MANHATTAN — Austin Moore had his share of obstacles on the way to becoming Kansas State’s starting weakside linebacker.
The first was his family background growing up in Louisburg, just south of Kansas City, what with his mother going to school at Kansas and his late grandfather cheering for border rival Missouri.
“I was a little brainwashed by my mom. She went to KU, so I started off a KU fan,” said Moore, a 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior, who made his second career start in last week’s 34-0 K-State victory over South Dakota. “But as I grew older, I kind of knew K-State was the place I wanted to be.”
Even so, Moore’s high school career at Louisburg, where he was an all-state running back and linebacker, didn’t produce any Division I scholarship offers. In order to make it at K-State, he’d have to first walk on.
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“I would have considered (other schools), but I honestly didn’t have a lot of options,” he said. “So this was the main place once I got the opportunity, and I really wanted to play here.
“I knew (K-State) was a group of guys that were hard workers. Maybe not the most highly recruited people, but they came to work every day and they proved themselves on the field.”
That, in a nutshell, describes Moore’s career as well. After redshirting his first year, he appeared in seven games in 2020, primarily on special teams, recording four total tackles.
Then last year he saw action in all 13 games, making his first career start at Kansas. He finished the season with 18 tackles, including three for loss.
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From walk-on to Big 12 starter
During preseason camp this August, Moore was locked in a battle with Nebraska graduate transfer Will Honas for a starting spot and won the job outright when Honas suffered an injury.
“Austin has played a lot of football for us on special teams, and (last year) backed up Fletch (Cody Fletcher) and has done some nice things,” K-State coach Chris Klieman said after Moore led the Wildcats with five tackles against South Dakota. “But it was pretty cool, a walk-on kid from Kansas starting at inside linebacker for the Wildcats. A dream for him.
“He’s a really good player. I’m excited about Austin’s progress.”
So is Moore, who’s been on scholarship since last spring.
“A huge honor,” he said of the scholarship. “Something I dreamed about since I got here.”
Truth be told, he chose K-State in large part because of its tradition of recognizing hard-working walk-ons.
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“So many guys that have done it before me, so many examples to go off, so that was definitely a big thing,” he said.
Linebacker coach Steve Standard singled Moore out during preseason camp for his growth and work ethic.
“He has come so far,” Standard said in mid-August. “I would say he’s probably having the best camp of all the linebackers.
“He’s a really smart football player, and he’s really developed instinctively. And Austin works at it. He works at his body (and) he works at it mentally. He has really put himself in a position that he deserves.”
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The Machine’ moniker holds true
He certainly has caught the attention of quarterback Adrian Martinez, who transferred in from Nebraska this spring.
“Some guys on the team like to call him ‘The Machine,'” Martinez said. “I like that nickname because he’s about his business, and he makes sure to come to work every day and bring that same intensity.”
Ah yes, the nickname.
Moore didn’t care for it at first, though it has grown on him.
“It kind of started with (then-defensive coordinator Scottie) Hazelton in the meeting room,” Moore recalled. “He’d say I wasn’t showing a lot of emotion, but I was kind of always locked in, answering questions real fast.
“And then Cody Fletcher was the one, I think, who started calling me the Machine. I didn’t like it as much when it had its original meaning, but yeah, I do like it.”
Senior center Hayden Gillum, who regularly goes against Moore during practice, knows exactly what the Machine moniker means now.
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“He’s quiet and he doesn’t say a ton. A lot of people probably don’t know Austin Moore, but you see him work,” Gillum said. “You definitely notice that. “He’s physical in practice and he’s got a big motor.”
And now that he has made it, Moore said, it has all been worth it.
“It’s definitely tough throughout the journey, but I feel like I’ve been lucky, and I’ve just worked hard, and my progression has gone up a little bit every year,” he said. “I’ve just been motivated, kind of seeing that goal the whole time.”
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @arnegreen.