“Don’t Cross The Moats” was former Buffalo Bill and Pittsburgh Steeler Linebacker Arthur Moats’ catchphrase. Known for his big hits and his community work during his NFL career, he had an eight-year-long career in the NFL. During that time, he played in 121 games, recording 216 tackles and 16.5 sacks.
“Anybody can do something once, but to do it every time at a high level is what separates the good people from the great people…” – Arthur Moats (source)
In high school, Arthur was the definition of a multisport athlete, playing football, wrestling, basketball, soccer and track and field. He “did wrestling and basketball during the same season; I did track and soccer during the same season. All of those kind of geared to get me better at football each way, you know. With basketball, it was the conditioning side of it. With wrestling, it was learning leverage. With soccer, it was working on my footwork. It was just another way to get faster.”
His career with wrestling was highlighted by an eighth-place finish at the Virginia State Finals. After high school, he made is way to James Madison University where he as a team captain and then to the NFL.
Arthur has a message for all the Jeff High Wrestling and Football players