NATCHITOCHES – Two days before Northwestern State's Oct. 5 football game at Stephen F. Austin, longtime head coach Sam Goodwin spoke to the 2024 Demon team about the significance of "The Link" and its importance to the program.
 
As a program icon, Goodwin's words held weight for all who heard them, but there may have been one for whom they echoed more intensely.
 
In a sport that is filled with legacies – both performance-based and family-rooted – junior wide receiver Ty Moore may understand them more than most. In his first season as a Demon, Moore is carrying on a dual Northwestern legacy, following in the footsteps of both of his parents.
 
Moore's father, Glenn, played football for Goodwin while his mother, Janice Miller, was a record-setting high jumper who will enter the N-Club Hall of Fame in two weeks.
 
"That was awesome, because that was my dad's head coach," Ty Moore said. "It was really cool hearing that. The Link means a lot. It's about a connection to everyone on your team all the way down to the first Northwestern State team. We're all connected. It's really cool."
 
Those connections were strengthened shortly after Ty Moore signed with the Demons out of Southwest Mississippi Community College in December.
 
That is when first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle introduced his offensive coordinator Norman Joseph – the same Norman Joseph who was Glenn Moore's offensive coordinator in Natchitoches.
 
A veteran coach who is in his second tenure at Northwestern, Joseph recognized the similarities between father and son, even if the younger Moore lines up a few yards farther out than his father.
 
"I'm so proud to have had the opportunity to work with Ty," Joseph said. "Both are great personalities. You can see that by what Glenn is doing now in his coaching career at Baylor. He's able to attract people. That's what Ty Moore does. When Glenn was here, people played better when Glenn was in the game. When Ty Moore's in the game, people play better. Everybody elevates their game. They're both special."
 
Coincidentally or not, Ty Moore's first start as a Demon came this past Saturday against Stephen F. Austin. Statistically, it was the most productive game for both him and the entire Demon offense. He could find himself in that position when Northwestern hosts Texas A&M-Commerce at 2 p.m. Saturday in Southland Conference action on ESPN+.
 
Ty Moore tied for the team lead with three catches against the Lumberjacks, turning two of those into first downs. The third was a third-down grab that came up just short of a first down but set up Reed Honshtein's 24-yard field goal.
 
"His breakout performance, if you will, on Saturday didn't surprise us because he's done a great job all year on special teams, and when he's had the chance to go in and play receiver, he's done some good things," McCorkle said. "He's got a good future here. People will probably see his name pop up a bit more as the season goes on."
 
The Moore name carries weight at Northwestern and at Baylor where his father has built a softball powerhouse, but Ty Moore did not buckle under the weight of expectations.
 
Instead, he drew inspiration – and genetics – from his parents. While Glenn Moore gave him the football genetics, Ty Moore also took plenty of the gene pool from his mother, who twice set the school high jump record. Her 5-foot-8.75 clearance stood as NSU's school record for seven years.
 
In addition to the 1992 Southland Conference Outdoor high jump title, Janice Moore was twice a conference runner-up and also had the team's best times in the 100 (12.65) and 200 (24.9) in her junior season. Her school record stood as a mark of pride for Ty Moore.
 
"I broke her record at one point going into my freshman year," he said. "That was a big accomplishment for me. I have to give her credit for my hops."
 
Tangibly, Ty Moore has leaned on his parents like many college students.
 
Considering he is in the shoes they both occupied, Janice and Glenn Moore's advice speaks volumes.
 
"They've been with me through every step," Ty Moore said. "They always guided me and have given me the best options available. They've been my top supporters."