ono From the desk OF president santa ono The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is publishing weekly on Wednesdays for the Fall 2022 semester by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. If you would like a current copy of the paper mailed to you, please visit store.pub.umich. edu/michigan-daily-buy-this-edition to place your order. 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The Game – the greatest tradition in college football – will see the University of Michigan facing off against Ohio State for the 118th time. And as a new member of the Wolverine family experiencing this spectacle for the first time, I feel like a freshman again. Intercollegiate athletics, especially at the exceptional level of our two universities, are a tremendous source of pride for our campuses, our alumni and our supporters. And traditions like these bring people together and help make our institutions unique. Now, let’s talk about the Buckeyes. As the former president of the University of Cincinnati, I had the pleasure of serving an institution located only about 100 miles down Interstate 71 from Ohio State. When I was recently asked by a Michigan Daily reporter how my experience at Cincinna- ti shaped my views on Ohio State, I must admit my mind went to athletics first. It went to Sep- tember 2014 and the stinging 50-28 loss that the Bearcats football team experienced at Ohio Stadium. We earned a conference co-champion- ship that season, but that loss still stings. As a sports fan, I’ve never been much of a scarlet-and-gray kind of guy. But working close to Columbus for years offered me a unique vantage point as both a researcher and university administrator into what Ohio State is all about – academic excel- lence, innovative research, quality health care and the public good. This became especially evident during the depths of COVID-19, when researchers and health professionals at OSU – just like at U-M – led the way in tackling some of the pandem- ic’s most pressing challenges in clinics, research labs and hospital rooms. Thanks in no small part to the expertise, leadership and tireless effort put forth by so many at our two great public research institu- tions, the Wolverines will enter the Horseshoe safe and healthy. And they’ll exit – of course – as Victors. Just as with many research areas, U-M’s goals often align with our rival’s. I congratulate and thank all students and campus community members from both universities who rolled up their sleeves for the 40th annual Blood Battle to address critical blood shortages. Our univer- sities also work together as founding members of the American Talent Initiative, an important effort to expand access and opportunity to tal- ented lower-income students. In many ways, our two storied institutions are more alike than anyone would ever care to admit On a chilly Saturday in late November amid the thunderous din of marching bands and screaming fans. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do all we can to support our team. Let’s grab our maize and blue gear, sing “The Victors,” and make it two in a row over the Buckeyes! Go Blue! READ MORE AT MICHIGANDAIL Y.COM SARAH BOEKE/Daily Cover Photos: JEREMY WEINE, KATE HUA, TESS CROWLEY, EMMA MATI, JULIA SCHACHINGER, GRACE BEAL, ANNA FUDER/Daily