“Gave me a fire”: Malachi Moore reveals how an 11-year-old Alabama fan in hospice inspired his NFL journey
Malachi Moore spent five seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide preparing for the NFL. The lockdown safety thrived with the Crimson Tide and learned from some of the brightest minds in collegiate football.
Moore is now headed to the NFL after getting drafted by the New York Jets. It's a monumental moment in his life, and a culmination of all the sacrifices he's made up till this point. Following his selection, Moore revealed that a young Alabama fan in hospice inspired his professional football journey.
"My mom's name is Penny Moore, and she was a kindergarten teacher," Moore said. "There was a little girl there named Henrietta, she was an Alabama fan, she cared so much about football, and she's always been a fan of me."
He continued:
"She was kind of losing her eyesight from mitochondrial disease. She couldn't really eat a lot of things and she couldn't really drink anything because her digestive system wasn't working properly. I would just call her, bring joy into her life, and she got moved to hospice.
"She actually told me that she doesn't have much longer. So, for an 11-year-old girl to sit there and tell you that. It's heartbreaking, you know, just seeing her fight through adversity gave me a fire to keep pushing."
He concluded:
"What I was doing is nothing compared to what she had to go through. Henrietta passed away this past summer in 2024. She meant a lot to me, she was a great friend, and I really dedicated this season to her.
"Every game, I had a pink mouthpiece because that was her favorite color. Going to the NFL, she's going to be with me every step of the way."
Moore will look to honor the memory of his late friend, Henrietta, as he enters the National Football League with the New York Jets.
The New York Jets selected Malachi Moore with the No. 130 pick
The New York Jets selected Alabama Crimson Tide product Malachi Moore in the fourth round of this year's draft. Moore joins the NFC franchise as they look to end their lengthy playoff drought in the upcoming season.
Moore was a five-year starter for the Crimson Tide and enjoyed arguably his best season with the program in 2024. The Hewitt-Trussville High School product put up a stat line of 70 total tackles, eight pass deflections, one sack, two interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles.
He's part of Aaron Glenn's first draft picks as Jets' head coach. The former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator took over as coach for the Jets on January 22, 2025.
Moore will look to acquire as much knowledge as possible from Glenn and potentially enjoy a long and successful career in professional football.