This article was originally published with Dawgs247 on August 21, 2015 and can be found here.

A lot can change in four months. Georgia freshman Nick Moore learned that lesson the hard way.

Moore was preparing for his fourth season of Minor League baseball in the spring. A former 30th round pick by the Boston Red Sox, Moore worked his way through Rookie ball in 2011 before moving up to Low-A with the Lowell Spinners during the next season. He spent the next two years playing first base, third base and left field between Lowell, Class A Greenville and Class A-Advanced Salem. He held a .255 batting average with 21 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 2014.

The situation took an unexpected turn in early April.

“I got cut on April 3, 2015,” Moore said. “I did everything I could and it didn’t work out. On my way home, I called my dad after I got cut and told him that I got cut and I would be coming home that night.”

His father got in touch with Mark Crews, who coached Moore when he played safety at Brookwood High School. Crews used his contacts to spread the word about the end of Moore’s baseball aspirations as well as his athletic ability. By the time Moore reached Fort Myers, Florida on his way back to Snellville, Georgia, college football coaches were calling to gauge his interest.

Moore visited four different schools–Georgia, Alabama, Georgia Tech and Mississippi State–and had a decision to make. The choice of where to go as a football recruit is much different from life in baseball, where you go where you’re picked and hope for the best. After meeting with Georgia’s coaches, it was clear to him that he belonged in Athens.

“I really like Coach Richt and how he does things,” Moore said. “When I first met Coach [Ekeler], I kind of knew this was where I wanted to be. He’s a baseball guy just like me who really cares about his guys. Coach Pruitt is one of the best coaches in football, so it’s a privilege to be able to play underneath him.”

At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Moore’s days as a safety are over. Instead, he’s worked at both inside linebacker and fullback during preseason camp.

He admitted that fall camp has been far more demanding than training for baseball, but the aspect of staying put helps. While part of the Red Sox organization, he never knew when a early-morning phone call would take him from one town to the next. There’s no threat of such a move now, and finally having an emptied suitcase is a welcomed sight.

His time spent as a Red Sox farmhand also creates an odd dynamic. Although he’s a freshman at Georgia, he comes in as one of the oldest players at 22 years old. He’s older than several seniors on this year’s team, including tight end Jay Rome, punterCollin Barber and outside linebacker Jordan Jenkins. The age difference has resulted in some good-natured teasing from his teammates.

“Guys give me a hard time because I am older,” Moore said. “Guys heckle me about being grandpa and stuff like that but it’s all in fun. It’s different but I’m happy with where I’m at.”

The playing-time picture for Moore is not clear, but it doesn’t faze him. He’s content with being part of the team and filling the role that the coaches need, whatever that might be. His experience playing baseball for a living shaped this stance.

“That’s part of being a pro,” Moore said. “You’ve got to take your responsibility, whether it’s scout team or whether it’s first team. You’ve got to be able to go at it 100 percent with a positive attitude and help the team get better.”