> At a Glance
> – Oregon Ducks QB Dante Moore credits his success to dad Otha, who raised three kids solo while working multiple Detroit jobs
> – Mom Jera Bohlen-Moore, a former Ohio high-school basketball star, beat breast cancer diagnosed in 2023
> – Why it matters: Their grit fuels Moore’s “hard work is undefeated” mantra ahead of the Jan. 9 Peach Bowl clash with Indiana
Dante Moore isn’t just leading the Ducks into the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl-he’s carrying the resilience of the two people who shaped him.
The Dad Who Did It All
Otha Moore, a Detroit native and die-hard Michigan fan, raised Dante and his two older siblings mostly on his own. Between shifts as a Ford plant engineer, he ran a landscaping business and bartended at Tigers and Lions games-yet never missed one of Dante’s youth contests.
> Dante told the Los Angeles Times: “My dad had to sacrifice a lot… understanding that you get a full, free-ride scholarship… you feel like all this work I’ve put in is starting to pay off.”
- Coached youth teams on weekends
- Tattoo of Michigan mascot “peeing on” Ohio State logo
- Dante’s eighth-grade backup career plan: engineer, “like my dad”
The Mom Who Refused to Lose
Jera Bohlen-Moore lit up Ohio high-school basketball in the 1990s, finishing fourth on Logan High’s all-time scoring list. In spring 2023, during Dante’s freshman year at UCLA, she texted him a voice note that ended with: “I have cancer.”
> Dante recalled on The Mighty Oregon Podcast: “I dropped my phone and started to cry… I didn’t want to take every day for granted.”
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis | Spring 2023 |
| Cancer-free announcement | July 2024 |
- Underwent chemotherapy while Dante balanced classes and football
- Calls her athletic background key to overcoming treatment pain
- Dante: “I love her to death… I’m a mama’s boy”
Key Takeaways
- Otha’s work ethic birthed Dante’s motto: “hard work is undefeated”
- Jera’s survival deepened Dante’s gratitude for every day
- Family first remains Moore’s guiding principle as Oregon eyes a playoff push
