Paris Moore 5-11 and 210-pound running back at Division II Minnesota-Morris, that is a mission to make it to the NFL. This past year he had 1,449 yards, 14 touchdowns, and a 5.0 yards per carry average. He was able to put up these numbers despite playing on an unsuccessful 0-11 squad with a below average passing game. With defenses stacked up to stop the Paris Moore run, he was still able to carve his way into the UMM record books, setting the schools single season all-time rushing record.
Paris is a strong runner who has great vision.
“I think that my biggest strength is my vision I’m a north and south runner who is a good down hill runner,” said Moore.
His mission to make it to the NFL started as a senior at North High School in Phoenix, Arizona where Paris rushed for over 1,000 yards and received some recruiting attention from home state schools Arizona State and Arizona. He was also recruited by several junior colleges in the Phoenix area, and decided to attend Mesa JC. After one year at Mesa and choosing not to use a year of football eligibility, he transferred to Phoenix JC. After that he earn a scholarship to Mississippi Valley State as a running back.
But Moore realized that MVSU was not the right school or football program for him. His goal was to surround himself with good people both on and off the field, and he felt that many of the players in the MVSU program at that time did not represent the quality of character that he expected. He had a former teammate from Phoenix JC that was attending Minnesota-Morris so he transferred there.
"I talked to the coaching staff (MVSU) and they were disappointed, but they understood my reasoning," said Moore. “It was a tough decision, but one that I really felt was in my best (personal) interest. It may not have been the best decision for me in professional football terms, but I just really felt that I had to take that chance."
Moore is a tough inside runner but has the burst to get outside and turn the corner. He has outstanding vision and is a powerful, durable runner. He has the ability to make people miss.
Moore fits in the West Coast type of offense because he has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.
“I think that I have good hands and I was a wide receiver in high school before I switched to running back,” said Moore.
Moore would compare himself to Emmitt Smith of his favorite NFL the Arizona Cardinals.
Moore wasn’t drafted out of Minnesota-Morris and wasn’t signed after the draft but there are some NFL teams like the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, and some CFL teams that are still showing him interest. Paris Moore mission is still not complete.