We are 56 days away from college football kickoff. We have 8 more Saturdays WITHOUT college football! It is HOT! HOT! HOT! EVERYWHERE! So cool off by reading more about todays players profiled in our countdown to kickoff. Today, we have Corey Moore of Virginia Tech and LaMarr Woodley of Michigan. Be sure to check back tomorrow for #55 in our countdown to kickoff. Enjoy!
Corey Moore (56) Days Away From College Football Kickoff
56: Corey Moore, Virginia Tech
Corey Moore played with unmatched intensity and physicality, constantly disrupting opposing offenses and earning recognition as the most decorated defensive player in Hokie history. The Brownsville, Tennessee native is now just the fifth Virginia Tech player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Moore was a two-time First Team All-American and only the second Hokie to earn unanimous honors in 1999. He made history as the first player to win both the Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy in the same season. As the leader of Virginia Tech’s well-known “Lunch Pail Defense,” Moore helped the team lead the nation in rushing defense and first downs allowed in 1998 and 1999, and in scoring defense in 1999. The Football News named him Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.
During Moore’s three seasons in Blacksburg, the team went 27-9 and earned three bowl appearances. In 1997, they finished 7-5 and played in the 1998 Gator Bowl. The next year, the Hokies improved to 9-3 and beat Alabama 38-7 in the Music City Bowl, where Moore was named MVP. In 1999, with Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer, the Hokies had their best season ever, finishing 11-1 and ranking No. 2 in the final AP Poll after playing Florida State in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, their first national title game.
Moore was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice and helped the Hokies win the 1999 Big East title. He led the conference in sacks in both 1998 and 1999, with 13.5 and 17.5 sacks, respectively. In 1999, the Richmond Times Dispatch gave him the Dudley Award as Virginia’s top player.
Moore ended his college career with 166 tackles, 58 tackles for loss, 35 sacks, four pass breakups, three fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), six forced fumbles, and three blocked kicks. He is the only Virginia Tech player to receive lifetime possession of “The Pail” from longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster, a symbol of hard work among Hokie defenders. The Hokies retired his jersey in 2010.
Moore was drafted in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft by Buffalo and played one season with the Bills before signing a two-year contract with Miami.
Moore was a two-time First Team All-American and only the second Hokie to earn unanimous honors in 1999. He made history as the first player to win both the Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy in the same season. As the leader of Virginia Tech’s well-known “Lunch Pail Defense,” Moore helped the team lead the nation in rushing defense and first downs allowed in 1998 and 1999, and in scoring defense in 1999. The Football News named him Defensive Player of the Year in 1999.
During Moore’s three seasons in Blacksburg, the team went 27-9 and earned three bowl appearances. In 1997, they finished 7-5 and played in the 1998 Gator Bowl. The next year, the Hokies improved to 9-3 and beat Alabama 38-7 in the Music City Bowl, where Moore was named MVP. In 1999, with Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer, the Hokies had their best season ever, finishing 11-1 and ranking No. 2 in the final AP Poll after playing Florida State in the 2000 Sugar Bowl, their first national title game.
Moore was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year twice and helped the Hokies win the 1999 Big East title. He led the conference in sacks in both 1998 and 1999, with 13.5 and 17.5 sacks, respectively. In 1999, the Richmond Times Dispatch gave him the Dudley Award as Virginia’s top player.
Moore ended his college career with 166 tackles, 58 tackles for loss, 35 sacks, four pass breakups, three fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), six forced fumbles, and three blocked kicks. He is the only Virginia Tech player to receive lifetime possession of “The Pail” from longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster, a symbol of hard work among Hokie defenders. The Hokies retired his jersey in 2010.
Moore was drafted in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft by Buffalo and played one season with the Bills before signing a two-year contract with Miami.
Another Great # 56, LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
LaMarr Woodley finished his time at Michigan as one of the school’s most decorated defensive players. He played in 49 games and started 33 of them at defensive end, collecting 177 tackles, 52.5 tackles for loss, and 24 sacks. He ranks second in career tackles for loss and third in sacks at Michigan. Woodley also set the school record with 10 forced fumbles and recovered five. He was named to the All-Big Ten first team twice and won the Richard Katcher Award as Michigan’s top defensive lineman or outside linebacker in both 2004 and 2006.
In his senior year in 2006, Woodley tied Michigan’s single-season sack record with 12. Out of his 36 tackles that year, 16.5 were tackles for loss. He was chosen as a co-captain and became the first Michigan player to win both the Lombardi Award for top lineman and the Ted Hendricks Award for top defensive end. Woodley was a consensus first-team All-American and earned both the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors after being a unanimous first-team all-conference pick.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
main photo: Virginia Tech Athletics
