The Whistle: TJ Moore Always Hears It

The bond between a father and son can be special.

Such is the case with TJ Moore and his dad. The two have been bonding over football since Moore was a youngster and his father was playing college ball, and that bond played a big part in the freshman wideout’s love for the game.

“I was young when he was playing college,” Moore said. “I would always be around him and his teammates. It was like a good environment for me to see that I wanted to play football.”

That strong family bond extends beyond Moore and his father. His grandparents often attend his games, and the relationship he has with his mother is evident to anyone that spends time on social media.

Each week, despite the noise that comes with a college football environment, Moore can his his father whistling from the stands. And that whistle is a direct message to his son.

“Ever since my dad was on his football journey we have been real tight,” Moore said. “Seeing him and my grandpa at the games, that just means a lot. Even at the college games, I can hear his whistle in the crowd. I hear a lot of people, but I hear his whistle out of everybody.”

As for what the whistle means, Moore said it’s just a way his father lets him know he’s there.

“It’s really just to get my attention,” Moore said. “Just letting me know its ok. Just to let me know he is there.”

Moore has appeared in each of the Tigers’ first two games. After logging just six snaps and recording his first career catch in the season-opening loss to Georgia, the freshman saw his playing time increase dramatically in last Saturday’s 66-20 thrashing of App State. Moore finished with 3 catches for 44 yards, including his first touchdown reception.

Expectations were high for the former 5-star coming into the season. With those kind of expectations come pressure. And anytime he needs some guidance on how to deal with those kind of things, it’s his mother he looks to for advice. She’s the mental rock, and always has been,

“My mom has always been on the mental side,” he said. “She’s always been there to ask me if anything is wrong. She was always there is I was sad or I was mad or if I was happy. She has always been like a go to whenever I needed it.”

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