October 18, 2018

Travis Moore is sharing his knowledge

Kyran Moore is adamant that he was planning to Google his position coach one of these days.

“I was going to, just because of the way he has been talking,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ rookie receiver said Thursday when asked if he knew anything about the CFL playing career of Travis Moore. “I just know he was a good player up here.”

Jordan Williams-Lambert didn’t need to go online for information. As a product of Ball State University, he already had heard of the exploits of his fellow Cardinals alumnus.

“The head coach there now (Mike Neu) was one of (Travis Moore’s) quarterbacks, so he relayed some of (Moore’s) accomplishments in the CFL to me,” Williams-Lambert said after the Roughriders practised at Mosaic Stadium.

“Once I found out that I had this opportunity and who I was going to be working with, it was exciting. He has really helped me develop as a receiver.”

Moore is in his first season as Saskatchewan’s receivers coach, having spent the previous eight seasons coaching in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2009), B.C. Lions (2010-12), Edmonton Eskimos (2013) and Ottawa Redblacks (2014-17).

His playing career in the league covered 11 seasons and featured five 1,000-yard seasons and berths on three West Division and three CFL all-star teams.

He reached the yardage milestone four times in his eight years (1994, 1996-2002) with the Calgary Stampeders. He also turned the trick for Saskatchewan in 2004, the middle of his three seasons with the Roughriders.

He won Grey Cup rings as a player with Calgary in 1998 and 2001 and as a coach with B.C. in 2011 and Ottawa in 2016.

“I know all that; I don’t think everybody else does, but I do,” Williams-Lambert said with a grin. “It’s great just picking his brain. He provides a level of intellect about the position that most people can’t provide because he has been there — and he did it for numerous years.”

For his part, Moore doesn’t like dredging up ancient history.

“I try to keep what I did quiet,” he said. “Once in a while, (the receivers) will bring up stuff and I’ll be like, ‘Oh, yeah,’ but my day is past. It’s all about them and how I can prepare them to win and hopefully to have long careers.”

Kyran Moore pointed out that Travis Moore occasionally brings up his career when the receivers are watching film. When the current pass-catchers raise an idea, their position coach sometimes will give them the “Back in my day” speech.

Travis Moore chuckled when the rookie’s comments were relayed to him.

“I do once in a while, but it’s more about me being physical, not about my numbers,” he said. “Those guys are bigger than me and more athletic than me, so if I was in their shoes, they probably wouldn’t be talking to me — because if I had some of their ability, I probably would have been a little better off.”

Now the 48-year-old product of Santa Monica, Calif., is trying to make his charges better.

The Roughriders’ receiving corps heads into Saturday’s game against the host Stampeders (5 p.m., CKRM, TSN) once again filled to the brim with young players with limited CFL experience.

The players with whom Moore has been working this season include CFL rookies Kyran Moore (a 22-year-old with eight games in the league under his belt), K.D. Cannon (22 years old, one game), Mitch Picton (23 years old, no games), Williams-Lambert (24 years old, 15 games) and Shaq Evans (27 years old, 15 games).

CFL veterans like Rob Bagg, Devon Bailey, Caleb Holley, Brian Jones, Patrick Lavoie, Naaman Roosevelt and Kenny Shaw round out the Roughriders’ crew of receivers, but they haven’t been as active as some of their younger teammates.

Coaching the youngsters has kept Travis Moore busy.

“You’ve got to earn their respect and earn their trust,” he said. “As receivers, we’re known as little divas. We always want it our way and we know what’s best. The biggest thing is helping them understand the concept and understand why.

“The why is the key: ‘This is why we’re doing something.’ If I can teach them the why in everything, we’ll be OK.”

The Roughriders’ offensive woes this season are well-documented, but Moore’s young pupils have shown flashes.

Evans is 16th in the league with 707 receiving yards, Williams-Lambert’s 152 yards against the Stampeders on Aug. 19 ties him for the 10th-best single-game total of the season, and Kyran Moore had nine catches for 126 yards against the Montreal Alouettes on Sept. 30.

“He’s a really cool, laidback coach, but he won’t let stuff get out of hand,” the younger Moore said. “He always tells you, ‘I’m going to come at you like a man and I just ask for the same in return.’ He has taught me a lot — and he still is teaching me a lot.”

It has been 16 years since Travis Moore last played a home game at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium, so he won’t be getting wrapped up in sentimentality when the Roughriders visit his old stomping grounds on Saturday.

Instead, his focus is a newer brand of receiver.

“My job is here with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and it’s to get these guys ready to play,” he said. “My (playing) days are long over with.”