The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

College Sports

December 12, 2012

Mozes most honored lineman ever at WVU

By Mickey Furfari For The Register-Herald

MORGANTOWN — Dan Mozes probably distinguished himself as the most honored offensive lineman in West Virginia University’s football history.

For starters, he became the first Mountaineer to win the prestigious Rimington Trophy as a 6-foot-4, 290-pound senior center. That was in 2006 when he finished as a consensus All-American selection.

Mozes, a four-year starter from Washington, Pa., also was one of four finalists for the Outland Trophy and was considered for the Lombardi Award.

Besides center, he saw action as a guard. He enjoyed that position but he could have more control over the line better from the center position.

“Yes, winning the Rimington Trophy was a truly great honor for me. No Mountaineers player had won it before 2006 or since then,” he said.

“That led to other honors for me. I played with some outstanding linemen and they deserve a lot of credit.”

Despite a few injuries, Mozes set a WVU record with 49 starts. Those included 39 in a row.

He averaged a career-high 91.7 percent in performance rating his senior year.

Mozes earned several individual awards from WVU coaches. He made the All-Big East and All-ECAC first teams in both 2005 and 2006.

While pleased with his achievements, the very personable Mozes always shared credit with those who toiled up front with him.

In all, he was named to seven All-American first teams. In 2006 those were by the American Football coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp, The Sporting News, The Associated Press, ESPN and Rivals Scout.

Mozes was chosen to play in the Senior Bowl all-star game after completing his collegiate eligibility.

He graduated from WVU in December 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. He earned a 3.65 grade point average.

Shockingly, Mozes was not selected by any team in the 2007 NFL draft. Kansas City did sign him as a free agent.

But he suffered a career-ending ACL and missed the entire 2007 season.

He enjoyed playing with the Minnesota Vikings for two years before he was released after the 2008 preseason ended. He also rejoined former WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez’s strength and training staff at Michigan.

Mozes still resides in Michigan, where he’s working for a firm which is involved in dealing with high school athletes.

He served notice as a redshirt freshman in 2003 that he would be a star. The Sporting News named him to its freshman All-American second team.

He helped his high school to a 15-0 record and WPIAL 2-A state championship and made the small school all-state team.

Mozes was selected by the Washington (Pa.) Observer-Reporter as a defensive player of the year as a high school senior. Pittsburgh’s two major newspapers, Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review listed Mozes among the area’s top 25 players.

Mozes played in four bowl games with the Mountaineers. Two were the Gator, another the Sugar in 2006 and the other the Continental Tire in 2003.         

Text Only
College Sports
  • Harrick was greatest 2-sport coach at WVU

    The late Steve Harrick was the longest serving, most successful two-sport head coach in West Virginia University’s athletic history.

    May 18, 2013

  • Concord wastes 2-run lead in 9th, eliminated from regional

    Concord University lost a two-run lead in the ninth inning and was eliminated from the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region baseball playoffs by the Winston-Salem State Rams, 7-5 on Friday afternoon at Gene Hooks Field.

    May 18, 2013

  • Musgrave named Pitcher of the Year Finalist

    May 16, 2013

  • Concord drops NCAA Tournament opener to Millersville 5-4 in Winston-Salem

    May 16, 2013

  • Crutchfield talks about his system, recruiting, focus

    Jim Crutchfield, whose basketball program at West Liberty University is the nation’s best in NCAA Division II, insists that there’s really no secret to his team’s soaring success.
    The Hilltoppers not only lead the collegiate basketball world in scoring with an incredible 103-point average but also are No. 1 in marginal victory at 25-plus.
    “I try to stay as local as I can in recruiting,” the 57-year-old Clarksburg native said. Most of his players come from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

    May 16, 2013

  • 051613 wvu marshall ‘It’s been great for the state’

    West Virginia and Marshall are going to continue to meet on the baseball diamond. After a nearly 15-year break in the series, all involved agreed that rekindling the rivalry between the state’s two biggest schools — a series that culminated with a 6-5 Marshall victory Tuesday at Linda K. Epling Stadium — was a solid idea.

    May 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • WVU closes season against OSU

    The West Virginia University baseball team will close out the regular season this weekend against Big 12 foe Oklahoma State at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., and there will be a great deal on the line.

    May 15, 2013

  • Brett Morris will walk on at WVU

    The West Virginia University basketball team will be filled with southern West Virginia flavor next season after Brett Morris announced this week that he’ll be joining head coach Bob Huggins’ program as a preferred walk-on. Morris, the Class AA all-state captain, will join Shady Spring’s Chase Connor, who will also be walking on for the Mountaineers, and Greenbrier East’s Richard Romeo, who is already a walk-on in the program.

    May 15, 2013

  • Jim Crutchfield ‘miracle man’ at West Liberty

    May 15, 2013

  • No doubt about it, WVU-MU series should continue

    West Virginia and Marshall need to play baseball every year. Period.

    May 15, 2013