It's been a whirlwind year for A.J. Moore.
He was a part of two NFL organizations. He lived in two different towns.
And the cornerback did so for the first time in his life without his identical twin brother, C.J.
Moore, who led the Texans in special teams tackles last season with 11, went undrafted in 2018 after playing in college at Ole Miss. He signed a rookie free agent deal with the Patriots but was waived at the end of training camp on September 1. A day later, the Texans snapped him up off the waiver wire, and he spent the next four months helping lead Houston's coverage and return units to a resurgence.
But after growing up in Bassfield, Mississippi and going to school in Oxford with his twin brother, he was out on his own in the world for the first time. C.J., also a defensive back, was back at Ole Miss for a redshirt senior season, and A.J. was in the NFL. Understandably, the two were on the phone together quite often.
"Too much," Moore said. "Every day, all day. We can be on the phone and not even say anything, but it's just cool to be on the phone."
Moore, who said it's a "blessing" and "special" to be a twin, also said he and C.J. have 'twin moments'.
One such instance happened this May, when C.J. signed a rookie free agent deal with the Lions.
"I was singing a song earlier that day," A.J. said. "He knew nothing about it. We got on the phone later, and he was singing the same exact song, with the same exact words. I'm like: 'Bro, hold up. Was I singing that in front of you?' He was like, 'No'. But we were singing the same song."
The song, by the way, was "Freestyle" by Lil Baby.
But back to football. Moore was part of a special teams unit that improved dramatically over where it had been recently. In 2018, opposing offenses started on average at the Texans 25.5 yard line. That was the best mark in the NFL, and Houston was the 26th-worst in that category the year prior. Moore described the mindset he and the Texans have when they're covering kickoffs and punts.
"It's great just to have someone beside you, knowing that they have your back and they're just as hungry as you are," Moore said. "So we just work as a team and try to go and dominate our opponent."
To prep for 2019, he said he went back and watched his "worst plays and tried to find a way to eliminate those worst plays."
He'll get a chance to hone his craft against his twin brother this August. C.J. Moore and the Lions will practice in Houston with the Texans in the run-up to the preseason contest at NRG Stadium on August 17.
Training camp begins for A.J. Moore and the Texans on July 25.
Check out some of the best shots from the first day of veteran minicamp. Presented by Houston Methodist.