Oregon star Dante Moore writes letter to governor advocating for access to mental health services

Oregon Ducks prima backmost Dante Moore is not conscionable looking to marque an interaction connected the field, but disconnected it arsenic well.

Moore, 20, wrote a missive to Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek connected March 3 advocating for accrued entree to intelligence wellness services successful the state. Moore opened up astir his struggles with slump successful the letter.

"Early successful my assemblage career, I recovered myself struggling deeply: I was depressed," Moore wrote successful the letter, which helium shared with The Oregonian. "The unit and expectations that travel with playing backmost astatine a precocious level felt overwhelming astatine 18. Around that aforesaid time, my parent was diagnosed with cancer.

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Oregon Ducks backmost Dante Moore (5) warms up anterior to the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal crippled of the College Football Playoff against the Texas Tech Red Raiders astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens, Florida, connected Jan. 1, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)

"Watching her endure chemotherapy portion I tried to enactment focused connected schoolhouse and shot challenged maine mentally and emotionally. It was dense successful ways that are hard to enactment into words."

Moore’s mother, Jera Bohlen-Moore, was diagnosed with bosom crab during Moore’s archetypal play astatine UCLA, successful the outpouring of 2023. She was declared cancer-free successful the summertime of 2024, erstwhile Moore transferred to Oregon.

The Ducks prima backmost said however hard it tin beryllium to scope retired for support.

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Oregon backmost Dante Moore (5) passes against Indiana during the 2nd fractional of the Peach Bowl NCAA assemblage shot playoff semifinal successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected Jan. 9, 2026. (Brynn Anderson/AP Photo)

"In my life, what made the quality was support," Moore wrote. "Support from my friends, emotion from my family, and entree to the resources I needed to get better. As a young Black antheral and athlete, reaching retired for assistance tin often consciousness similar climbing an uphill battle. It required vulnerability and trust, and I was fortunate to get the attraction I needed."

Moore cited galore statistics, including that termination is the No. 2 starring origin of decease for young adults successful Oregon. The backmost said helium challenged his teammates to go amended leaders.

"I precocious challenged my teammates to pb beyond the tract and usage our level to enactment radical who consciousness voiceless," Moore wrote. "Leadership is not conscionable astir what we bash connected Saturdays — it is astir who we basal up for each day. As a quarterback, I americium expected to lead, enactment composed, and transportation work for my team.

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Oregon Ducks backmost Dante Moore (5) looks to walk against the Indiana Hoosiers successful the archetypal fractional of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal, astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected Jan. 9, 2026. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)

"Learning however to attraction for my ain intelligence wellness made maine a amended leader, teammate, and student. I cognize what it feels similar to conflict successful silence. I besides cognize what it feels similar to beryllium supported and to travel backmost stronger. That enactment saved me."

Last play was Moore’s archetypal play arsenic a starter astatine Oregon, and helium thrived. He completed 71.8% of his passes for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions portion moving for 156 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Moore helped pb the Ducks to a 13-2 grounds and was wide mocked arsenic a apical enactment successful the NFL Draft earlier helium opted to instrumentality to school.

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