DJ Moore is one of the young talents who made their way to the American professional league as part of the 2018 National Football League (NFL) draft.
He played college football at the University of Maryland, where he was the 2017 Big Ten receiver of the year and the first conference team pick. Although DJ Moore was a standout receiver in Maryland, he remained a national low profile there. However, after years of relative anonymity as a college player, he drew attention with his amazing performance at the 2018 NFL Combine. He was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the first round.
DJ Moore Bio
Denniston Moore Jr. Known simply as DJ Moore was born on April 14, 1997 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Growing up with two much older siblings, he gave room to indulge. When he was a toddler, his mother used to take him in the stroller to watch his sister cheer. One day, according to his mother, one of the coaches let him out of the stroller and he ran up and down the field and that was the beginning of his journey into the NFL.
The first round of the Panthers was a student from Imhotep Institute Charter High School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During his time there, DJ excelled in the classroom and was recognized as a member of the National Honors Society. As a senior in school, the player was named All-State Honors after recording 35 receptions for 1,012 and 16 touchdowns. Scout.com also voted him the top wide receiver in the state of Pennsylvania and he was considered a top three-star recruit in the 2015 class.
After high school, he enrolled at the University of Maryland, where he played football for the Maryland Terrapins from 2015-2017. As a freshman, he played 12 games, starting 10 of them and recording 25 receptions for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns. During his sophomore season, he started 13 games, leading the team in yards (41 receptions for 637 yards) and touchdowns (6).
At that point, the player felt he was ready to join the NFL, so he decided to join the 2018 draft despite having one year of college qualifiers left. However, the NFL committee draft advised him to return to school for another year, but the player insisted after taking advice from his family and coaches.
The standout Maryland wide receiver proved to be a workout warrior in the NFL Combine, scoring highlights in all drills. After that, his stock rose from No. 5 to No. 2 in Mike Mayock’s ranking, while ESPN’s Todd McShay predicted him as the Jaguars’ 29th overall pick. In general, he was expected to be selected in the first round, and it turned out to be exactly that.
DJ was later selected by the Carolina Panthers and was the 24th pick overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. On June 18, 2018, he sealed his deal with the team with a 4-year deal valued at $11.2M including a $6.2M bonus.
DJ Moore family
DJ Moore is Donna Ridley’s son, but according to her son, everyone calls her “Cookie” because she doesn’t like going by her first name, Donna. His father does not seem to be a part of his life as there is no information about him, even from DJ who often speaks about his mother in interviews.
The player is the last child in the family and was raised by his mother in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania along with his two siblings, who are much older than him. Due to the age difference, DJ was more likely to be the only child in adulthood. As a result, he was and remains very attached to his mother, whom he describes as his “backbone” and the most powerful influence in his life.
Moore has a quiet nature, which isn’t something you see in many football players, but he didn’t inherit this from his mother, who he says is the opposite. No wonder they have a close bond… Opposites attract, right?
The close family was there when DJ Moore was picked by the Panthers and in a brief moment of overwhelming emotion he looked at his mother who sat to his left and hugged with her before embracing his siblings. It was an emotionally charged moment for the family and with his mother, sister and brothers shedding tears of joy, all he could do was cry.
Not too long after DJ signed his rookie contract, he bought his mother a new white Mercedes Benz. He said it was special to know he could give back after she’s done so much for him. The standout receiver in Maryland, who plays in the NFL, is not only living his dream of being a soccer player, but also showing his biggest fan – his mother – that there is still work to be done.
Height, weight, body measurements
DJ Moore has been described as a devastating mix of hands, speed and power. He demonstrated this as a college player and did so during the design process as well. At the NFL Combine, he measured 6 feet 0 inches in height, weighed 210 pounds, and noted a 9 5/8 inch hand size. Its arm length and wingspan were 31 5/8 ” and 76 2/8 ” respectively .
The wide receiver was an inch taller than its listed Maryland size and five pounds lighter. It’s nothing to worry about, however, as the player has weighed in excess of 220 pounds at times.