Moore’s Renaissance Gift Prepares Student-Athletes For Life

By JERRY KUTZ, RETIRED SR. VICE PRESIDENT SEMINOLE BOOSTERS & CURRENT OWNER, PUBLISHER OF THEOSCEOLA.COM

Have you ever found yourself in a “fight or flight moment” where you must jump in to help or flee to safety?

Fourteen-year-old Isaac Hosford found himself in one such moment when two, 2,000-plus pound water buffaloes began to pummel his 80-year-old grandfather DeVoe Moore and his grandfather’s friend Fred White.

Florida State University President John Thrasher faced adversity with the buyout of football coach Willie Taggart and the transition to the Mike Norvell era. Thrasher needed funding to turn the football program in the right direction and reached out to reliable friends, DeVoe and Shirley Moore, for a million dollar-plus gift.

An ask of that size is a “fight or flight moment” for many prospective donors and no one would have blamed the Moores, after a lifetime of giving, if they chose to pass on this ask. In 2011, FSU named the DeVoe L Moore University Center in their honor for all they have done for the university. But the Moore Family’s nature is to jump in to help, rather than to flee, and the theme of this story.

COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES, FSU

Instead of passing on President Thrasher’s million-dollar ask for the Renaissance Campaign for FSU Football, the Moores were among the first to say yes, which is their latest major gift.

“Shirley and I thought it was important to get a better level of coaches to work with our younger players,” Moore said. “I wanted to help fund the coaching staff, and therefore the players, to give them better opportunities for whenever they leave the university. We need to try to instill in these young people work ethic and character, so they will go out and be a better person. I believe that lies in the coaches, coaches like Bobby Bowden, and that’s why we made the commitment to it.”

President John Thrasher said he knew he could count on the Moores to help.

“DeVoe and Shirley never say no — they are loyal friends who are always supportive of what Florida State is doing,” Thrasher said. “DeVoe is a generous and dedicated alumnus and an incredible gentleman.”

“DeVoe and Shirley love Florida State and have always wanted to be involved in taking action to make the university better,” said Andy Miller, CEO, and President of Seminole Boosters. “Any time we’ve presented him with a real need and a good idea, he’s been willing to jump in to help Florida State remain on the leading edge of collegiate athletics.”

In addition to money, Shirley devotes time through the Extra Point Club.

“The first thing that impressed me about Extra Point was they stop every monthly meeting for a few minutes to do a devotional, which is very inspirational,” Shirley said. “And then giving to FSU; not just money but time and that was something I was willing to do.”

You can find Shirley outside Doak

Campbell Stadium every game day carrying a “May I help you” sign and wearing a friendly smile, answering visitor questions and directing them to the appropriate gate.

Shirley also took the time to get to know FSU’s student-athletes, who are really kids, not unlike her own grandchildren.

“Every team you see play, you can’t imagine the sacrifice each of those individuals have made to support our program and how important it is to them,” she said. “I can sit there and watch, and I haven’t had to exert any energy. I appreciate them for all they do. I have not found one of those kids, I mean student-athletes, who is not well rounded. They are all about life and getting where they want to go which is important.”

THE BUFFALO ENCOUNTER

DeVoe and Shirley Moore will tell you DeVoe’s life was saved on February 5, 2020, by the quick thinking and resourcefulness of his 14-year-old grandson, who in spite of his age was prepared to act.

Mike Norvell and his FSU football staff were looking forward to meeting DeVoe at the National Signing Day Party at Moore’s Tallahassee Automobile Museum. Unbeknownst to Seminole fans, who were eager to hear about the football signees, their host was in a battle for his life in the pasture outside the museum.

DeVoe is perpetually early so his absence alarmed arriving guests. It didn’t take long to learn why Moore was missing, and Thrasher and others were rushing to the hospital.

We’ll let DeVoe tell you the rest of the story, which stars his grandson Isaac.

“I had a phone call in the morning telling me two of my water buffaloes were locked up, head to head, with horns entangled,” Moore said of two of his herd of forty.

