Tulane all-time leading rusher Mewelde Moore returns Uptown

Moore played for the Green Wave from 2000-03

NEW ORLEANS – He managed 4,364 rushing yards in four years.

Tulane Athletics Hall of Famer and all-time leading rusher Mewelde Moore – who became just the second player in NCAA history to rack up more than 4,000 rushing and 2,000 receiving yards – returned to campus Wednesday to check out the 2019 football team in action.

Following his four-year career with the Green Wave, Moore was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the Fourth Round of the 2004 NFL Draft before going on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he would ultimately win a Super Bowl XLIII championship ring.

A lot has changed since Moore’s final season with the Green Wave in 2003, most notably the addition of Yulman Stadium.

“It’s beautiful, it’s one of those things where you don’t feel displaced or out of connection, especially when you have a stadium,” Moore said of stepping back on the field at Yulman Stadium. “You have a home and you have comfortable surroundings and a coach that has been warm and welcoming the entire time.”

The Green Wave’s new home is not the only thing that caught Moore’s eye, the most significant difference he observed was in the team’s culture.

“The guys’ attitudes are in the right place, they’re focused on executing their plays, they don’t get tripped up, you didn’t see any missed assignments,” Moore said. “The one thing that you know that’s already going to be an advantage for us at Tulane is that we’re smart. We’re smart players.”

Moore also praised head coach Willie Fritz for his welcoming attitude and was impressed with the energy he brought to the team.

“When you’re compassionate about your players, about the game of football and about winning, those are excellent recipes for success,” Moore said.

Success is something that Moore thinks the Green Wave are capable of and ready for this season, both on and off the field.

“They’re just going to keep getting better,” he said. “Knowing that you’re going to a bowl game, knowing that you’re going to have extended play beyond Thanksgiving – those are things that we want and we’re excited for. That’s what we’re looking to do is just to build upon last season.”

That growth and improvement is something Moore is looking forward to seeing in Uptown, especially this season as the team has set its expectations high coming off of a successful 2018 campaign.

Tulane opens the 2019 season on Thursday, August 29 at home against FIU with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The Green Wave are coming off a memorable 2018 campaign that was highlighted by a win in the AutoNation Cure Bowl and an American Athletic Conference West Division Co-Championship.

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