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Drew Moor happy to be setting the standard for consecutive minutes played
The defender is setting the standard for consecutive minutes by an active field player and is embracing the 'Iron Man' tag.
May 19, 2011 4:59:00 PM
By Stephanie Gardner
Drew Moor has been wearing the burgundy of the Colorado Rapids for almost two years now, and has proven himself a vital player on the defending champion’s roster. His performance is gaining attention as he continues to set the standard for the consecutive minutes by an active field player. Currently, Moor has played 51 consecutive regular season games totaling 4590 minutes. And that total doesn’t include the 420 minutes of post season matches that led the Rapids to lift the MLS Cup.
Announcers are calling the Dallas native “Iron Man”. What is the key to his stamina and performance?
“I think it is a combination of things,” Moor says. “I’ve been fortunate to stay healthy for a long period of time. Everyone picks up injuries here and there, and although I have at times played through a couple small injuries, God blessed me with a pretty healthy last couple years.”
A humble player, Moor gives most of the credit to his coaches and fellow teammates for his accomplishments.
“I think being able to play a couple different positions helps,” the 27-year old explains. “Having coaches who have some faith in me to put me out there in different positions also helps. Obviously the defenders that I play with are fantastic players. It’s easy to get on the same page with guys like Tyrone Marshall , Marvell Wynne, Kosuke Kimura, Scott Palguta, and Anthony Wallace, along with (Jeff) Larentowicz and (Pablo) Mastroeni in front of us. I’ve got a lot of reliability with the teammates that I play with.”
Besides noticing the consecutive minutes Moor has played, fans have also observed the defender wearing a new accessory to his uniform.
“It’s just a heart rate monitor that John Ireland, our conditioning coach, likes for some of the guys to wear during games, so he can gauge were we are at. We can go back and see how many calories I’ve burned, what period of games my heart rate is at its highest and when it’s at its lowest. It’s a good gauge to see where I am at.”
Aspiring soccer players would appreciate finding out what Moor eats daily, so they can mimic his habits. That will be a difficult assignment, as Moor doesn’t keep track of calorie intake.
“Don’t tell the coaches,” Moor jokes, “but I’m not a health nut. I do know that I burn an average of 2000 calories a game, which probably isn’t even that high because I’m a defender. I don’t do quite as much running as some of the midfielders and forwards probably do. I think soccer players run between 4-8 miles a game, depending on your position. I always joke that when I play next to Wynne I only run a mile during the game, because he is doing all the running for me, and I’m more doing the organization.”
Coach Gary Smith is delighted with the defender’s accomplishments, and knows part of the secret that makes Moor a tireless part of the Colorado Rapids.
“There are a couple of things that I think make Drew one of the most valuable defenders in the league,” Smith says. “The first one is that for a defender, his qualities and his courage as a defender, measure more against everybody. The second one is he’s extremely versatile. The guy can play anywhere in the back four, and I bet if I put him in center midfield he would still do a decent job. He has a lot of qualities that lend himself to being an ever-present part of a very competitive and successful group.
“The last one is that the lad looks after himself extremely well,” Coach Smith observes. “That enables him to continually play, and to be able to get through minute after minute with a very good level as well. He’s a wonderfully valuable individual, as well as being a terrific person.”
As for being nicknamed “Iron Man”, Moor could think of worse things to be called.
“That’s a great compliment,” the defender says. “You don’t get to play soccer over the course of your life for as long as you think it is. While you are playing it, it might feel like a long time, but you talk to older guys who are no longer playing, and they’ll remind you that you don’t play soccer long. The window is very short. To be able to play a bunch of minutes and to play a bunch of consecutive games is really all I could ask for. If I could win some trophies and score some goals and have some fun while I am doing it then all the better. Which is definitely what I‘m doing right now.”
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Announcers are calling the Dallas native “Iron Man”. What is the key to his stamina and performance?
“I think it is a combination of things,” Moor says. “I’ve been fortunate to stay healthy for a long period of time. Everyone picks up injuries here and there, and although I have at times played through a couple small injuries, God blessed me with a pretty healthy last couple years.”
A humble player, Moor gives most of the credit to his coaches and fellow teammates for his accomplishments.
“I think being able to play a couple different positions helps,” the 27-year old explains. “Having coaches who have some faith in me to put me out there in different positions also helps. Obviously the defenders that I play with are fantastic players. It’s easy to get on the same page with guys like Tyrone Marshall , Marvell Wynne, Kosuke Kimura, Scott Palguta, and Anthony Wallace, along with (Jeff) Larentowicz and (Pablo) Mastroeni in front of us. I’ve got a lot of reliability with the teammates that I play with.”
Besides noticing the consecutive minutes Moor has played, fans have also observed the defender wearing a new accessory to his uniform.
“It’s just a heart rate monitor that John Ireland, our conditioning coach, likes for some of the guys to wear during games, so he can gauge were we are at. We can go back and see how many calories I’ve burned, what period of games my heart rate is at its highest and when it’s at its lowest. It’s a good gauge to see where I am at.”
Aspiring soccer players would appreciate finding out what Moor eats daily, so they can mimic his habits. That will be a difficult assignment, as Moor doesn’t keep track of calorie intake.
“Don’t tell the coaches,” Moor jokes, “but I’m not a health nut. I do know that I burn an average of 2000 calories a game, which probably isn’t even that high because I’m a defender. I don’t do quite as much running as some of the midfielders and forwards probably do. I think soccer players run between 4-8 miles a game, depending on your position. I always joke that when I play next to Wynne I only run a mile during the game, because he is doing all the running for me, and I’m more doing the organization.”
Coach Gary Smith is delighted with the defender’s accomplishments, and knows part of the secret that makes Moor a tireless part of the Colorado Rapids.
“There are a couple of things that I think make Drew one of the most valuable defenders in the league,” Smith says. “The first one is that for a defender, his qualities and his courage as a defender, measure more against everybody. The second one is he’s extremely versatile. The guy can play anywhere in the back four, and I bet if I put him in center midfield he would still do a decent job. He has a lot of qualities that lend himself to being an ever-present part of a very competitive and successful group.
“The last one is that the lad looks after himself extremely well,” Coach Smith observes. “That enables him to continually play, and to be able to get through minute after minute with a very good level as well. He’s a wonderfully valuable individual, as well as being a terrific person.”
As for being nicknamed “Iron Man”, Moor could think of worse things to be called.
“That’s a great compliment,” the defender says. “You don’t get to play soccer over the course of your life for as long as you think it is. While you are playing it, it might feel like a long time, but you talk to older guys who are no longer playing, and they’ll remind you that you don’t play soccer long. The window is very short. To be able to play a bunch of minutes and to play a bunch of consecutive games is really all I could ask for. If I could win some trophies and score some goals and have some fun while I am doing it then all the better. Which is definitely what I‘m doing right now.”
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