NFL Draft: Jets convinced draftee Elijah Moore has matured since 2019 Egg Bowl incident
Mississippi wide receiver Elijah Moore reacts following a touchdown by his team against Mississippi State during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss. on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019. Credit: AP/Rogelio V. Solis
New Jets receiver Elijah Moore said he learned "countless things" from the Egg Bowl incident and it turned out to be "a blessing in disguise."
Two years ago, as a sophomore at Ole Miss, Moore crawled on all fours after scoring a touchdown against Mississippi State and lifted his leg, imitating a dog urinating. It drew a penalty that ended up costing Mississippi the game.
Moore publicly apologized after it happened. He reflects on it now, and says he has matured.
"You got to learn how to be a man and just when emotions get high, situations get high, just to be under control," Moore said. "You got to best believe moving forward that being in that position again, I’m going to think about that.
"It was definitely a blessing in disguise. I probably got more out of it and I would never change it for the world. If I had to do it all over again, you know I wouldn’t."
The Jets selected Moore with the second pick of the second round (34th overall) of the NFL Draft on Friday night. General manager Joe Douglas said they said discussed what happened with Moore and he believes nothing like that will ever happen again.
"Had an opportunity to talk to Elijah, you know, that that’s a one-time incident," Douglas said. "The outcome of that game, it hurt him. It was something that he certainly felt bad for and wasn’t going to let happen again. We feel confident that that was just a one-time incident."
Douglas has stressed the importance of acquiring high-character individuals. He described Moore as someone of "great character."
Moore, who caught 86 passes for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns this past season as a junior, said all the teams he talked to asked him about what happened.
"I was expecting them to," Moore said. "They wanted to see what type of person they’re getting."
The Jets were satisfied with what they heard and are excited to add Moore to their team and improved wide receivers room.
"Last night, we were all crossing our fingers and hoping that he could somehow be in position for us to draft him tonight," Douglas said. "It just happened to come to fruition. Excited about him, his playmaking ability. Another player who fits the mold of great character, great player, versatile, smart. I can’t wait to add him to the mix."
