Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 – Coach Thurmond Moore calls in two players to prepare them for the next drill. Coach Moore joins football staff as new defensive coordinator.
Moore joins varsity football staff as defensive coordinator
By Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18
THE ROUNDUP
Mr. Thurmond Moore graduated from Del Campo High School and said he aspired to succeed in whatever he did.
Mr. Moore participated in many sports in high school such as track, football, basketball and baseball.
“My love was probably basketball but I kind of like to hit people,”Mr. Moore said.
Mr. Moore said he has personally trained 80 NFL football players in the past three years. This is why he has no favorite NFL team.
“My favorite team is the Brophy Broncos,”Mr. Moore joked.
Mr. Moore said he did not enjoy the idea of work behind a desk so he became a coach.
Mr. Moore is very experienced in the game of football. Some notable colleges where he coached at include Syracuse, Tulsa, UCLA, Colorado State and Buffalo.
He has also coached at the NFL level with the Cardinals, Rams, 49ers, Raiders and Buffalo Bills.
“His football intelligence is through the roof. I’ve never met anyone with a higher football IQ than coach Moore. That comes from all his coaching experience,” said Jimmy Hawkins ’16.
Hawkins said that Mr. Moore has been using a different technique of teaching tackling form which has improved the defense of the Brophy varsity football team.
Others describe Mr. Moore as tactical and unpredictable on the football field.
“He likes to keep the other teams on their toes. You never know what they are going to run. I have seen in it from an offensive perspective,” said Cade Knox ’16, the varsity quarterback.
Mr. Moore said that zero concussions and winning games is the hallmark of proper tackling.
Mr. Moore said he believes that God is a big part of football because he is the one who gives you your strength and wisdom.
“Prayer. It’s all God. God gives you your strength and wisdom. He gives you the opportunity to be put on the pedestal to glorify his name,” Mr. Moore said.
Denk becomes new weights coach
By Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18
THE ROUNDUP
This year Mr. Joseph Denk joins Brophy’s faculty as the strength and conditioning coach.
Mr. Denk graduated from St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, OH, where he was raised.
“I was a pretty typical high schooler. I didn’t know what to do in school,” Mr. Denk said.
Mr. Denk said he loves football, but he has also played baseball, basketball and rugby.
In high school, Mr. Denk had a general goal of doing something he enjoyed and different than what his parents expected of him.
Mr. Denk worked a part-time job, was part of a ministry that served food for the homeless and played sports in high school.
“You only have one shot, make the most of those four years,” Mr. Denk said.
What inspired him to be a weight trainer was his own trainer, Tim Robertson, who coached him during the off season in college.
“I loved that experience so much that I ended up doing it myself … I think I fell in love with it too much, dug deep, and went after it,” Mr Denk said.
Mr. Denk said that his goal is for students to enjoy their experience and not only “get big.”
Students have experienced Mr. Denk’s teaching techniques, and they said they believe it is positive.
“He just brings new energy to the weight room…it’s more explosive movements and not just about getting ‘yolked,'” said Jimmy Hawkins ’16.
Mr. Denk said that he wants weights to be a positive experience that will show progression of a person mentally and physical.
“He is a guy you can definitely be friends with but at the same time he is pushing you and making you better in the weight room,” said Cade Knox ’16.
One trait that Mr. Denk said is very essential for weight room success is attention to detail.
“Most successful guys … they are always wondering what can I do to get better,” he said.
“I do play favorites. My favorites aren’t the guys who aren’t the stars of the team, but the guys who work like they are the stars of the team,” Mr. Denk said.
