Kenny Moore II
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Cornerback | Valdosta State | 5 |
Demonstrates Excellence on The Field
There's no better way to describe Kenny Moore II than an "ultimate pro," as Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus put it. Since arriving in Indianapolis in early September 2017, he has become one of the NFL's best, most versatile cornerbacks. Since entering the NFL in 2017, Kenny is one of four players to record at least ten interceptions (he has 12) and at least 15.0 tackles for a loss (he has 17.0) — and he's the only cornerback to hit those marks. Kenny is also one of four cornerbacks to have at least 7.0 sacks since 2017, and he's one of two cornerbacks to have over 300 tackles in that same span.
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts this Year
Kenny befriended Mason Garvey, a then seven-year-old diagnosed with stage 4 Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, during the 2018 season. Tragically, Mason passed away in 2020, but Kenny's deep bond with the Garvey family continues today. This year, Kenny collaborated with a local apparel store, on a "Mighty" shirt that raised over $6,000 for the Mighty Mason Fund, supporting pediatric palliative care. The NFL Foundation matched Kenny's fundraising from the shirt with a $5,000 grant. Kenny regularly spends time with the Garvey family, visiting for meals, game nights, and events while supporting the cause and the people behind the cause. "It's being a person of care and comfort for them and just being a family member," Kenny said. "I see them as a family; they see me like family. I love them dearly."
Kenny was also chosen as the Hero Athlete for Riley at Riley Children's Foundation in 2021 to help with their end-of-year fundraising campaign and joined the George4Foundation Board in 2021, which helps individuals with special needs. He is also a board member for the A Kid Again Foundation, which provides cost-free and recurring events for children battling life-threatening illnesses. Kenny is also a prominent voice in the Irsay family and Colts' "Kicking the Stigma" initiative, which spotlights mental health disorders and works to remove the stigma too often associated with these illnesses. His involvement in sharing his own mental health experiences in videos, PSAs, and roundtable discussions was impactful in continuing the fight for mental health awareness.
Demonstrates Dedication and Commitment to Community Efforts in Years Past
Kenny had over 40 visits with Mighty Mason from 2018 until his passing in 2020. Sometimes, Kenny would hang out with Mason at Riley Children's Hospital to play video games, trying to give Mason as typical a day as a kid could have despite his circumstances. Other times, Moore would take him on special trips— he attended Indiana Pacers games with Mason and took the Garvey family to South Bend to watch Liverpool play at Notre Dame Stadium. Kenny's genuine, deep, loving bond with Mason was forged by a desire for the star cornerback to "let him feel like a kid," Kenny said, even as Mason went through grueling treatments and, eventually, entered pediatric hospice care.
No moment stands out more, though than when Kenny and Mighty Mason took the field together before the Colts played the Denver Broncos on Mason's ninth birthday in 2019. It was an extraordinary gesture by Kenny, who gave Mason not only an unforgettable experience but an opportunity to leave his problems, his worries, his sickness behind him as he ran on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium alongside his friend. "I know Kenny is a genuine person, and once he made that connection with Mason, it's something he held very close to his heart," Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "Just the work he continues to do with their family and just trying to bring awareness to the situation no matter how he can whether it's cleats, whether it's gloves, whether it's shirts or however he can, I just know the bond that he shares with Mason and his family is something that was very special and impacted Kenny even to this day."
In 2020, Kenny covered Mighty Mason's funeral fees in 2020 at the cost of $18,000 and hosted a gaming tournament that raised $20,000 for the Mighty Mason Fund. He designed a Childhood Cancer black ribbon shirt that resulted in over $5,000 in proceeds to the Mighty Mason Fund. Kenny also donated $3,297.50 to help cover funeral expenses for Madi Moore, an Indiana teenager who announced two Colts draft picks in 2019 and passed away after a battle with Leukemia later that year. Kenny donated $5,000 to Chuckstrong, former Colts head coach Chuck Pagano's foundation, in 2019. Moore has pledged $12,500 per year to the Kenny Moore II REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen Scholarship, which provides $2,500 to five students with a mission to ensure that Georgia's low income, academically promising students have the academic, social, and financial support needed to graduate from high school, access college, and achieve postsecondary success.
In 2017, while Kenny was driving home from a community event, the car in front of him ran over a dog. Kenny quickly pulled over and invited the dog and its owner, Max, in his vehicle and drove them to a nearby vet hospital. When that vet couldn't perform the surgery necessary on the dog's broken pelvis, Moore guided the dog and Max to another hospital to have the procedure done. The dog survived, and Kenny has stayed in contact with Max ever since, even attending his wedding in June of 2021. "I mean, saving the dog, for all of us animal lovers and dog lovers, that story I think touched all of our hearts," head coach Frank Reich said. "And you know when he was doing it, there were no cameras, this was all behind the scenes stuff, all off-camera just from the goodness of his heart."
Demonstrates Consistency in Positive Character and Models a Lifestyle of Giving Back
Much of Kenny's impact comes behind the scenes. The Colts, let alone the general public, didn't even know of Kenny's relationship with Mason until months after it began. "He was doing it out the kindness of his heart," Ballard said. "And I think that's when you really truly see who's really authentic in what they're doing. Is it for their own agenda, or is it for the agenda of others? I think Kenny's always about the agenda of serving others." The word Kenny's coaches and teammates use to describe him is "genuine." Kenny genuinely cares about his community and the people he can impact and does not share his time and money because he wants to be in the spotlight. Kenny's impact is as strong as it is consistent. "Not only does he exemplify Walter Payton just with his work ethic and his production on the field," Franklin said, "but Kenny's one of those people who genuinely embraces the community that he serves." While he understands the platform, the thing about Kenny is — he'd be doing all this no matter if he were a star NFL player or not. "I feel like it's my role," Kenny said. "Whether I'm a public figure or if I'm just anyone else in this world, I think that's the role and job that we all have as humans is to help those in need.
