Words by Daniella Ponticelli
Saskatchewan Roughrider Kyran Moore returns as a starter at BC Place Friday with a new number, and a new perspective on the game.
The 25-year-old receiver from Bessemer, Alabama hasn’t played since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a 19-14 road win over the Montreal Alouettes on Oct. 30, 2021.
He went off the field as No. 85, and will move forward wearing No. 4 – in memory of his late uncle.
“My uncle would always throw the football with us and when I first started playing, he was always out there holding the chains,” Moore said.
“He played football in high school and he wore number four … I feel closer to him in a way, and I just want to get back to the old ways.”
Moore was first able to wear number four in his final year of college, earning himself a solid season with the Austin Peay Governors. He’s hoping that reconnection will bode well for his post-surgery return in Vancouver against the 8-1 BC Lions.
“I just embraced the process. I definitely grew a lot and learned a lot,” he said, noting his football IQ has improved during his recovery.
“When I first got back on the field, just running routes, my position coach told me, ‘I wish I can show you film from 2018 to now, and 2019 to now, like how much you changed’.”
Kyran Moore, nicknamed ‘Swerve,’ gets the crowd pumped up on the sidelines, while using crutches, at the West Semi-Final at Mosaic Stadium on Nov. 28, 2021.
Despite not playing since October 2021, including the final three regular-season games, Moore led the Riders in receptions that year with 64 for 585 yards.
Saskatchewan finished second in the west with a 9-5 regular-season record, as Moore grappled with the next steps in his journey.
“The day I tore my ACL, I called my mom and dad and was just speechless, you know, just had tears going down my eyes … because like, I never get hurt,” Moore said.
The five-foot-ten wide receiver had only ever sustained bumps and sprains, nothing surgical, up to that point. He was still feeling down when he video called his girlfriend and their nearly one-year-old daughter.
“When my daughter, you know, popped in the phone and was just smiling, I couldn’t do nothing but smile back,” Moore said. “From there, mentally, I was already ready for whatever is next. I know it’s going to be a long journey, but I’m ready to get it started.”
Moore chose to have his ACL surgery in Canada, where he was able to walk two weeks later in the airport on his way home for the offseason. From there, he went to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, to rehab his knee.
Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Craig Dickensen speaks with Kyran Moore ahead of a game against the BC Lions at BC Place on Nov. 8, 2021.
Moore spent at least two hours, everyday, for weeks with a local doctor on his recovery. His older brother, Roderick Moore, also helped keep him on track with workouts.
“I used to joke around and tell everybody I’m a bodybuilder, you know, because all I did was lift,” he laughed.
Humour aside, Moore put in the work to fully recover for game-readiness in nine months. He noted that much like his standout rookie year in 2018, his debut – for this season – will also happen at BC Place.
Moore signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in May 2018, making his CFL debut on Aug. 25 by catching two passes for 27 yards. The Riders defeated the host Lions 24-21.
Vancouver proved magical again for Moore in 2019, when he caught a touchdown pass in each of Riders two road wins over BC.
That season he recorded a team-high six touchdown receptions, finishing just short of 1,000 yards with a team-leading 78 catches.
Moore and the Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-5) visit the BC Lions (8-1) with an 8:30 pm CST kickoff Friday.
