Moeller expected to be 'full-go' this spring after long recovery process

2015 was shaping up just how Colorado safety Ryan Moeller had hoped.

The former walk-on from Rifle, Colo., was placed on scholarship, he was second on the team in tackles through seven games, and the Buffaloes were still clinging to their bowl hopes.

Then the accident occurred.

Moeller was on the back of his friend's moped at the stoplight near Folsom Street and Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder when the vehicle was rear-ended.

“I don't really know what happened because I got knocked out,” Moeller said. “I came to it and I didn't know if I was going to be okay or not right away. I had a neck brace on, was strapped into a gurney and was getting loaded onto the ambulance.”

Although Moeller's injuries were not life threatening, they were severe. He missed the remainder of his redshirt sophomore season and was not cleared to start participating in the Buffaloes' strength and conditioning program again until a week into the spring semester.

“There were quite a few things from the accident that took a long time to get back from,” he said. “It was a long recovery but I am lucky and I am blessed to be here now. Sometimes when accidents like this happen, you have to count your blessings.

“Sometimes it is hard to have proper perspective when it first happens and you can't do what you want to do immediately. But seeing as how I didn't break any bones and I didn't have to spend too much time in the hospital, I would have to say I am pretty lucky.”

Despite missing the final six games last season, Moeller still finished tied for eighth on the team with 47 tackles, and he also caused two turnovers. He certainly proved worthy of scholarship status, which Mike MacIntyre had given him prior to preseason camp.

“There were definitely a lot of ups and downs last year but being placed on scholarship was a big moment for me,” Moeller expressed. “The coaches won't just hand anyone a scholarship. You have to be seen as a hard worker, so to have my hard work noticed like that, it was great.”

On Colorado's pre-spring injury report, Moeller is listed as full-go. He said he has been a full participant in the winter strength and conditioning program for roughly a month now.

Moeller has proven to be excellent in run support as a safety. His main goal this off-season is to improve his ability in pass coverage.

“Man-to-man coverage ability is a tough part of the job of being a defensive back, but it is a crucial part, too,” he said. “I definitely want to be seen as someone that can do well in all the aspects of being a defensive back.”

What was it like having to sit out the final six games of the 2015 season?

“It was definitely really, really hard to see my team go through the rest of the season and not be able to be out there to help them. It wasn't my fault, but I still felt like I had let them down. I was able to realize, though, there were other ways I could help them out. I could come out to practice and talk to guys about the scouting reports and get them ready. My coaches and teammates let me help them, so the guilt quickly vacated my mind.”

You have now played more than 500 defensive snaps as a Buff and you've seen quite a bit of game action on special teams. How much confidence does that give you going into your upperclassman years?

“Well, it does give you confidence after you get your feet wet, but you really just have to step right in. I found that out my freshman year when I got my first start against Oregon. I got a small taste of it at the end of that season and I was able to get more comfortable after playing a lot this past season. Another thing that helps me feel more comfortable is the preparation part of the game. I think sometimes that is taken too lightly or isn't exactly accounted for. You can kind of lose sight of the importance of what preparation can do you for your game: what routes to expect, what coverages to expect, what they like to do on this down, or what they do in these certain scenarios. Good preparation can definitely help you play faster. Our coaches preach this statement a lot: knowledge equals confidence equals playing fast. That has definitely proven to work, for me at least.”

What changes have you seen with the strength and conditioning program this winter under the director of Drew Wilson?

“I definitely see more of a go-get-it attitude in the weight room. I definitely feel and hear from my teammates that people actually want to be in there. They think it is a good environment to be in. We're not running from it. Now on Saturdays, we have been doing player-run practices. We've been throwing in the indoor facility. The weight room has been open every weekend and there has been a big group of guys that come in and get in an extra workout because they want to be in there.”

Wilson mentioned he has a strength program that centers around Olympic style lifts...

“Yeah, we do a lot of power cleans, a lot of lifts that really build up the rear end and your explosion. We definitely are doing a lot of power movements in the weight room now.”

When Jim Leavitt came in as the new defensive coordinator last spring, there was a big emphasis on creating takeways. The defense improved significantly in this category, and improved overall, in its first-year under Leavitt's direction. What are the points of emphasis for the defense going into your second-year under his tutelage?

“We have to be better. A team can only really be as good as its defense. And so for us as a unit, the whole picture has to get better. We definitely made great strides but we're nowhere near where we need to be to be a top level defense in the country, or even in our own conference.”

I'd imagine the learning curve was fairly steep when Leavitt came in last year. How steep was it? And how much will the defense benefit from the fact you'll have another full off-season to fully grasp his defensive concepts?

“When Coach Leavitt came in, there was no time to waste, so we hit the ground running for sure. He made sure that we knew what we were doing. But the longer you can be around the same system, the better off you'll be. That is just like studying for a test or doing your job, the more experience you have in it, the better off you can be. That cohesion is there now and to not be starting from square one this off-season is big. We have the foundation laid, and now we're building on the pillars of this thing.”