SATURDAY SPOTLIGHT: "It Burned the Hell Out of Me"

By TJ Troup 

One of the few challenges for writing the saga of Lenny Moore was choosing the title, as had so many terrific quotes available. 

The title comes from Olderman's book the running backs. Tomorrow the 17th will mark the 56-year anniversary of Moore's last game, and as such, I felt time to explain in detail this man's career. 

We can all look at his game-by-game and lifetime stats and come away impressed with his accomplishments. This saga will hopefully shed light on his transformation from mid to late '50's game breaker, to steady contributor. 

Ready? 

Here we go—and what better way to start than to go to his rookie season of '56. After two games Moore has carried the ball 12 times for 4 yards, not exactly what was expected of this number #1 draft choice. Baltimore has a record of 1-3 and Moore has gained 148 yards on just 21 carries as the Colts take the field at home against the Packers. Moore contributes to the touchdown drive in the 2nd quarter as new starting quarterback John Unitas mixes his plays well. 

Right before the half on a second and seven play at the twenty-eight-yard line Unitas moves to his right as Moore flanked right takes the deep hand-off on a reverse. Long-legged Lenny demonstrates his talents as he weaves, cuts and changes direction expertly, and then in the open field turns on the after burners and dashes into the endzone after his spine-tingling 72-yard score. 

There were just 22 seconds left in the half when Moore scores. Fourth quarter and after a Marchetti sack the Colts get the ball back and Moore scores on a 79-yard run as Baltimore has won 28-21. 

Before we go any further, lets quickly examine what he just accomplished, how many rookies have ever had two runs of over 70 yards in the same game? Marion Motley established a record in 1950 of gaining 188 yards on just 11 carries. 

Though Moore does not break the record; gaining 185 on 13 carries puts him in a very small fraternity of average yards per carry in a game. The rumor that Weeb Ewbank would be dismissed if Baltimore did not defeat Washington in late December dies quickly since the Colts won. Moore and fellow rookie Unitas have infused the Colt offense with the right amount of fire, and energy to have the Colts become a factor in the Western Conference in years to come. 

The next three seasons are very memorable in Baltimore Colt history as they become champions. The Colt offensive structure is the mirror image of the Cleveland Browns since Ewbank learned under Paul Brown. Fullback Ameche hammers between the tackles, blocks very well, while John Unitas directs the offense with not only efficiency but with brilliant and innovative play calling. What made the play calling innovative you ask? Dub Jones at his peak was the "chess piece" in the Browns attack. Flanked as a receiver, motion to alignments that stretched the defense, ability to run the sweep, and of course his talents as a receiver. 

Lenny Moore is the chess piece in the Colt arsenal. John Unitas spread the ball around to everyone, yet Moore could and did humble a defense with his ability to score either running or receiving from anywhere on the field....and I mean ANYWHERE. Baltimore develops two rivalries during this three-year time frame with the Bears and Packers. Baltimore's record against these two clubs was 10-2 while going 13-5 against the rest of the league. Big game after big game, and the names of Colt players are on the path to legend. 

Credit: Merv Corning

Late in the '60 season when the Colts stumbled the main reason many writers believed was Ameche's injury. Whether or not that is true—the Colts over the next four seasons (1960-1963) were 4-12 against the Bears and Packers, while going 25-13 against the rest of the league. Lenny Moore played brilliantly in both '60 & '61, but injury and age have brought the champions to a level of we can beat everyone else, but we can't beat the Bears and Packers. 

There is also a dramatic coaching change in Baltimore as Don Shula is now in charge, and he is IN CHARGE! Having so many insightful sources is paramount to me telling this tale....so folks you are gonna get quote, after quote...and then more quotes to enlighten all of you on what was said about Moore and the Colts in this era. 

"Street & Smith's" in 1963 magazine predicts Baltimore to finish third, and begins with "in Baltimore, the population grows restless". Concerning Moore states "to aid Unitas in the passing game attack, Baltimore owns one of the finest sets of receivers in the game. The best man Lenny Moore has been shifted to halfback. Once considered the most dangerous flanker in the league, Moore still is a bothersome receiver from his tight back spot". 

Bothersome? Boy oh Boy, from ultimate game breaker to bothersome. 

Why the change? 

Hang in there folks, more quotes coming before the answer to that question. Jack Hand in his book Heroes of the NFL states "spors writers had not been bothering Lenny very much during the past two seasons There had been rumors that he had been offered around the league as trading material. But it seemed nobody was interested. 

The experts were whispering that Lenny Moore was "all washed up". Don Shula's first year as head coach he attempted to put his stamp on the Colts, and while Unitas set passing records in that season there was no doubt that this two ultimate competitors were going to clash. Which is the title of Jack Gilden's book "Collision of Wills". 

