It was in week seven at Georgetown in 2025, during what had been a strong individual season thus far, that Winston Moore ’27 went down with a knee injury.
Two days later, he learned he had a torn ACL. It was the first serious injury of his playing career.
“That was hard on me for sure,” Moore said. “I’ve been playing football since I was 6-years-old. Now, I had to take a nine-month break, not being able to run or walk.”
The toughest part of the recovery was not the physical therapy, but rather the many months away from the game and the uncertainty of what the future would hold for a football player coming back from a major injury.
“The mental part was my biggest challenge,” Moore said. “Not being able to play the game I love. Not knowing if I would come back and be the same.”
Now with the start of the season around the corner, Moore is finally back on the field. He’s healthy, playing with no limitations. He makes his normal cuts and runs routes as usual, doing all he can to elude his defender.
After a long recovery, Moore is ready, and he is counting the days until Aug. 28, when the Raiders open the season at Fordham.
“I spent the last eight to nine months recovering, grinding, trying to get back to playing football and doing things to help my team,” he said. “I feel physically good, mentally good. I’ve had a great support system along the way. Coaches reaching out, making sure I’m good.”
There’s an extra reason for Moore to be excited about the new season. He heads into the 2026 schedule as Colgate’s senior wide receiver. He has improved by the season, and has learned a few things from former teammates such as Treyvhon Saunders ’26.
Now it’s his turn to lead. By playing for second-year head coach Curt Fitzpatrick, whose offense emphasizes the pass, Moore should see the ball often.
The table is set for Moore to have a big season. The Patriot League agrees, after tapping him for a spot on the Preseason All-League team.
Moore said he’s eager for the opportunity.
“It’s a blessing to have that opportunity, knowing your teammates and coaches trust you enough to make plays,” he said.
“Any wide receiver would love to play in Coach Fitzpatrick’s offense,” he said. “He likes to spread the offense and takes shots. He’s a very aggressive offensive coordinator and head coach. He gives you a lot of freedom in your route running. He doesn’t want you to think when you’re out there, just being able to execute.”
Moore is also excited about competing in what will be a tougher conference, thanks to new members Villanova and William & Mary.
“Being able to play tougher opponents — those are the games I love,” Moore said. “It should be very exciting. It should be packed crowds for those games.”
Moore credits various people for helping him become a better player since he first arrived at Colgate in the fall of 2023. His wide receiver coaches, starting with Ian Pace in 2023 and now Joe Gerbino, have helped him sharpen his techniques.
He learned from watching his older brothers, one who played football at Yale and the other at Beloit College in Wisconsin. Their commitment and approach to the sport has rubbed off on Moore.
“I learned from watching how serious they took the game,” he said. “They were an inspiration to me.”
In addition, for three seasons Moore played alongside Saunders, who had a record-breaking 2025 season at Colgate and went on to sign with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.
“I definitely looked up to Trey a lot,” Moore said. “I learned the mental aspect of the game from Trey. If you’re into football, you have to be all in. Fully committed, even when you’re not on the field. Looking at film. Looking at the playbook. Being able to watch how he did things and follow in his footsteps, it was huge.”
Moore is a sociology major. Studying at a rigorous institution such as Colgate has been the challenge he was expecting when he first arrived as a first-year. But he has balanced his athletic and academic responsibilities through hard work and with help from Colgate’s Student-Athlete Support Services.
He has completed internships at retail and technology companies in St. Louis, learning the business side of the trade.
While his goal is to play in the NFL, Moore is also looking at life after football. One career that interests him involves working with medical devices that help athletes recover from injury.
He developed that interest from using such devices during his recovery.
“I knew nothing about medical devices before my injury,” he said. “After using medical devices to help my knee heal and develop strength, I’ve been trying to learn more about that field, talking to different companies.”
Moore has experienced much in his three years at Colgate. He has seen a change in coaching staff, and friends and teammates come and go. He has also seen himself evolve as a wide receiver.
Now he looks forward to one more season with the Raiders.
“My focus is on the season, making a big impact, and helping my teammates,” he said. “We are looking at Week 1 and coming away with a win.”
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