Diamond in the Rough: Moussa Kane

Moussa Kane is a class of 2023 defensive back from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. He is 6’2 and weighs around 180 pounds. Originally from Harlen, New York, Kane has only been playing the game of football since the 8th grade. While he does line up at both safety and corner occasionally, Moussa is also exceptional on offense. His long body and arms makes him very difficult to defend. He has the ability to jump with anyone and make a big play at any given moment. With his 40 inch vertical and 10’9 broad jump just goes to show how long and athletic he is. After watching Moussa’s film and having a conversation with him, I realized his football IQ is incredible. He makes smart and safe plays while on the defensive side of the ball. Currently he is committed to the University of Duke Blue Devils

When did you start playing football?

I would play football with my friends outside in the fifth grade, but I didn’t start playing organized football until I was in 8th grade. 

What position did you play?

I play safety and corner, but on offense this year I’m playing wide receiver.

What is your personal goal for this season?

My only personal goal I really have is giving my all every game. I don’t want to have any games where I regretted something, because if I knew I showed more effort that I would’ve been able to make a difference. I just want to give it my all every play.

Is there anything that motivates you to play football?

At first, I just wanted to be the best player I can be. I also wanted to be better than my brother. I think my motivation has changed a bit now because of my success on the field, I have a lot of kids from around the same area that’s starting to look up to me. Now I realized that it’s more important than myself, because some of these kids are trying to follow in my footsteps. So now I’m playing to be a good role model for the younger generation.

What makes you different from the thousand of college recruits?

I think it’s just the fact that my mental state is there. I think I would consider myself very disciplined. If coach says get up at 5 ‘o’clock and were doing this at 5:30, then I’m getting up at 5 and getting to work. I used to travel an hour and a half to go to school everyday. And sometimes school started at 7 am and I was never late, even when we had morning lift at 6 am. So I was getting up around 3:30-4 am just to go to school since school started early. I think I’m very coachable and always trying to get better. A lot of people across the nation are athletic, but I think having all the intangibles is what makes me different.

Check out Moussa’s highlights

Moussa’s Twitter handle

Who is your biggest role model/ someone you look up to?

Someone I look up to is probably my dad. He’s really taught me to not take anything for granted and to be nice to everybody. He’s someone I really look up to in everything he does. My dad is probably one of the nicest people I know and he’s the type of person who doesn’t hold any grudges

What do you love about football?

The game just makes me happy. I never really noticed until I had a bad school day or just in a terrible mood. Once I start getting going and I’m with my team everything changes. When I start flying around happy and making plays. It gives me something to do that’s challenging but, also something that I want to do and put myself through because I know the end product is going to be much greater than it would’ve been without it

Is there any college or NFL player that you would compare yourself with or, perhaps like to watch on film? 

A lot of people have told me that I’m very similar to Antonio Cromartie because of my build. I’ve heard multiple times that we have a similar body frames. When I’m playing safety I like to watch Jamal Adams. He’s one of my favorite players in the league. I like how he always plays downhill, and he’s a great leader of the defense. Of course, Jalen Ramsey as well because he’s my favorite player point blank. 

Describe a time when you might have experienced adversity. 

I would say twice, once during Covid there was a little bit of adversity. Without any gyms, I didn’t have many weights so I just created weights. Like on Fridays I would do a thousand reps of something whether it was push-ups, squats, sit-ups or etc. I felt like that thinned some of the people that didn’t really want to play football and were just playing it. It showed the difference between the people who really wanted it and the people that didn’t. I would also say in my early stages of playing football since I started pretty late. My 8th grade year we were ranked 3rd in the nation for a good amount of time. We had a bunch of really good players. I wasn’t suppose to play really, but luckily someone moved to New Jersey, they opened up a spot and I was able to fill it in. I was still very timid when it came to things like tackling because it was my first time playing this sport. So I was nervous any time I got beat, I would think “am I really good at football or is football for me?” 

Is there anything specific that you have been working on this offseason?

This offseason I’ve been trying to sharpen the knives I have. I think my best attribute is that you can physically see is my feet. I’ve been sharpening my footwork a bit, but also my jumping ability. I got stronger but, I think the biggest difference for me this season would be I am able to recognize plays faster and that my speed is much faster than last year. I think those two things are going to pop off the screen the most, my speed and football iq. I’m going to score a lot this season but, also prevent people from scoring a lot.