HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) - There’s no shortage of places where Tarvarius Moore can find motivation.
He could look to his grandfather, Willie Moore, perhaps Quitman’s biggest New Orleans Saints fan who is largely responsible for the Southern Miss defensive back ever being allowed to play football.
He could also draw upon the frustration that came with being largely overlooked by Football Bowl Subdivision coaches out of high school.
He could think back to last season, his first in a Golden Eagle uniform, when he found it difficult to procure playing time despite producing positive results in practice and the spare moments he was on the field.
But his biggest source of motivation this season is his sister.
TavyAnna Moore, Tarvarius’ only sibling, died on July 27, when a blood vessel in her brain ruptured while she slept. She was 16.
“She actually made me promise her before the season,” he said. “She asked me to go 110 percent on the field. So that’s what I try to do every single game in honor of her.”
It seems to have worked. Tarvarius has been the backbone of the nation’s 17th-ranked defense, leading the Golden Eagles with 73 tackles and three interceptions from his safety position. He was recently rewarded for his standout play with a first-team All-American nod from Pro Football Focus, marking the first time a Southern Miss defensive player earned first-team All-American status since 2004 (Michael Boley).
Tarvarius, who missed more than a week of training camp in August to be with his family, admits he struggled to cope with the loss of his sister.
“My sister was basically my best friend,” said Tarvarius, who turned 21 in August. “After every game, no matter what, she was always the first person I’d see. Even if it was a tough loss, she would just always try to encourage me or give me some words of wisdom.
“For her to be my younger sister, she was kind of like my big sister at times. So it was pretty hard. But I know she would want me to go out and do my best.”
Tarvarius’ mother, Latasha Moore, tried hard to keep her only son away from football as long as she could. When he was old enough to begin playing youth sports, she allowed him to play soccer instead. And Tarvarius was a natural. But after two years, at the urging of his grandfather, the ban on football was lifted.
“Even though all my brothers played, I still didn’t like the idea of him playing so young,” Latasha said. “But my dad said, ’Just let him try it.’ I didn’t really know about all that, but I gave in.”
That tiny crack in his mother’s armor was all Tarvarius needed.
“I kid you not, I think he ran like seven touchdowns in that first game,” Latasha said. “Every time he touched it, it was a touchdown. It was at Wayne County. I’ll never forget that.”
The 6-foot-2, 193-pounder blossomed into a stalwart at Quitman High, leading the Panthers to three consecutive Class 4A South State championship game appearances. His standout play, though, went mostly unnoticed by senior colleges. The only Division I offer Tarvarius received as a senior in 2013, came from Alcorn State, where current Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson was serving in the same capacity.
“I was (an academic) qualifier out of high school,” Tarvarius said. “I had all the grades and everything. Didn’t have a bad attitude. I was probably much skinnier back then, but I just didn’t get any big-time offers. I guess just the small school I came from, we don’t get a lot of recognition.”
Hopson remembers his eye being caught by the rangy defensive back more than four years ago.
“We liked him in high school,” he said. “I’ve liked him since he was 16. As soon as I saw him, I could tell the talent level. I was like, ’This kid’s going to be special.’ And he’s proven me right on that.”
Others quickly caught on following Tarvarius’ first season at Pearl River Community College. He received offers from the likes of Kansas, Houston and Louisville. Current Southern Miss defensive line coach Derek Nicholson was on the Cardinals’ coaching staff in 2014 and remembers recruiting Tarvarius, so his standout senior season is unsurprising.
“This was his first full year starting (Division I) football,” Nicholson said. “He’s what they’re looking for at that next level. He’s got a lot of football ahead of him as long as he stays humble and continues to work.”
Hopson agrees.
“T’s just getting better and better,” he said. “I think he’s going to be a tremendous player at that next level. I’m blessed to have been able to coach him for a couple of years.”
Tarvarius, who changed his Twitter screen name to “#DoIt4Tavy” shortly before the 2017 season began, has found it easier to keep his chin up this season because of the inspiration he’s drawn from his sister.
“When I think about her, it gives me the motivation to keep on going each and every day,” he said. “When I’m on the field, if I’m tired or my teammates are tired, I just try to think what she would want me to do. I know she would never want me to quit or give up on anything. So I just try to find it within to go as hard as I can.”
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