Spending time with Rennie Moore

Rennie Moore is expected to start at defensive tackle this season, replacing the departed Jarvis Jenkins.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Thu Mar 31 16:52:42 GMT-04:00 2011

CLEMSON – I can't imagine there would be any Clemson fan who wouldn’t love to spend time, or just “hang out” with Tiger defensive lineman Rennie Moore Rennie Moore
Defensive Tackle
6-4, 270
Saint Marys, GA
View Full Profile .

The rising redshirt senior is expected to start at defensive tackle this season, replacing the departed Jarvis Jenkins Jarvis Jenkins
Defensive Tackle
6-4, 315
Clemson, SC
View Full Profile , but Moore doesn’t let the pressure or expectations get to him. Rennie is just going to be Rennie.

Moore hails from Camden County, Georgia, down on the coast near the Georgia-Florida border, and Moore will proudly tell anyone who listen where he is from. He will also throw in the fact that besides playing football, he loves to go home and hunt and fish, and he is just as at home in the swamps as he is on the football field.

Any conversation with Moore leaves the listener smiling, simply because there is no pretense. No fake. It’s just Rennie being Rennie, and he is going to say whatever is on his mind.

Take for instance Moore’s quotes from last season, when he was asked about hunting back home, and he mentioned that seeing the squirrels on the Clemson campus came as quite a shock when he first arrived.

“You don’t see squirrels back home, because they know we will hunt them,” he said during an impromptu interview session. “When I got here, and I would walk around the Clemson campus, I couldn’t believe these big old squirrels. They will walk right up to you like they know you. That wouldn’t happen back home.”

While a lot of players went to the beach on spring break, Moore went home to eat his family’s cooking and to spend time with his dad fishing.

“He got me,” he said. “I was on one side of the dock and he was on the other side and he got me. We were going to see who could reel in the most. But he is a good fisherman.”

Moore came off the field on Wednesday, and he was visibly tired as he talked about what the new fast-paced offense is doing to the defense.

“The offense is moving it, but it’s okay because we aren’t going to have to go against them on gameday,” he said. “They have got those quick backs, and they’ve got everybody going in different directions. And then when they get Ellington back….oh Lord. But we will be in shape because they run so fast and they do things so fast that when we play some other offense that takes it slower, we will bust them in the mouth.”

Moore was a speed-rushing, 260-pound defensive end when he first arrived, but necessity and a lack of depth has caused him to move inside. He now weighs 276 pounds as he tries to add bulk.

“I’m just going to keep working at it. I’ve been doing it since I got here,” he said. “I was part of a five-man rotation, and now I’ve got this spot and I plan on keeping it. We are going to be bringing it by the end of summer. We will be on point and ready to go.”

He also said the added weight doesn’t hurt his explosiveness, and he feels like he could play around 280 pounds.

“I weighed myself yesterday and I was 276,” he said. “I think I can go a little higher and still be able to keep my burst and keep my speed. I am all coiled up, man, and just ready to shoot out. I don’t feel like it’s a big problem. Everybody is going to the shotgun and moving people around, but I am just going to get off the ball and keep running. If you keep running, you will fall into something. Just keep that motor running and you will be okay.”

And will he be able to keep the weight on, considering how much he has been running against the Clemson offense?

“The weight won’t be an issue,” he says. “If it gets to be a problem I can go down to the Esso Club and it will be alright.”

Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele said that Moore still has a ways to go before he fills Jenkins’ shoes – but the potential is there. He even expects Moore to occupy two blockers – to free up Tiger linebackers – in the manner of Jenkins.

“That’s what we expect and he has the potential to be that,” Steele said Wednesday. “But he will tell you that he is a work in progress. He has a ton of ability. Just like Jarvis, who had to get bigger and stronger and more mature. And Jarvis took the coaching and he grew up. Rennie is on the same track.”

However, don’t let Moore’s folksy attitude or humor lull you to sleep – inside Moore is a calculating and smart player whose fire burns as bright as or brighter than any other player on the Tiger roster.

“

I am excited to get this spot, and it’s a goal of mine to let people see what I can do,” he says. “This is finally my time. When people wanna pass, I will show you a pass-rusher. When they want to run, I will show you how to stop it. I want to be an all-around player.

“I am going to work hard and pray hard and I am going to be the best and show what thunder brings. That is my mindset this year. Last season was horrible, and we want a better team for the coaches, for the fans and just for Clemson.”