Stripe Hype » Sio Moore

Stripe Hype Interview: UCONN Linebacker Sio Moore

Blake Meek — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:43:26 +0000

Sep 8, 2012; East Hartford, CT, USA; Connecticut Huskies linebacker SioMoore (3) reacts after sacking North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Mike Glennon (8) during the first half at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

One of the Bengals biggest needs is an outside linebacker that can play in coverage as well as play the run. Sio Moore looks to be that type of player. He is a linebacker who while being a disciplined and staying in his gap, taking care of his responsibilities, also has the ability to run with tight ends and backs down the field. He also has shown the ability to rush the quarterback and make the big play there. In 2012 he racked up 72 tackles, with 15.5 for a loss and 8 sacks. He also had 11 passes defensed. In his career at UCONN he played in 41 games, getting 274 total tackles, 44 tackles for a loss, 16 sacks, 3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 21 passes defensed. I would again like to think Sio for taking the time to do this interview with me.

BM: Well first off I want to say thanks for taking the time to do this.

No problem.

BM: So you grew up in Connecticut before moving to North Carolina in high school. What was your favorite team growing up?

I started watching football when I was about 10 years old, which was in 2000. I didn’t know what was going on because at the time I wasn’t big on football, but I always watched Ravens games and I loved watching Ray Lewis. Ever since then I was a Ravens fan. I was drawn to the energy or Lewis and really fascinated by how those boys played D.

BM: So even as a kid you were drawn to the linebacker position?

I was man. I just thought he was amazing man. It was what caught my eye. As I started watching and playing more, I got more and more into it. He became one of my heroes. Then I started watching a bunch of great backers.

BM: Is there a linebacker in the NFL that you model your game after? Or that you would compare yourself too?

I’d say a guy that I really like right now is Daryl Washington with the Arizona Cardinals. Fast, can play straight backer, knack to get to the ball and he’s a hell of an athlete. Gets to the QB, all around type guy.

Stripe Hype Interview: Uconn Linebacker Sio Moore

Blake Meek — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 22:40:13 +0000

One of the Bengals biggest needs is an outside linebacker that can play in coverage as well as play the run. Sio Moore looks to be that type of player. He is a linebacker who while being a disciplined and staying in his gap, taking care of his responsibilities, also has the ability to run with tight ends and backs down the field. He also has shown the ability to rush the quarterback and make the big play there. In 2012 he racked up 72 tackles, with 15.5 for a loss and 8 sacks. He also had 11 passes defensed. In his career at Uconn he played in 41 games, getting 274 total tackles, 44 tackles for a loss, 16 sacks, 3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles and 21 passes defensed. I would again like to think Sio for taking the time to do this interview with me.

BM: Well first off I want to say thanks for taking the time to do this.

No problem.

BM: So you grew up in Connecticut before moving to North Carolina in high school. What was your favorite team growing up?

I started watching football when I was about 10 years old, which was in 2000. I didn’t know what was going on because at the time I wasn’t big on football, but I always watched Ravens games and I loved watching Ray Lewis. Ever since then I was a Ravens fan. I was drawn to the energy or Lewis and really fascinated by how those boys played D.

BM: So even as a kid you were drawn to the linebacker position?

I was man. I just thought he was amazing man. It was what caught my eye. As I started watching and playing more, I got more and more into it. He became one of my heroes. Then I started watching a bunch of great backers.

BM: Is there a linebacker in the NFL that you model your game after? Or that you would compare yourself too?

I’d say a guy that I really like right now is Daryl Washington with the Arizona Cardinals. Fast, can play straight backer, knack to get to the ball and he’s a hell of an athlete. Gets to the QB, all around type guy.

2013 Senior Bowl: A Look at Players Who May Be Future Bengals

Shawn Maher — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 02:59:06 +0000

Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl south squad running back Mike Gillislee of Florida (22) carries the ball up the field against Senior Bowl north squad defensive back Desmond Trufant of Washington (6) during the first quarter at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Senior Bowl week wrapped up with a bang or a thud, depending on which position’s perspective is used. While the quarterback prospects were very underwhelming, with the exception of E.J. Manuel, the Bengals are not in the market for a quarterback.

Although, if Manuel somehow managed to still be on the board on Sunday, that could be quite the interesting developmental prospect.

But looking through the lens of Cincinnati’s draft focus, there were some very interesting prospects on display in an all-star game that was far more entertaining than the Pro Bowl promises to be. Most of the reviews here are based on the Senior Bowl and the limited tape that I have had the chance to watch, while more in-depth opinions will come closer to the draft.

Running Back

The star at this position, which was pretty stacked, was Johnathan Franklin from UCLA. The serendipity began at weigh-ins, when he tipped the scales at 201 pounds on a 5’10” frame, but his patience behind the line of scrimmage was the most impressive aspect.

Franklin is the very definition of a home-run threat, but what he displayed before hitting the line was something that man home-run hitters lack: patience. In the past, Franklin displayed a bad habit of running in to his linemen’s backs by sprinting to the line of scrimmage.

In the Senior Bowl, Franklin had a big gain and a touchdown on a couple crack sweeps that were made possible by waiting for a hole to develop, then exploding through the crease using his exceptional speed. Franklin would be an excellent target with the second pick in the second round, especially if Gio Bernard is off the board.

Florida running back Mike Gillislee had been spotted talking with Bengals personnel this week, and his performance showed a solid mid-round selection. Gillislee may not have the all-around skills to stay on the field for all three downs, but he displayed excellent lateral agility and explosiveness. At 5’11” and 210 pounds, he has the size to run through the tackles and the speed to turn the corner.

Stephan Taylor many not have shown Senior Bowl viewers a ton, but he ripped off a couple nice runs with a Marcus-Allen-like ability to always fall forward. He is a good barometer for the offensive line, losing yards when the line failed and gaining chunks of real estate when a hole was open. He looked like a solid back, but nothing overly spectacular.

Lastly, another James from Miami, this time Mike, surprised with a very good performance. Like the James clan, Mike looked solid all-around but without a huge “wow” factor, although he played like a three-down back. Unfortunately, a back that was supposed to display the “wow” factor, Kenjon Barner, was mostly held in check until Zach Dysert began relying on him as a safety valve during the two-minute drill. Still, Barner is surprisingly good in pass protection and should not be written off based on one performance.