Alabama safety Malachi Moore apologizes for his outburst late in loss to Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt wide receiver Junior Sherrill (0) makes a catch for a touchdown past Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore (13) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
Alabama safety Malachi Moore apologized Monday for his late-game outburst during a weekend loss to Vanderbilt.
The two-time team captain shoved Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's head toward the ground at the end of a play, threw his mouthguard and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for kicking the football in the 40-35 upset that cost the Crimson Tide the No. 1 ranking. Moore also appeared to refuse coaches’ orders to come off the field when they tried to replace him.
He issued an apology on social media Monday for his actions.
“I was completely out of line,” Moore said in a post on X. “I let the emotions of the game get the best of me and put myself before the team. As a two-time captain and a fifth-year player, I understand the standard that we are expected to live up to at Alabama, and I failed to do so by acting in a selfish and unacceptable manner.”
Coach Kalen DeBoer didn't elaborate on what, if any, punishment Moore would face.
“We have handled it,” DeBoer said Monday. "I'm just going to say this about Malachi, what he did, he has gone above and beyond in taking ownership in it. This is pretty much immediately after the game to this morning. Things that are all prompted by him but also part of our conversations.
“The thing I want to make sure 'Bama fans know is that this guy has been rock solid and a critical, critical piece with some others of keeping this thing together since January. When a lot of guys chose to leave, this guy stood firm. This guy loves Alabama football.”
Vanderbilt wide receiver Junior Sherrill (0) makes a catch for a touchdown past Alabama defensive back Malachi Moore (13) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack didn’t directly respond when asked if Moore refused orders to leave the field.
“Just in that moment, I think (Moore) got a little emotional,” Wommack said. “So in that moment we were going to try to settle him down a little bit. Sometimes in those situations, it’s better to let them calm at a later time.
“But I thought he has handled things really well since that point and has taken the level of accountability that coach DeBoer implemented and has done a really good job moving forward.”
Offensive lineman Tyler Booker, another team captain, said Moore has spoken to the team.
“Did he go about it the right way? No,” Booker said on “The Next Round” podcast. “But we all appreciate how much Malachi cares. I just want to put that out there, first and foremost. That’s my teammate. I’m always going to have his back.
“The way I handle it is, the first thing I think about, when I was on the sideline during that moment, I was like, OK, what could I have done better? How can I prevent this from happening in the future? I learned that from Malachi.”
