Former WR great Nat Moore gets promotion

Took a bus trip with the Dolphins to the west coast of Florida last summer for the opportunity to interview then-new COO Mike Dee. Seated right behind Dee and across from me was Nat Moore, and the two of us kicked around the “good old days” back in the ‘70s, when I was the Sun-Sentinel beat writer and Nat was Bob Griese’s favorite receiver. The memories of that day — and the stories Nat told as we were rolling back across Alligator Alley in pitch darkness after Dee spread the Dolphin message across the Naples and Fort Myers areas — return with the news Moore has been named vice president/senior adviser to Dee on special projects. Nat wasn’t the easiest guy to deal with during his playing days. A fierce competitor who fought for every inch he could get — remember his famed ‘helicopter spin’ after a catch late in his career against the Jets? — he also had an edge off the field that created a distance between him and most people, but the media in particular. I broke through that image only once, when we sat on a bench outside the locker room at St. Thomas University and I asked him what was behind the ‘angry young man’

approach. He opened up and talked about the difficulties of his life growing up in Miami and the struggles he faced every day making his name as an athlete. He felt changing that persona and showing a softer side would show weakness. Moore, who played from 1974-86, teamed with Duriel Harris for an undersized receiver tandem that has been topped only once in franchise history, when Mark Duper and Mark Clayton came along just as their careers were ending. Moore has remained active in alumni activities and still pops up frequently at Dolphin functions on the road, such as one last season at Duffy’s in North Palm Beach. He has no problem playing second fiddle now to guys like Greg Camarillo, who, while being a not bad smallish receiver in his own right, is certainly no Nat Moore, believe me. The fact that Moore’s star continues to rise at age 58 shows Mike Dee knows and appreciates loyalty to the cause and hard work. That day in Fort Myers, Moore took his turn at a coaching clinic and got a huge kick out of it. He’s a guy the Dolphins should be happy to have.

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Former WR great Nat Moore gets promotion

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