For all Warren Moon accomplished during his decorated career as an NFL quarterback, he is remarkably humble. Instead of discussing his own successes, he'd rather talk about the achievements of former players he used to face, guys like James Lofton and Mike Singletary.
Moon and Lofton, a Hall of Fame wide receiver, played on the same Pop Warner team in Los Angeles when they were nine and 10 years old. Except it wasn't a young Moon throwing bombs to Lofton for touchdowns. In fact, neither of them even played an offensive position.
"Just to show you what they thought about how good our personnel was, James was a defensive end and I was a linebacker," said Moon, laughing. "That shows you that we had some pretty good players on our team, because both of us ended up making it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So, we had some pretty talented players on that team at a young age."
Even at a young age, Moon saw many qualities in Lofton, a former wide receivers coach in the NFL, that would make him a successful coach.
"He really studied his craft [and] he's also a very intelligent guy," Moon said. "Once he puts his mind to something, he's the type of guy that's going to work his heart out to make it happen. So I think he's really qualified right now to be a head coach in the NFL."
As for Singletary, Moon didn't realize the former linebacker and current San Francisco 49ers head coach was as intense as he was, until he first shared a field with him after the Chicago Bears' 1985 Super Bowl year. Moon had heard all about those legendary eyes peering through Singletary's helmet, but he underestimated the impact they had on Singletary's opponents until he lined up against him.
"I'd been anticipating what those eyes were going to look like the whole time and, believe me, they were a sight to see, when I finally got to see them," Moon recalled. "As a quarterback, I tried to make sure I didn't look into his eyes-as much as I possibly could. I wanted to make sure I focused on what I needed to do, and not get caught up on Mike Singletary and his intensity."
Moon doesn't praise just his former gridiron mates. He also keeps an eye on several quarterbacks in today's NFL, and shares advice with players like Carson Palmer, Donovan McNabb, Tony Romo and Michael Vick when he gets the chance to cross paths with them-such as at previous Pro Bowls. He talks with them about how to improve and getting past their struggles through hard work.
"With Carson, he had to go through a very critical rehabilitation for his knee, and I was just trying to encourage him through that," Moon said. "Donovan is one of those guys that you don't have to tell a whole lot. He's happy-go-lucky, and I've always been an idol of his, so he says. We don't talk a lot about football-just charity events and things he's doing off the field.
"So, every guy is a little bit different, depending on what he's dealing with."
When it comes to his own playing career, one day stands out above all else for Moon. August 5, 2006: the day he was inducted in Canton, Ohio-in his first year of eligibility-as the Hall of Fame's first African-American quarterback.
"It meant the ultimate to me because that's the highest honor you can get in professional football, and I think the highest honor you can get in all team sports, because of football and its popularity," he said. "The guys that I'm in that group with I used to root for as a young kid-the Roger Staubachs, the Joe Namaths, the Bart Starrs and guys like that. Now, all of a sudden, I'm a part of these guys. It's just an amazing feeling to know you're considered one of the greatest to ever play this great game."
When Moon was starring as quarterback for the Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, he carried around an aura of invincibility which was common for players of his generation. The end of his career felt so far away, he said, that he admits he took some things for granted.
"I wish I knew the things then that I know now, just little things [like] how to prepare and not taking a minute of the game for granted, because you feel like you're going to play it forever," Moon reflected. "I'd probably go back and try to enjoy every moment of my career a little bit more, as opposed to dreading some of the days of practice, dreading some of the days of training camp, all of those different things.
"I think I really would appreciate it just a little bit more if I had to go back and do it again."
Like many former NFL players, Moon, who turned 53 on Nov. 18, often thinks about his greatest football memories. He didn't hesitate when asked what he misses most about the NFL: Sundays, right before the teams exit the the locker room and run out of the tunnel, ready to put on a show for millions watching live and on television.
"That's when your adrenaline is at its highest, the crowd is going crazy and you know the kickoff is close," he said. "All of the buildup throughout the week is getting ready to finally happen."
Moon, a three-time All-Pro, also misses being in an NFL locker room after practice, bonding with his teammates in a setting that can't be replicated.
"Just the camaraderie, all the practical joking, everything we went through every day that the outsiders don't really understand," he said. "It's just a great thing to be a part of, and you miss that sometimes."
Moon stays connected to the game by way of his radio and television work, as well as through a sports management business that keeps him busy year-round. Sports have been a big part of his life, ever since those childhood days of playing linebacker, of all positions, on the Pop Warner fields with Lofton. He simply can't have a life without sports.
"I'm really involved in sports," Moon said. "It's been a part of my life since I was nine or 10 years old. So it's kind of hard to walk away from it."
