OXNARD, Calif. – Just like the Cowboys' front office, Damontre' Moore wasn't caught off guard by the news that he'd been suspended for the first two games of this season.
Moore was arrested for DWI last December, when he was a member of the Seattle Seahawks, so it was a good bet that NFL discipline would follow. Eight months later, as a member of the Dallas Cowboys, Moore said he could only learn from the mistake and move on.
"The ruling came down, and at the end of the day it is what it is. Like I said, I made my bed and so I've got to lie in it," he said. "It's a mistake I made in the past, in Seattle, and I just wanted to apologize to the Cowboys organization and the fans for my past even following me."
The suspension goes into effect at the start of the regular season and would force Moore to miss Week 1 against the New York Giants and Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. But he will still be eligible to participate in all training camp practices and preseason games.
In the meantime, the Cowboys have been pleased with the progress Moore has made to better himself since he signed in Dallas as a free agent. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has said multiple times this week that the team opted to sign him despite knowing that a suspension was possible.
"He made great strides in our evaluations by our player engagement people, and so we went ahead and made that signing under our conditions, knowing full well a suspension was a possibility," Garrett said.
That show of faith clearly wasn't lost on Moore, who is originally from the Dallas area. Just to receive another NFL opportunity was one thing, but the young pass rusher said his next priority is to redeem that show of faith on the field.
"I also want to show them by coming out here, working hard each and every day, that I'm here to work and try to make the best of this opportunity," he said. "So when I go out there and it's my time, I can go out there and show them they were right."
In the meantime, Moore said he's taken plenty of lessons from both the arrest and the suspension, which he'll be putting to use.
"You've got to make wise decisions. You can't let off-the-field distractions get in the way," he said. "So for me, it's just about maturing and growing and realizing that this opportunity – we're fortunate. We're a small percentile that gets this chance. Fortunately enough, I got another opportunity to go out there and play, so I'm just trying to seize it by the horns and just go out there and do it to the best of my ability."
