INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II had a super-sized surprise for his youth sports coach Wednesday.
(NOTE: The video in the player above is from a July 2021 story about Kenny Moore II's work with A Kid Again.)
Moore was nominated as the Walter Payton Man of the Year for the Colts this year, which recognizes one player from each team for their performance on the field, as well as their community service and leadership off the field. The nomination means he'll be honored at Sunday's Super Bowl in Los Angeles.
The honor also meant Moore had free tickets to share with someone important.
"They told us to pick a coach, a mentor that have inspired you throughout your life, and there was nobody greater to think about," Moore told Joseph Davis in a video call.
Moore said his coach used to pick him up every day for practice and looked out for him, encouraging him to become the athlete he is today.
"I just wanted to let you know that I want to give you two tickets to the Super Bowl to bring anybody you like, maybe Miss Betty, to come chill and hang out at the Super Bowl with us," Moore told Davis.
"Well, first of all, yes, I'd love to," an emotional and obviously surprised Davis responded.
Davis went on deflect Moore's praise.
"I know you chose me as an inspiration, but I've been following you. I've been in the back following you, watched you on social media all the time. I think everything you do is more of an inspiration to me than anything I've ever done for you," Davis said.
Davis added that Moore had "turned out to be great" and praised him for his commitment to community involvement.
"I love the fact that you give back to the community so much," Davis said.
"Yes sir," Moore said. "It won't stop."
The act of kindness isn't unusual for Moore.
In his time in Indianapolis, the Colts cornerback has been especially outspoken about raising awareness for Indiana kids battling childhood illnesses. He formed a special bond with "Mighty" Mason Garvey, who died in June of 2020 at 9 years old after a fight with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue cancer.
Moore has used his platform to raise money for research and education on childhood illnesses. Just this year, he has played an integral role in a number of community outreach efforts:
- Joined the board for the George4Foundation, which supports individuals with special needs.
- Participated in the "Tee Off for Tyler" event, which raised more than $13,000 for the Tyler Trent Foundation.
- Served as a board member for A Kid Again, which takes kids living with life-threatening conditions on fun-filled adventures.
- Collaborated with The Shop Indy to help raise more than $6,000 for the Mighty Mason Fund through special T-shirt sales.
- Helped build a playground at an IPS elementary school for Colts Community Tuesday.
Moore II has also been a vocal supporter of mental health awareness and the Colts' Kicking the Stigma initiative.
This past December, he used the Colts' bye week to return to his hometown of Valdosta, Georgia to surprise two families with Christmas presents and dinner at a local restaurant.
The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner will be announced Thursday, Feb. 10 during the NFL Honors show.
Moore, who just finished his fifth season with the Colts, has intercepted four passes each of the past two years and has 14 in his career. He made the Pro Bowl for the first time this season.
Sunday's Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals can be seen live on Channel 13. Coverage starts at noon with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m.