Simply Special

The following story was first published on umterps.com on Nov. 6, 2001. We're republishing what was originally titled “The Man Behind The Mic” in memory of Keith “Special K" Moore.

As freshmen filed into the student section for their first football game at Byrd Stadium, they probably asked themselves questions like, "Who is that man yelling at me from the sidelines?" or "Doesn't this guy have a real job?"

Yes, he might be a grown man who wears a cape and rides around on a tricycle. But the man Terrapin fans have come to know as Special K has a vision and a plan.

And yes, he does have a real job also. Special K, who goes by the name of Keith Moore when it's not game day, is a sales director for AT&T. Don't get the impression, however, that Moore works at Maryland football games just for fun. He takes that job just as seriously as his day job.

"My job is to make sure Maryland has the home field advantage," says Moore. "I want to keep the Maryland football tradition going."

Moore meticulously plans his performance and closely analyzes his results. When Moore returned to perform on the sidelines in 1999 for the first time since his student days, Maryland's record at home was 3-3. Last year, they were 4-2. What about this year?

"I think we'll go 7-0," says Moore confidently.

Moore's execution begins with what he calls "the shell," which runs from the 40-yard line to the end zone near Cole. The fans in this part of the stadium are pivotal.

"If those people scream, they can really make a difference," Moore explains.

Here is some additional proof. In the opener against North Carolina, the Terps scored twice and had an important sack in the shell. The Tar Heels were never able to score once they penetrated the shell. When Special K tells you to get your keys out, listen to him.

Keith Moore has been Special K for a long time. He acquired the nickname as an announcer in high school when he gave out boxes of Special K cereal to athletes who performed well in games. He kept the handle when he began working for WMUC at the University of Maryland in 1987. "I knew I always wanted my voice to be utilized," says Moore in his booming bass.

He got his chance to utilize his now-familiar voice from one of his co-workers at Safeway -- where he worked throughout college and recently retired from after 17 years of service -- whose sister was a cheerleader. Through this co-worker, Moore learned that the cheerleading team was looking for a mic-man to perform with them. Special K first stepped onto the Byrd Stadium grass in a 1987 contest against Virginia.

Keith Moore graduated in 1991 with a degree in sociology, but could not stay away. In 1999, he returned to the sidelines of Byrd Stadium after an eight-year hiatus. His act has changed since his undergraduate days.

"Back then, we were bringing the show to the students. Now it is more of an interactive experience," he says.

Moore often brings down trumpeters from the band and students from the stands to his small stage to help lead cheers. He makes sure to ask all of his student volunteers their name, year, and major.

"At the end of the day," says Moore, "what you have is your discipline. About 80 percent of college graduates don't end up working in their field of study. But you apply those skills you acquire to the characteristics of success."

These students who help Moore are part of what he has dubbed the 12th Terp. The 12th Terp is an audience of 48,055 spectators who have the ability to make or break a game for the Terps. "I want to create a hostile environment for every competitor," Moore states.

And the 12th Terp is part of another of Moore's maxims: "sideline synergy."

"The 12th Terp is where sideline synergy begins," he explains. "Synergy means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When you put together the fans, the band, the scorekeepers, the coach, the ball boys, it makes a powerful force. Everyone plays an important role."

According to Moore, the 12th Terp is a vital ingredient to bringing Maryland football back to national prominence.

"There are 14,500 fans in Cole Field House. But they make it seem like there are 40,000," says Moore. That's what he wants Byrd Stadium to be like. "The fans believe in Gary and his program. We just need to believe."

"The students have come a long way," Moore remarks on Terp fans. "The alumni are the best in college football. They continue to come even though we haven't been to a bowl game since 1990."

Another key ingredient to the Terrapins' march back to national prominence is their coaching staff. "Friedgen," says Moore, "is the right man. With him, it's not a matter of if, it's just a matter of when. Debbie Yow, President Mote, and Coach Friedgen all have a commitment to the execution of excellence."

This fervid fan spouts more catch phrases than a McDonald's advertising campaign. The word fan comes from the word fanatic. And Keith Moore is nothing less.