For most of his college career, safety Malachi Moore’s head coach was a former defensive back who had been a defensive-backs coach. He’s in the same situation in the NFL.

Moore had Nick Saban as his coach in four of his five seasons at Alabama. He joined the New York Jets in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on April 26 for Aaron Glenn’s first season as an NFL head coach.

“Coach Saban, he’s more outgoing,” Moore said on Saturday at the Jets’ rookie minicamp. “I would say he’s more of a yeller and all that. But right now, coach Glenn, he’s just been kind of observing, encouraging us to keep working, keep pushing forward. But he’s got that side to him, for sure. I’m pretty sure I’ll see that later down the road.”

Glenn spent the previous four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. He coached Terrion Arnold and Brian Branch, former Alabama teammates of Moore’s, in the Detroit secondary.

“Terrion told me that he played for the Jets because we would talk about coach Glenn last year when I would call BB or Terrion,” Moore said. “We would just talk about coach Glenn and what they run, anything like that. But Terrion actually gave us an insight on who coach Glenn actually was. Before Terrion told me, I really didn’t know that he was that fire back in his day. But now I know.”

Glenn earned Pro Bowl recognition three times during his 15 NFL seasons. Chris Harris, Moore’s position coach, also was an NFL defensive back, and Steve Wilks, New York’s defensive coordinator, played defensive back in college.

“As a rookie, I couldn’t think of a better coaching staff to come into,” Moore said, “when you talk about the level of experience they’ve had and just them being around the game. So, like I said, I’m just trying to be a sponge, asking them any question that comes to mind and just pick their brain about the game as much as possible. …

“I feel like we have a good coaching staff here. Everybody’s — they’re real demanding when it comes to teaching. And that’s one thing I can appreciate because every great player needs to be coached. Everybody isn’t perfect, so for them to come in and hound us on the standard of how to do things, I love it.”

Rookie minicamp marked the start of Moore’s NFL career as his first work with the Jets.

“It’s kind of surreal just waking up every day being an NFL football player,” Moore said, “so I’m just grateful and blessed to have this opportunity and to have the opportunity to just live out my childhood dream of playing in the NFL. But it’s something I’m definitely getting used to – quickly I would say.”

A two-time All-State selection at Hewitt-Trussville High School, Moore spent rookie minicamp preparing to join the NFL team’s veterans in the offseason program.

“I would just say my main focus coming into camp is just to be a sponge,” Moore said. “Soak up as much information as I can from whoever I can, whether it’s from the D-line, the linebackers, from the secondary, guys that’s been here, coaches. So I’m really just here to just be a sponge and learn as much football knowledge as I can. …

“Biggest thing I picked up this week would probably just be my assignments with the calls that we have put in and just trying to learn the defense of where, you know, the backers are supposed to line up, what the D-line has going on, so just really trying to put the whole defense together.”

At safety, the Jets have Tony Adams returning after he started 11 games last season. The other 2024 starting safety, Chuck Clark, remains a free agent after a torn pectoral muscle ended his season in the 12th game.

New York signed Andre Cisco as a free agent in March after he worked the past three seasons as a starting safety for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jets’ safety depth is untested. Jarius Monroe has played 17 defensive snaps in five NFL games. Former Auburn standout Jaylin Simpson has never played a defensive snap in an NFL game.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.