Isaiah Moore On Returning In 2022: "NC State Is A Great Place"
NC State redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Moore discusses his decision to return for another season and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
On what went into his decision to return to NC State in 2022...
A lot of thought, a lot of prayer. I had a long talk with my family about it. I weighed my options and honestly I just felt more comfortable coming back. NC State is a great place and it’s given me a lot. God has brought me through a lot here and I want to leave on my own terms. I don’t want an injury to take me out. Being able to come back and do this one more time with my brothers will be fun.
On if he tries to influence any of his teammates’ decisions...
They’re my brothers, I want them to make the best decisions for them. I just [said] to them, “Just make the best decisions for you,” and I’m gonna love them either way. Of course I would want to bring everybody back, but I know that’s not in everybody’s best interests. As long as they do what’s best for them, I’ll be happy for them.
On his teammates and coaches’ reaction to his decision to come back...
They were definitely excited. I have a great relationship with everyone in the Murphy Center, so it’s definitely excitement. And they still have a lot to play for this year, so there’s still a lot left this year. But knowing I was coming back, it was definitely excitement.
On if his decision might influence anyone else...
Yeah, it’s possible. I don’t want to influence them one way or the other. I want them to make the best decision for themselves, and I’ll be here to give any of my advice or any of what I think if they ask. But if they don’t ask, I just want them to make the best decision for themselves.
On his injury and timeline for return...
It was a knee injury [and] I had surgery. I’ll be back ready to go for next season, full go. Not expecting any setbacks. I’m feeling really good about my recovery and who I’m doing it with, so I’ll be ready.
On if doctors have given him any dates...
Not necessarily. There’s not any real rush right now, it’s not like I’m trying to rush back for a bowl game or anything. Just taking it slow and when I’m ready I’ll be ready. I expect to be ready by next season.
On Drake Thomas’ play since Moore got injured...
He’s without a doubt one of the best linebackers in the country. Not just in the conference, but in the country. I said earlier in the year, it’s the way he approaches his business, the way he works. This isn’t a surprise in any way. It’s unfortunate that me and Payton [Wilson] went down, but it’s great to see him step into that leadership role and make the plays that he has. We all knew what he was capable of, so to see him step into that, I’m extremely happy for him. He deserves every little bit of recognition that he’s getting.
On the job Tony Gibson has done...
He’s done a really good job. We all love coach Gibson a lot. He came in after our rough 2019 and really kind of changed the way we play defense. He changed our attitude, how aggressive we are. He really demands a lot out of us, and in the linebacker room he’s able to let us play. He trusts us in what we see and what we tell him. We have great communication with him all the time. He trusts us to just go out there and play our game, so we definitely appreciate him for that.
On if what Dave Doeren is building at NC State is one of the reasons for his decision...
Yeah that definitely factors in. Coach has done a great job since he got here building this program into what it is now, and my trust in him and the coaching staff definitely played a factor in my decision. When my recruiting class came in, we wanted to put NC State in a place where it’s never been, and that’s still the goal. We can accomplish that this year and hopefully we can up that next year.
On the timeline of his decision...
I got hurt down in Miami, went through a week or two figuring out number one why this was happening and dealing with all the emotional stuff. Once I got over that, I started really believing what I was saying. God doesn’t make mistakes and this was just something he put in my path for me. And it kind of led me to more prayer and more discussion with my family. Over the last couple of weeks I was able to make a decision.