UNI Athletics Celebrates Black History Month - Tim Moses
2/6/2020
A Man You Want On Your Team - Tim Moses
NOTE: This is the first of four articles in a series of articles celebrating Black History Month. Look for a story every week throughout the Month of February.
Tim Moses was the type of person you want on your team. He played with an undeniable passion, but off the field, his loyalty, kindness and energy endeared him to his teammates at UNI.
“Tim Moses exemplifies what a great teammate is,” UNI head coach and former teammate of Moses, Mark Farley said. “He was always high energy in practice, he had a great personality off the field. He played hard, he was always prepared and at the same time, off the field, he was always in a great mood and positive. He always had your back. On the field, a hell of a football player, but I remember him most for the way he treated everyone on that team.”
Moses grew up in Waterloo with a tight-knit football family. His older brothers both played college football while his dad pushed them to be excellent on the field and off of it.
“It all started with my Dad,” Moses said. “He taught us to work hard and that we didn’t need to brag about how good you are, show them how good you are. Dad always encouraged us to always be our best, but treat people fairly and treat people with kindness. You can’t cheat success, either you put in the work or don’t expect anything. We were blessed to have fantastic parents to instill those things in us.”
His older brothers both went on to play college football. His brother, Jerry Moses Sr. is considered one of the greatest athletes in Iowa history and had a standout career at Iowa State. Another brother, Neal Moses who rushed for over 1,000 yards for the Panthers in 1976.
On the field, a hell of a football player, but I remember him most for the way he treated everyone on that team.Mark Farley
Tim started his career at Ellsworth Community College where he had a standout career. He chose to come home to the Cedar Valley over offers from bigger schools. He took the chance to play for coach Darrell Mudra in the UNI-Dome.
He started in 1984. The Panthers went 9-2 but failed to make the playoffs. That changed the next season when UNI made its first trip to the FCS Playoffs in school history and the first post-season appearance since the 1975 Mud Bowl.
The 1985 season didn’t start well. The Panthers lost to Drake 24-9 on the road in Des Moines and had to make the trip to Manhattan, Kansas to face Kansas State in week two.
“After we lost at Drake, you could see it in our eyes the next day that we weren’t going to lose another game,” Moses said. “We put that game behind us and we took care of business at Kansas State. That one loss brought us closer together than anything else could have, you could see it as the season progressed we were taking no prisoners taking care of our business and taking them back to the woodshed. We want to beat everyone down and it was fun doing that.”
The Panthers earned a 10-6 win over Kansas State, which propelled UNI to 11 consecutive wins before falling to eventual national champion Georgia Southern 40-33 in the 1-AA semifinals.
“We were built for a championship, we just came up a little short,” Moses said. “We had playmakers on offense and defense and a coaching staff that were winners. They instilled in us that this program is built for winners. My teammates had the attitude of refusing to lose. Losing was not acceptable, everyone wanted to win and be successful. Practices were as important as the games were. It was a great opportunity, a great experience and something I'll cherish forever.”
Moses stayed on as a graduate assistant before taking a job selling cars for Dan Deery. He learned a lot and appreciated his experience selling cars, but found a different calling while working as the first African-American Youth Sports Director at the YMCA of Black Hawk County.
“During that time at the YMCA, I found other opportunities and the avenue of teaching,” Moses said. “I went back to UNI for my third degree, a master's in Education Leadership. Your education is going to take you further than your athletics. I found something that I enjoy and I’ve been at it for a long time.”
Society has changed, but kids are still the same. The kids I get a chance to work with every day are just looking for someone to love them and show them the way.Tim Moses
He eventually earned three degrees from UNI and began teaching back in Waterloo where he came from. He also began coaching track and field at Waterloo East, his alma mater.
He coached for over 25 years, impacting countless student-athletes along the way, and helping kids in his sixth-grade social studies class at Central Middle school.
“It is a lot different than when I was growing up,” Moses said. “Society has changed, but kids are still the same. The kids I get a chance to work with every day are just looking for someone to love them and show them the way. They want someone to teach them right and wrong, teach them to be successful, teach them life skills and support them. Show them that we care about them. That is what we are called to do as teachers.”
He stepped down from his coaching job last spring but remains a sixth-grade teacher.
Moses is very involved with UNI athletics, attending many UNI athletic events, not just football. He also helps support UNI as a member of the Panther Scholarship Club and the Panther Football Gridiron Club. He feels indebted to UNI for everything that he has in his life, and he is never one to hold back.
“I owe so much to UNI,” Moses said. “I know there are others that came before me that paved the way and gave me the opportunity. So I feel like it is my responsibility to give back and give forward. I owe my time and I owe it to the current athletes to help out financially. It is the right thing to do. UNI has been a part of my family since I was eight or nine years old. I am grateful for everything that it has provided me.”
“He made his mark on the world, but he goes out of his way to help anybody else,” Farley said. “He takes a personal interest in what is happening in our football program. He is about the betterment of everyone both the program and the individuals that he works within the community. That is what makes him who he is.”
