For most promising football standouts, reaching the NFL is the ultimate goal. But for Naples High graduate and Dallas Cowboys rookie Devin Moore, he hopes it’s just the first step of a long professional football career.
“It’s been a blessing, being able to take it all in, but it’s kind of like, ‘What’s next?’” Moore said. “You don’t really have time to really enjoy it. You’re always trying to get better and reach that next step. You take a little time to celebrate, but then it’s right back to work.”
Moore was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round, 114th overall, of the 2026 NFL Draft out of the University of Florida. Dallas held offseason workout programs throughout early June before hosting mandatory minicamp June 16-18. Offseason team activities will resume for Moore and the Cowboys starting July 28 with training camp, set to be hosted in Oxnard, California.
“(Rookie camp) was amazing. Met my teammates, met the other rookies, and we went to work together, got to work with the coaches,” Moore said. “Getting integrated into such a prestigious organization like the Cowboys was such a blessing.”
Moore was back at Naples High on Saturday, June 27, helping out his former high school teammate and Minnesota Golden Gophers safety Kerry Brown at Brown’s inaugural youth football camp. Moore said being around the camp motivated him to potentially host a camp of his own in the future.
“It’s surreal. To be able to do something like this for the community and the kids is a blessing,” Moore said. “(Hosting a camp) Is gonna be a next year thing. I just wanted to get settled in my new place and make sure everything was good, but next year for sure I’ll do something.”
As a fourth-round draftee, there’s a way to go for Moore to break out among the Dallas secondary, which also brought 11th overall pick Caleb Downs into the fold during the draft, but Moore said his goal is to impact his team however possible in his rookie season.
“Affecting the team in any positive way as I’m developing and getting better,” he said. “Just being the best teammate I can be.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Naples High grad Devin Moore settling into NFL rookie life with Cowboys
Reporting by Jackson Castellano, Special to the Daily News & The News-Press / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jackson Castellano, Special to the Daily News & The News-Press | USA TODAY Network