Raymond Berry states in his book "All the Moves I had" "Lenny had speed, he had power, and he could run the football inside, and outside. He could run pass routes and catch well. I definitely think he was one of the best offensive weapons I've ever seen on a football field, right there with Jim Brown and Unitas. He was a total team-oriented player. Self-centeredness and selfishness were not part of his makeup".

Berry goes on to state about Lenny's personality and his God-given talents. October 13th, 1963 and Raymond Berry is not the starting left end. Moore who fought and overcame a broken kneecap in '62 is starting in place of Berry. 

Baltimore with Unitas using what weapons he has, and brilliant play calling finds a way to move the Colt offense, and thus a 20-3 home victory over San Francisco (the Colts are now 2-3). Watching and evaluating Moore at split end tells us this is not where he should be on the field, yet his does contribute as a receiver and scores in the victory. 

Later in the season the Colts are at home against the nasty grizzlies from Chicago and their league-leading defense. Moore is at left halfback now, and on a straight off tackle right play he reads the blocks, and accelerates into the secondary knifing between McRae and Taylor and scores from 25 yards out (longest touchdown run of the year against the Bears). Baltimore loses 17-7. 

The story goes that Shula after a sit down meeting with Moore decides that Lenny will stay in Baltimore in '64, but will have to unseat starting halfback Tom Matte. Street & Smith's '64 magazine predicts the Colts will finish fourth, and states "room will have to be made somewhere for Lenny Moore, either at end or halfback. Moore has been injured each of the last two years, but his speed and prancing stride have made him one of the league's best runners". 

Much was written during this year concerning McCaffrey closing in on Moore's record of scoring in consecutive games. Not once did anyone attempt to explain that Moore adjusted his game, and how he played during 1964. 

Watch film of this prideful man who has lost his game-breaking speed, but not his will to gain yards. He now bounces off tacklers, keeps his feet moving, cuts, dances, slices, and finds his way into the endzone every week. Unitas aligns the Colts in formations to force opposing defenses into match-ups that just won't work. 

Best example you ask? 

Dan Currie has Moore man-to-man when Lenny runs a seem streak against the Packers. Touchdown Baltimore! He is voted comeback player of the year, and of course, was deserving, but no one ever mentions how he changed his game? 

Tom Matte was an excellent football player, and when you are a Colt you are a team player, and Matte truly was one, but Moore of course won back his job as a starter early in '64 in his ninth season. Take a look at Moore's yards per carry average early in his career, and now in '64. 

Watching NFL Game of the Week for the '66 season the NFL Films crew in-depth ability in this 27-minute show allows the fan to really get the feel for how each team played. Moore contributes but Matte is now back as the starter. When Lenny does get the ball he still gains yards as a receiver and a runner, but he is not the Lenny Moore of the late '50's. 

The 1967 remains one of the most intriguing seasons in league history, and one of the reasons was placing Baltimore and Los Angeles in the same division. The last four years (64-67) the Colts have again gained superiority over the Bears and Packers as their record against these two rivals is 8-6 while against the rest of the league they are 34-5-3. 

Baltimore has a record of 5-0-1 on the road, and 4-0-1 at home as the talented Dallas Cowboys come to Memorial Stadium to meet the Colts on a quagmire of a field. The Cowboys claw back into the game and lead 17-16 late in the game, and with the game on the line Lenny Moore scores from the two to win the game. 

Interestingly note:  That in this game both Moore and Berry both score the last touchdowns of their careers. Baltimore easily dispatches New Orleans the next week and head to the Coliseum to take on George Allen and the Rams. Lenny plays very little in the last game of his career, as Baltimore with just one loss returns to home to watch the playoffs on TV. 

Page 68 of Tex Maule's book "The Players" is a classic picture of Moore, breaking Tom Vaughn's tackle with that focused determined look on his face, and one of my favorite quotes about Lenny comes from Ray Nitschke when he states, "He ran as if he wanted it." 

Looking back on his career and what he accomplished statistically:  Moore scored 84 touchdowns in victory, and 26 in loss. 

Moore as a runner carried the ball 153 times for 894 yards against the Rams (5.84 a carry), and scored 12 times rushing, while impressive, the fact that he gained 962 yards on 192 attempts against the Packers speaks volumes—how many runners in their career averaged better than 5 yards a carry against those Fox River studs? 

Lastly, cannot end this saga without revisiting his greatest play. When San Francisco had the lead on Baltimore on November 30th, 1958 Moore scored on his signature play FLOW 39—and Lenny states "The play was designed for me to cut anywhere I could hit the opening or carry it around end". "As a runner I liked the quick pitchout, if you could get around the end, with the flanker cracking back on the outside linebacker, you had had good running room to pick up downfield blocks". 

Moore went 73 to score in the division-clinching victory that catapulted Baltimore to Champions. "Good running room"? Hell yes, Lenny, hell yes!

Game-used Lenny Moore Jersey