“I rode down to check on them on the way to the signing day party. The buffalos were now laying down, heads still locked together by their horns. I thought they were pretty tired now, so maybe we can get them unhooked.”

One of the buffaloes – Bertha – had been a family pet and ridden by the Moore grandchildren in their younger years.

“It’s tough to see any animal in distress without trying to help,” Shirley Moore said. “And then, when it’s your friend (Fred White), you must act — and DeVoe did.”

Moore had exhausted his efforts to find help for the water buffalos, which are capable of lifting a 1,000-pound roll of peanut hay by their horns.

“We called veterinarians to tranquilize them, but nobody would do it,” he said. “We called Wildlife; they wouldn’t do it. We called law enforcement; they wouldn’t do it. So I called Fred White.”

If you know Moore and White, you’re laughing as to know these ole cowboys is to know they are no stranger to finding trouble.

DeVoe’s call to White went like this: “Fred, we got two buffaloes locked together. What can we do?

Fred: “We can saw them apart.”

DeVoe: “How are we going to do that?”

Fred: “I’ll be over there in a minute.”

Shirley and Isaac came down to watch, thinking the Buffalos were going to be tranquilized.

“My curiosity about how the vet tranquilizes a buffalo is the only reason Isaac and I went down to the pasture,” Shirley said.

Isaac wasn’t keen on his grandfather’s vet-less plan.

“I thought it was a pretty dumb idea,” Isaac said. “I told them they needed to go get the pole saw so they would’ve been a little farther back.”

White had other ideas: a hand saw.

Why didn’t grandpa listen?

“Paw Paw was in a hurry to get to the football signing party, and he didn’t want to waste any time,” Isaac said.

Haste nearly laid DeVoe to waste.

“As Fred sawed, the buffalos were just as gentle as they could be. No problem,” Moore said. “When the horn came off, the buffalos came unglued and attacked Fred.”

Moore found himself in a fight-orflight moment. His reaction, as is his nature, was to come to his friend’s rescue.

Moore’s intent was noble; his method was questionable. “I don’t remember any of it, but apparently I went to help Fred, and they say I threw my phone at one of the buffalos to distract it,” Moore said. “Evidently, one attacked and hit me. I don’t remember it because it knocked me out for 20 minutes.”

That is when 14-year-old Isaac leapt into action with a plan far smarter than DeVoe’s.

“Isaac jumped in my truck, but the keys were in my pocket so he couldn’t crank it,” Moore said, “so he jumped into Fred’s (SUV), cranked it up, and ran it into the buffalos to push them back.”

“I went up to them honking the horn, hoping (the buffalo) would get off of him, and he did,” Isaac said. “(The buffalo) was just trying to get the SUV after that. I ran them halfway across the field and wasn’t worried about them after that.”

With the immediate threat diffused, Isaac called for medical assistance for the trampled cowboys.

DeVoe sustained a concussion, broken ribs, and a neck injury. Fred had several busted ribs and a nasty gore wound in his leg that is still healing. Moore regained consciousness in the ambulance, where he learned about his grandson’s quick thinking.

“Isaac is smarter than me,” DeVoe admitted with a laugh. “You should put that in the story; a 14-year-old boy is smarter than an 80-year-old man.”

When asked about what his grandfather means to him, Isaac said, “He’s great. He teaches me to work. He teaches me not to ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself. He teaches me a lot.”

LUCK IS WHERE PREPARATION MEETS OPPORTUNITY

It wasn’t luck that saved DeVoe. It was preparation.

“He’s well mature for his age,” Moore

said of Isaac. “He’s also worked and had experience on a farm. He probably has been in situations where he realizes the danger of those animals when they get to ‘pawing.’ He realized the damage they were doing to me unconscious. He had the ability and the knowledge to get in that truck.”

Isaac was prepared for his fight or flight moment because his grandfather and his father, Russell Hosford, made it a priority to put him to work early.

“If it hadn’t been for Isaac’s work experience, knowing what to do, and his quick thinking, we wouldn’t be here talking, I believe they would have killed us both,” Moore said.

SELF-MADE COUPLE

DeVoe and Shirley know something about resourcefulness and work ethic and they value it.

