Content warning: This story contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide and needs support now, call or text 988 or chat with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore died on Saturday in southern Indiana, according to Moore’s college coach. He was 25 years old.
Advertisement
New Albany police chief Todd Bailey told reporters Moore was found in a garage with a gunshot wound suspected to be self-inflicted.
Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm, who coached Moore at Purdue, released a statement fondly remembering his former player.
Moore was in his fifth year in the NFL, but he’ll be remembered more for the heights he reached in college with the Boilermakers.
It’s not hyperbolizing to say he found instant stardom as a freshman. A 5-foot-7 weapon, Moore scored a 32-yard receiving touchdown and a 76-yard rushing touchdown in his first quarter of college action. He finished the game with 313 all-purpose yards, a program record.
Advertisement
Moore went on to post 2,048 all-purpose yards in 2018, earning him consensus All-American honors, the Paul Hornung Award for college football’s most versatile player, the Paul Warfield Trophy for the nation’s top wide receiver, the Big Ten Receiver of the Year award and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.
Injuries marred the rest of his college career, as he played a combined seven games in his sophomore and junior year. Still, his talent was obvious enough that he generated significant interest as an NFL prospect.
The Arizona Cardinals drafted him in the second round, 49th overall, in the 2021 NFL Draft, but injuries remained a persistent problem throughout his professional career. He stayed with Arizona for three seasons, posting 1,201 career receiving yards, then was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for Desmond Ridder.
Moore never played another game, as he missed the entire 2024 season with a knee injury. He joined the Vikings the next season on a one-year contract, but suffered another season-ending knee injury in preseason.
Advertisement
NFL players mourn Rondale Moore