Photo courtesy of Carey Moorer.
Coach Carey Moorer with his team
Carey Moorer, a former University of Southern Mississippi lineman who blocked for Brett Favre, has spent 17 years teaching and coaching football, the last several at Spain Park High School.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: I am a single father with two boys, Major (17) and Ryland (7 years old). I graduated from Vestavia [Hills] High School, where I received a football scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi. While playing football at USM, I had the pleasure of blocking for Brett Favre and enjoyed wins against both Alabama and Auburn in those years. I completed a master’s in physical education, a master’s in leadership, and an educational specialist degree at Jacksonville State University. I was also a graduate assistant with the football team at JSU for Coach [Jack] Crowe. I have been teaching and coaching now for 17 years.
Q: What first inspired you to pursue football as both a player and eventually a coach?
A: That’s easy: my love of the sport and helping young people. I loved playing football from the time I was big enough to catch a football. My folks were all big football fans, so there was always football talk and games to watch. It didn’t matter if it was high school, college or even professional games, I literally grew up with it. After graduating from college, I came to realize how much I enjoyed working with young people, and I wanted to help them achieve their goals.
Q: When you look back at your own college playing days at Southern Miss, what lessons from that experience shaped the way you coach today?
A: Well, it is like Bear Bryant said, “Never quit.” Or when Oprah Winfrey said, “Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” My USM coaches expected those traits to be displayed in our team — never give up and be ready to be better tomorrow — so that we could be trusted to do our jobs. Coach [Tim] Vakakas, our head football coach at Spain Park, says, “We do hard things daily; our guys don’t know anything else. It’s our way of life.” I tell our offensive line at Spain Park that you must play as hard as you can, and we have to be able to trust you. Trust is the most valuable thing in the world. It can take years to develop, and we can lose it in seconds.
Photos courtesy of Carey Moorer.
Carey Moorer with sons
Carey Moorer with sons Ryland and Major.
Q: How did your path ultimately lead you to coach and teach at Spain Park High School?
A: I believe it has to be a passion and a calling to be a teacher and a coach. I realized after a few years in the health club industry that I enjoyed helping and teaching people about using exercise plans [and] exercise equipment and setting goals to achieve results. I saw a lot of young people come in who reminded me of myself at their age — [I knew] I wanted certain things but didn’t know how to make them happen and didn’t always know who to ask for help. That’s when I came to believe that I had experiences which would allow me to help kids achieve their goals and hopefully learn some helpful life lessons. I began my coaching and teaching career at Lincoln High, then Vestavia High, followed by McAdory High, before landing here at Spain Park.
Q: Early in your playing or coaching career, was there a mentor or coach who influenced your philosophy the most?
A: I have been blessed to be coached by, or to have coached with, a lot of really good coaches. This question reminds me of a quote by Carol Dweck, an American psychologist, and I think it applies not only to parents but coaches and teachers, as well: “If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort and keep on learning.” My coaches who come to mind as teaching these important characteristics, and more, are: Coach Buddy Anderson, Coach Sammy Dunn and Coach George Hatchett, all from VHHS; Coach Curly Hallman and Coach Mark McHale from USM; and Coach Jack Crowe at JSU, just to name a few. I would like to think that I have borrowed a little from all these great coaches.
Q: How would you describe your coaching philosophy, both on and off the field?
A: I believe that teachers and coaches must be willing to go out of their way to help students develop and achieve their passions and goals. I try to do this in my classrooms as well as in coaching. We work really hard at Spain Park, whether it’s teaching or coaching. But we have to enjoy ourselves and have a little fun sometimes. I believe we shouldn’t ever take ourselves too seriously. I treat all the students and players as if they are my own. I start with building relationships and let them know that I care about and appreciate them. After all, one of our core beliefs at Spain Park is, “A student’s self-esteem is enhanced by positive relationships and mutual respect among and between students and staff.” We believe that “our shared endeavors at Spain Park will empower students to make a positive impact on the world.” As I mentioned earlier, working hard and being trustworthy are a big part of my philosophy. Being prepared is high on my list also. I coach the kids hard because life is hard. But I am fair and consistent. I treat all the kids equally. Building relations is the key to life, and how you treat people is extremely important. They may not remember what you said, but they will definitely remember how you made them feel. My kids at Spain Park call me Coach Mo. You might think that is short for “Moorer,” but that’s not all. Most every day I give my students and my offensive linemen little snippets of encouragement. They call it my “MO”tivation. For instance, a few calming words can shift their mind away from whatever is going on in their lives at that moment, [such as] Robert Tew’s comforting quote: “Trust yourself. You’ve survived a lot, and you’ll survive whatever is coming.” Motivational quotes and mantras, even music and other types of affirmations, became important to me when I was playing college football. Some people may say that these things don’t make a difference, but I agree with what Zig Ziglar said on the subject: “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.”
Q: What do you believe high school football uniquely teaches young people that they might not learn elsewhere?
A: That life is hard. It is not “if” life gets hard — it is “when” life gets hard. They will have the drive to persevere. It teaches life skills, teamwork, leadership, character, discipline, communication skills, mental toughness, accountability and goal setting. Hopefully we teach them a little about football and a lot about life.
Q: What do you hope players remember most about their time playing under you?
A: Probably how much they mean to me and how much I put into coaching and teaching. I give them everything I have. I am constantly planning and reviewing and reflecting on any and all teaching and decisions to see if it is the best decision for the school, team, player and then me.
Q: Over the years, you’ve coached many athletes — are there moments or former players that stand out as especially meaningful to you?
A: They are like our kids.They all stand out. I probably remember the ones that had the most challenges and yet persevered, achieving a higher level in sports and in life than they would have without the coaching and teaching they received. Those are special moments.
Q: What makes the football culture at Spain Park special?
A: This is family here. [Amanda] Esslinger and the rest of the administration, along with Coach Vakakas and coaching staff, set the standard and then the expectations for our commitment to excellence in education and athletics. Then it is our job to make sure that not just the coaches and teachers meet those expectations but students and their parents understand those expectations and help our whole school family to rise to the level of the standard together.
Q: How important is community support to a high school football program like this one?
A: It really starts in elementary school, middle school and up. We always go over to see the younger kids and visit the schools often. We also have a big brother program with the football team with the ninth graders. We also mix in frequent coaching with Berry Middle School. Our community is a priority to us, and it shows. The parents, businesses and younger kids show their appreciation and love with constant support for Spain Park. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of the community, especially the parents.
Q: What have been some of the most memorable moments you’ve experienced here over the years?
A: Winning is always fun. Here at Spain Park this last year, the senior class was the winningest class of all time. The team went undefeated in the regular season, and of course winning at the Met was pretty fun too.
Q: When you reflect on your life and career so far, what makes you the most proud?
A: It is just simply helping people. I enjoy the journey and watching kids develop. For instance, when you have a kid who is shy or does not like to engage, communicate or interact, and at the end of the semester you see that kid on the board, leading the lesson discussion and having fun, it reminds you of the joy of teaching. When you see a kid work hard and start believing in themselves, it is truly amazing and rewarding.
Q: What is next for you? Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
A: I love my job here, and I am so happy. This is a special place, including [Amanda] Esslinger and the administration, Coach V and the coaches, players, teachers, staff and parents. Everyone supports each other, even when it may not be convenient. That is a true test of support and love, and that is Spain Park! I’m not sure what the next step is and what the future holds. However, one thing I do know: it will have some “Mo”tivation! Go Jags!