When DeVoe drove to Tallahassee from Tampa to enroll as an FSU student in 1961, he had $250 in his pocket. From that moment to the instant he found himself on the business end of a buffalo horn, he used uncanny resourcefulness and the willingness to engage opportunities when they presented themselves to build the wealth that prepared him to come to FSU’s aid when Thrasher asked.

While a student, working part time for an auto parts business he later bought, Moore learned he could earn more money as a blacksmith, so he headed to Kentucky, then Shelbyville, Tennessee to learn the Farrier trade. He also learned he could make money rebuilding clutches and brakes for semi-trucks and another business was born.

During his junior year (1966), he made $18,000, three times what a teacher in those days made; and more than most professors made.

“I said to Shirley, if I dropped out of school and worked full time, I would make $36,000,” DeVoe said; and he did despite being three classes from graduating FSU. After the sale of Fleet Supply, Inc., College Town was born on the property that he bought as a parttime student.

Shirley, a graduate of the FSU School of Education, gave up teaching to handle the books and care for their first child. Shirley and daughter Tiffany still handle all the bookkeeping for the family businesses.

One business led to another, including the acquisition of land and to the construction and development of mini-warehouses and properties across the country. Moore’s attention to work detail was noticed by many, including one of his horseshoeing clients, Bernice Draughon, who was on the Board for the State of Florida Contractor’s Licensing Division.

“He realized I did what I was supposed to and was efficient at caring for his horses,” said Moore, who was developing Airport Industrial Park at the time. “I had to obtain a license for a General Contractor to pull the permit and construct my buildings. One day Mr. Draughon asked if I wanted to get my Contractor’s License. I said that would be like a gift from God. He told me to be at his office at the State Building at 3 PM the next day with $60. I arrived at 2:45 PM and the lady said, Mr. Moore, sign here and give me $60.’”

Moore did as told.

“Then the lady said, ‘You will be the last person grandfathered in for a Contractor’s License in Leon County. Others will be going to Jacksonville, FL, taking a test to receive the License.’”

“Under this License, by doing what is right, I have built approximately 1.5 million square feet of commercial and office buildings for myself.”

Resourcefulness and enterprise were in the DNA of these businesses and apparently their grandchildren too.

Now grandparents, the Moore’s see the fruits of their labor which they have introduced to each of their grandchildren.

Their oldest grandson, Noah Caldwell, is in college but has worked for DeVoe and Shirley growing up.

“He is so professional our customers come back and want to talk to him again and again because he does such good work,” Moore said. “And then there’s our 10-year-old granddaughter, Callie Dell, who came to me wanting a paddle board, but instead of asking me to buy her one, she said, ‘I want a job. I want to make my own money to buy me a paddle board.

“So I bought her one and told her to use it.”

“She said ‘no’, I want to work for the money to buy it on my own. She said she wouldn’t use it until she had paid for it. I told her we needed to sign a contract. Signing a contract wasn’t easy for her but after I explained she could freely use the board and work to pay me back, she was okay with that and had me write her a contract. This was me wanting a contract, not her,” Moore said. “I told her to use it while the weather is good; We have a contract and she is working for Shirley to pay it off.”

The Moore’s want nothing less for FSU’s players. They want a coaching staff that will prepare FSU’s players the same way, so they will have the resourcefulness, work ethic and character to act appropriately when life serves them up fight or flight moments. That’s why DeVoe and Shirley Moore said yes when President John Thrasher asked them to make the seven-figure gift to the Renaissance Campaign.

“We live it,” Moore said. What we are doing for these student-athletes, we’re doing for our grandkids too. I see the value in work and think it will produce good kids whenever you have them work for what they get. How did I get here? I got here because I was taught to work and I was taught to produce. I think these young people, our studentathletes, as well as our children, need to learn to work for what they get.”

“You cannot tell DeVoe’s life story – or this near-death story -- without using the words enterprise, personal initiative, work ethic and gumption,” said Seminole Booster Vice President Tom Carlson, who sees familial similarities. “Those qualities describe DeVoe and are exactly the qualities he wants to instill in our young people today.”