The tears streaming down Brandon Moore’s cheeks Friday said it all about the devotion Jets coach Rex Ryan inspires in his players.
Moore returned to the Jets’ facility to make his offseason retirement official, but the ceremony turned into an emotional tribute by the durable guard to someone who coached Moore for just four of his 10 NFL seasons.
“Some of my best years were here playing for Rex,” Moore said, choking up numerous times during the roughly 15-minute press conference. “All you want to do is win. We didn’t quite finish it, but we were going to die trying. I just want to tell him, ‘Thank you.’”
Ryan returned the compliments by saying Moore eventually would go down “as the best guard in the history of the Jet franchise” and presented Moore with his framed No. 65 jersey as a gift from the team.
Moore, who made the Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2002, had 142 consecutive starts at one point and called it a career after the Jets declined to re-sign him in the offseason. Though it wasn’t his fault, Moore may be best known for his role in the infamous Buttfumble against the Patriots last season when Mark Sanchez ran into his backside and fumbled the ball, which was picked up by New England’s Steve Gregory, who returned it for a 32-yard touchdown.
“For a guy that was undrafted and came in through the back door to be escorted out the front door at the end of your career is a great accomplishment,” Moore started , and then he needed a moment.
Moore said he has gone from full-time Jets player to full-time Jets fan.
“Now that I’m done playing, I root for the Jets even more than I did when I was running out the tunnel Sundays,” he said.
***
Not surprisingly, Santonio Holmes was ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Saints with a hamstring injury that has sidelined him each of the previous four contests.
***
Right guard Willie Colon is going to be a gametime decision because of a calf injury, with Ryan saying backup left guard Vlad Ducasse would move over and start if Colon can’t play.
***
The Jets listed tight end Jeff Cumberland as questionable, but Cumberland still hasn’t been cleared under the league’s concussion protocol and appears unlikely to play.
Also questionable are running back Alex Green (hamstring) and center Nick Mangold (ribs).
***
For New Orleans, neither receiver Marques Colston nor safety Malcolm Jenkins practiced because of knee injuries but were officially listed as questionable.
***
Jets receiver David Nelson was fined $7,875 by the NFL for unnecessary roughness for a late hit on the Bengals’ Adam “Pacman” Jones last Sunday at the end of a running play.
Jones was irate about the play, and the league agreed with him. Nelson, however, said this week he plans to appeal.
Nelson got off light compared to Cincinnati linebacker Vontaze Burfict, though. Burfict was docked $21,000 by the NFL for striking Jets wideout Stephen Hill with the crown of his helmet.
***
Saints tight end Jimmy Graham is so athletic that teams often are forced to use a cornerback to cover him, but Antonio Cromartie said he doesn’t see the Jets asking him or any other corner doing that Sunday.
“No, I don’t think so,” Cromartie said. “We’ve got Antonio Allen and Dawan Landry. We have some good cover safeties. I don’t see it happening.”