Every Tuesday, Kenny Moore II changes from a nine-year veteran NFL cornerback to an eighth-grade life skills teacher.
"Mr. Kenny," as the Colts cornerback's students fondly call him, shows up at Cardinal Ritter High School in Indianapolis every week without fail to talk about all kinds of topics – everything from financial literacy to healthy relationships to mental health. He stays there for two hours and dedicates himself to being fully present for every moment.
It's Moore's one off day of the week, a day most NFL players use to prioritize their own health and recovery amid their hectic and demanding schedule.
But teaching, giving back and spreading love is Moore's recovery. It's his calling, it's his source of inspiration and it's as deeply rooted in his personality as his love for football.
It's why he's the Colts' 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, and it's why he's the first player in franchise history to be nominated three times. This is who Moore is, and has always been.
"I say it's my role, but when I say it's my role, it's more so it's something that I have to do," Moore said on Thursday. "Whether there was an award for it or there wasn't. I believe that I was already a nominee, you know what I mean, in college, in high school. It's something that my family takes pride in, something that my community takes pride in, it's what they know me as.
"That's the time of the week, Tuesdays, where I can extend my time and do more things...it's something that I really do take pride in."
Moore and his Love One Foundation partnered with Cardinal Ritter in the past to create the Rise and Shine Initiative, centered around academic excellence and encouraging students to come to school and succeed, as well as helping them find career opportunities outside of school. This year marks the first year he is a teacher at the school, and it was a natural progression for Moore, who is always searching for ways to do more.
"I thought it was only right, I thought it was only appropriate for me to be in the flesh," he said. "I wanted to be more hands-on overall for the school. So as I help them, they help me every single week. With everything that we have going on in our world, in football, it's cool. It keeps my morale high. And they push me as well. On the field, I think about them, I think about the celebrations and everything."
In fact, it was a celebration of Moore's that went viral just over a month ago, when he performed a celebration that was choreographed by a young boy who came to Moore with the idea during an event with Peyton Manning Children's Hospital.
It wasn't really about the celebration, though. It was about Moore learning and remembering it, and following through on a promise.
"When you are in the community and you are asking little kids what celebration dance you should do if you make a big play on the field, and then you go into the game on Sunday, you make that big play and you keep your promise to that little kid, is exactly what this is all about," Colts Owner and Chief Brand Officer Kalen Jackson said on Thursday. "We are so, so proud of (Kenny) and it's an honor to have (him) wear the horseshoe and represent us in this way."
Moore has made many promises: to be an involved member with foundations like A Kid Again, Kicking the Stigma and the Mighty Mason Fund; to wear colorful rubber bracelets every Sunday; to check up on a little boy who would turn into the little brother he’d always wanted.
But the biggest promise Moore might have ever made is the one to himself, when he decided to honor his younger self by proving he could be something great.
"I was just wanting to prove it to himself, or prove it to his family, that he meant a lot to the world," Moore said. "Just the little boy in me – that pushed me further...and my family. They mean a lot to be and I want to be there for them. And I want to show them that the only boy of seven kids, he can amount to something."
The importance of community and selflessness was instilled in Moore as a child, with his mother and grandmother setting the example by opening their home in Valdosta, Ga. to anyone who needed help. Moore and his family were weekly attendees of services at St. Paul Methodist Church and helped in many of the church's community efforts, including feeding the homeless and participating in the choir.
"It takes a village," Moore said. "It takes a village, and I have a lot of great people around me, fortunately, so I think we all help each other."
As he started attending school and playing sports, Moore's village only grew – and so did his desire to give back.
"I had a lot of great teachers and coaches over my years in Valdosta (and) I just wanted to go on a journey of appreciating them and showing them that all the work they poured into me, everything they instilled wasn't in vain," he said.
Moore has been intentional about making trips back to visit his teachers and mentors, gifting them handwritten notes and the occasional piece of football gear to show his gratitude.
Now, it's come full circle as Moore is able to embody so much of what shaped him as a person with students of his own. He's opened up about his own mental health and he's provided countless examples of what it means to be a good football player and an even better person. He's created a safe space for so many people – students and Colts teammates alike – to feel comfortable opening up about important topics, because he truly just wants to help people.
"I think back to when he joined us in 2017, and I think he had such a purpose-driven personality," Jackson said. "But wow, what a long way that (he has) come. And I feel like it's been such an honor to have a front seat to see him grow both on and off the field. He really had a dedication and passion to impact his community and impact his team."
"Kenny has definitely taught me how to be a great teammate as well as how to truly connect individually with each of your teammates," Jonathan Taylor, who has now played with Moore for six years, said. "Over the years, we've had multiple conversations where it's just us two and he's literally sitting down asking about my family, asking me about the holidays...he taught me how to truly connect with teammates."
Moore is the kind of person who won't ever speak about an individual award – but his teammates, including Taylor, will do it for him.
"Walter Payton Man of the Year, that's the one you want," Taylor said. "You want that patch on your jersey. So to see him in that light year after year, I'm hoping they stop messing around and just let Kenny lock this in, because he deserves it so much. It's evident from not only the passion that he plays with on the field, but the passion that he shows people off the field in Indianapolis, in his community back home. It's just inspiring."
Moore has made Indianapolis his home just as much as his birthplace in Valdosta; he resonates with both communities and has built meaningful, long-lasting relationships in both places. He's become so tied to Indianapolis, in fact, that earlier this year he decided to commit to living in the city full-time.
It's a testament to his own village he's been able to create and his desire to fully dedicate himself to the causes he supports to make such a decision, but to anyone who knows Moore it's not surprising in the slightest. After all, it's that kind of all-in commitment to be the best he can at everything – football included – that has brought Moore to where he is now.
"I want to know what's going on, I want to know whose faces we're putting smiles on, what are their names, how can we help them even more?" Moore explained. "Even with the other initiatives that we're a part of, like Firefly or A Kid Again, Riley Children's Hospital, I think being a part of it helps me more than just saying 'Yeah, we gave money to this or we met these people.' I don't like rundowns. I like to be there in person. So if I'm able to be there in person, then I got to be there in the offseason as well...Everything just made more sense being here. Having the partnership with Cardinal Ritter, I wanted to be there the whole school year, not just whenever was convenient for me.
"It wouldn't sit well with me if I was only a leader whenever it's convenient to be a leader."
That, right there, is all you need to know about Kenny Moore II.
