Rahim Moore's Return To Football An 'Amazing' Feeling
DENVER (CBS4) - During CBS4' Thursday Night Football Blitz show, Denver Broncos safety Rahim Moore and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said little about the Ray Rice domestic violence story that's dominated NFL headlines in the opening week.
Neither Moore nor Thomas commented much on the criticism that's rained down on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for his early handling of Rice's suspension.
"In this league, everybody has their job," Moore said. "The (commissioner) will do what he wants to do and do his job. The only thing we can worry about is the Kansas City Chiefs. It's a big game. (Thomas) has to perform and so do I. That's what we're trying to focus on -- the Kansas City Chiefs. We can't really worry about anything outside of football. If we can't handle our business, it won't be good for our organization."
Thomas echoed that: "(Coach John) Fox addressed us, but we are just not getting into the situation. That's Ray Rice and the Baltimore Ravens. That's he and his family. We'll let that get dealt with (in Baltimore)."
Moore was more eager to discuss his return to football after missing several regular season games and the entire postseason in 2013 with a serious injury.
He said his return to the field triggered a desire to not just play -- but win. His two picks against the Colts in the opener were instrumental in the Broncos' victory, but personal stats are not his focus.
"To be honest with you, I just want to win games. I want to help this team win. I want to play a whole season healthy and have a successful season. That should be everybody's perspective on leading the league in picks," he said. "But that's not my goal. I just want to stay healthy and do all I can to help this team win."
Moore nearly had to have his left leg amputated last year after suffering from acute compartment syndrome, an unusual and life-threatening injury that affects muscles and nerves. He underwent surgery on Oct. 18 last season. Playing again was a tremendous feeling, he said.
"It was amazing," he said. "All I can do is thank God. I was so emotional I was crying. I once couldn't walk. I once couldn't eat. The best thing was running out that tunnel and wearing a jersey and throwing on those pants. It was remarkable. I never want to feel that (injury again), but it made me love the game even more."
Moore will start Sunday's game against Kansas City -- and he's see a very familiar face on the opposing sideline: Kevin Vickerson, a four-year Bronco defensive lineman who signed with the Chiefs this week after the Broncos cut him before the season began.
Playing against Vickerson will be a tad strange, Thomas admitted.
"It's very weird because when I got here, Vickerson was here. I've been playing with Vickerson for four years," he said. "To see him across from me in another jersey, it's going to be different. I'm sad to lose him, but I'm happy he's on a team now. Big Vic can play. Our offensive line went up against him a lot, so I look forward to it."
Moore said he doubts Vickerson will give the Chiefs much inside intel.
"He can give them a little bit of information, but at the end of the day he'll still going to have to stop us," Moore said. "He's familiar with us, but at the same time, the tape doesn't lie. What he's going to tell them is what the tape is going to say. Vickerson was a mentor to me, like a big brother. He took me underneath his wing. To see him go was kind of sad. But to see him get picked up shows you how much talent we had."
That talent is shining on the Broncos offense, too, notably with new receiver Emmanuel Sanders, whom the Broncos picked up to replace Eric Decker, who signed with the Jets as a free agent in the offseason.
"I'm very happy. Emmanuel Sanders has got great talent. Speed guy, quick. He can play inside, out and he can beat you deep. I am just happy for him because he came into a new offense. To see him go out and be successful this past week, I'm very happy for him. I think it can be a good year for us," Thomas said.
Watch more video with Demaryius Thomas and Rahim Moore in the Thursday Night Football Blitz section.
Related Stories
