Son of Buccaneer has Jesuit in 'good hands'

TAMPA (FOX 13) - When former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Dave Moore looks at his son Jake, he's not trying to find that younger version of himself. What he sees in Jake -- who will be a senior at Jesuit High in the fall -- is a young man that's a perfect fit to be in charge of the chaos on the offensive line.

"Offensive lineman are all the biggest guys on the field, but they are the most immature," laughed Dave Moore.  "They play jokes on each other. They're poking. They're pulling. They're messing around. From day one, he had that personality. You want to go and give him that big hug. He's one of those type guys. "

"I have hands," offered Jake. "I'm not the quickest guy out there."

"He does, but you have to know your limitations at times," said Dave. "He is an offensive lineman by nature."

"I definitely play center and I love it a lot," agreed Jake.

Dave knows what it takes to play this game. He played tight end for 15 years in the NFL and has spent the last eight years as an NFL analyst. Jake has seen all of his dad's highlights, but there's one catch that stands out the most.

"Definitely the first touchdown in Raymond James Stadium with the one handed [catch]," said Jake. "I made one catch in my career. It was two hands.  But yeah, his was awesome. I loved it."

Around the football field, the two are inseparable. Even though Dave is no longer Jake's position coach, he's taught his son everything about the game.

"Whenever I have something wrong, he knows exactly what I'm thinking," said Jake. "It's an easy fix for him."

Dave has all kinds of advice to share -- especially how to handle his first TV interview.

"Say very little," interrupted Dave.

Jake has been coached well, but does advice come from Dave the dad or Dave the Bucs color radio analyst?

"He'll ask you, 'How do you think I played?'" Dave said.  "I say, 'Do you want me to answer as your dad or do you want me to answer as a coach or an analyst?' Then he starts to laugh. He says, 'First tell me as a coach.' Then I tell him, and the analyst thing. Then I'll be like, 'You did a heck of a job' and I give him a big hug."

Whichever college Jake ends up at, his dad can't wait to watch him from a little more of a distance.

"I'll be sitting in the stands and be a nervous wreck," smiled Dave. "Kind of like my father was when I was a little kid. Really, I'm honestly looking forward to it."

"It's weird to think," added Jake. "We've been together for a long time. Ever since I started playing football.  He's been my coach -- from flag to tackle to Jesuit. It's definitely moments to share and we are going to cherish them for the rest of our lives."