Derland Paul Moore (October 7, 1951 – September 24, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

and the New York Jets. An

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n, he played college football at the

University of Oklahoma , mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State" , type = Public research university , established = , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.7billion (2021) , pr ...

and was selected in the second round of the 1973 NFL Draft. At the time he was drafted, Moore was the highest selected college walk-on in history of the NFL Draft, a distinction overtaken by fellow Oklahoma Sooner Baker Mayfield, the overall number one draft pick in 2018. Moore went on to set a team record for service with 169 games played in 13 seasons with the New Orleans Saints, playing for five permanent head coaches and three interim coaches in that time. He led the team in sacks in 1980, and was selected to the

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

in 1983. Moore retired from the NFL in 1986 and was later inducted into the

New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

, the New Orleans Saints 40th and 50th Anniversary Team, the

Missouri Sports Hall of Fame The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is located in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1994 by Springfield businessman John Q. Hammons, the Hall of Fame is housed in a two-story, 32,000-square-foot building. On display are more than 4, ...

, and was named as one of the Top 100 Sooners in Oklahoma University football history. Moore died on September 24, 2020, age 68, from a lengthy illness.Sam Shannon
"New Orleans Saints legend Derland Moore dies at 68"
New Orleans Saints website, September 25, 2020

References

1951 births 2020 deaths People from Malden, Missouri Players of American football from Missouri American football defensive tackles Oklahoma Sooners football players New Orleans Saints players New York Jets players Ed Block Courage Award recipients {{Oklahoma-sport-stub