By AMANDA KIMBLE
TheFlashToday.com
DUBLIN (May 20, 2016) – Throughout his career at Dublin High School, Conner Moore maintained his focus. As a standout athlete and the Class of 2016 valedictorian, he kept one eye on the arena and the other on his studies.
“I had a really good run at Dublin High School,” Moore said, speaking of his football career. “It was fun to be a part of a turning point in school history and two back-to-back bi-district championships.”
Moore was two-time district defensive player of the year in 10-3A Division I, and also earned a pair of all-state distinctions. He helped Dublin to school history with playoff wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever.
Academically, the Dublin Lion pulled off a 4.279 GPA.
“I always tried to do my best in every class and maintain good grades,” Moore said, adding classes pertaining to his future career goals were most enjoyable. “Math was always easy.”
It’s that mix of brains and brawn that Moore hopes will follow him into his life’s next chapter. That story will be set in Abilene – Moore has signed National Letter of Intent to play football with Abilene Christian University, an NCAA Division I school.
After completing his undergraduate degree, Moore is headed to medical school to study orthopedics. He quipped that he has a proverbial leg up after several injuries and regular treatment by Dr. Bill Evans at Cross Timbers Orthopaedics.
“I figured I have a head start,” Moore said.
Truth be told, medicine is in Moore’s blood. His maternal grandfather, Joe Bob Pate, was a doctor at the Dublin hospital, when one existed in the community. The family opened Dublin Pharmacy, which eventually sold to Best Value, where Jill still works. Moore’s uncle owns a pharmacy in his future home of Abilene, as well.
“My great-granddad on that side of the family was field medic in World War II,” Moore said. ” I would also like to make them proud.”
Reflecting on growing up in a small town, Moore agreed that being a student athlete was sometimes tough. Every eye in the community seemed to at times be locked on him and his teammates, but his parents kept him grounded.
“My dad kept me headed in the right direction when it came to athletics and mom in academics,” Moore said. “She was always making sure I had my homework done, even when there was none to do. Together, my parents always made sure I kept my head on straight and they always made sure me and my brothers were doing things right. When we’re going in the wrong direction – even with minor things – they set us on the right path.”
Moore said his success isn’t all his own. He said he owes a lot to teachers, coaches and the Man upstairs, who “allowed him to be a part of it all.”
“I have had a lot of help throughout the years,” Moore said. “Every grade, every teacher was always willing to offer as much help as they possibly could. I was fortunate to have them in my corner. There have also been a lot of great coaches who were always available to offer advice and help me excel to where I wanted to be, and I know there will be more great teachers and coaches down the line.”
A humble, easy-to-like guy, Moore knows there’s a lot to learn and always plenty room for personal growth and improvement. But he also has little friendly advice to share with younger generations and future Dublin graduates.
“When you do things right, you get rewarded and things tend to work in your favor,” he said. “But if you’re doing wrong, things tend to go badly, so always keep your head on straight.”
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