Every Tuesday, Kenny Moore II changes from a nine-year veteran NFL cornerback to an eighth-grade life skills teacher.
“Mr. Kenny,” as the Colts cornerback’s students fondly call him, shows up at Cardinal Ritter High School in Indianapolis every week without fail to talk about all kinds of topics – everything from financial literacy to healthy relationships to mental health. He stays there for two hours and dedicates himself to being fully present for every moment.
It’s Moore’s one off day of the week, a day most NFL players use to prioritize their own health and recovery amid their hectic and demanding schedule.
But teaching, giving back and spreading love is Moore’s recovery. It’s his calling, it’s his source of inspiration and it’s as deeply rooted in his personality as his love for football.
It’s why he’s the Colts’ 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, and it’s why he’s the first player in franchise history to be nominated three times. This is who Moore is, and has always been.
“I say it’s my role, but when I say it’s my role, it’s more so it’s something that I have to do,” Moore said on Thursday. “Whether there was an award for it or there wasn’t. I believe that I was already a nominee, you know what I mean, in college, in high school. It’s something that my family takes pride in, something that my community takes pride in, it’s what they know me as.
“That’s the time of the week, Tuesdays, where I can extend my time and do more things…it’s something that I really do take pride in.”
Moore and his Love One Foundation partnered with Cardinal Ritter in the past to create the Rise and Shine Initiative, centered around academic excellence and encouraging students to come to school and succeed, as well as helping them find career opportunities outside of school. This year marks the first year he is a teacher at the school, and it was a natural progression for Moore, who is always searching for ways to do more.
“I thought it was only right, I thought it was only appropriate for me to be in the flesh,” he said. “I wanted to be more hands-on overall for the school. So as I help them, they help me every single week. With everything that we have going on in our world, in football, it’s cool. It keeps my morale high. And they push me as well. On the field, I think about them, I think about the celebrations and everything.”
In fact, it was a celebration of Moore’s that went viral just over a month ago, when he performed a celebration that was choreographed by a young boy who came to Moore with the idea during an event with Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.