No amount of coaching could have prepared Bobby Johnson for what he witnessed at a recent practice.

"Sometimes he'll be standing there, and he'll do a back flip out there on the field," Johnson said of sophomore cornerback D.J. Moore. "The other day I was walking this way and he jumped right over me. I looked up and there he was."

As his unexpected high jump shows, Moore is the poster boy for the Commodores' increase in speed and athleticism in recent years. Yet, it is his ability to do the other things that has made him a more complete player in his second season as a starter.

"D.J. has worked hard to improve," Johnson said. "He's now doing all the little things you need to do at corner to make yourself better instead of just relying on speed, jumping ability and talent. D.J. is reading things better, noticing splits and reading the quarterback a lot better."

Moore's effort hasn't gone unnoticed by junior safety Reshard Langford, the leader of a Vanderbilt secondary that is ranked 11th nationally in passing defense (157.5 yards allowed per game).

"He's doing the things off the field that he needs to do," he said. "He's a good player, he's athletic, he's fast and he knows how to play the game. Now, he's just doing the little things right."

Moore said the experience gained starting as a true freshman in the Southeastern Conference has paid dividends.

"I feel a lot more comfortable," he said. "I have better fundamentals now and when you have a year under your belt, you're not as nervous."

The only one nervous these days is the opposing quarterback and wide receiver lined up against Moore. Through four games, thee Spartanburg, S.C., native has three interceptions, the second most in the SEC.

"He's always around the ball somehow, some way," Johnson said. "Some guys are a little more natural than others and one of the reasons he has interceptions is because he's good at catching at the ball."

Moore's most recent interception was certainly his most memorable as he took it 24 yards to the house for his first career touchdown.

"When I caught it, I knew I had to be good," he said. "There wasn't anything going through my head after that."

The only downside to Moore's score was the 15-yard penalty that came after he fittingly flipped into the end zone. The celebration should come as no surprise considering his favorite player growing up was Deion Sanders. Still, Johnson made sure that Moore knew not to do it again.

"I was upset, no doubt about it," Johnson said. "That's not how you celebrate."

So far that seems to be one of the only things Moore has done to upset Johnson. In addition to his solid play at cornerback, Moore has added a new dimension to the Commodore special teams as he's averaging 27.2 yards per kick return, fifth best in the SEC.

"It's very fun because on defense you really don't touch the ball that much," Moore said of returning kicks.

At Broome High School, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound Moore was the South Carolina AA Special Teams Player of the Year and a two-time all-state wide receiver, catching 48 passes for 896 yards and 14 touchdowns his senior season.

As successful as he was on the gridiron, Moore was perhaps even better on the hardwood, earning all-state honors three times. He considered playing basketball in college but ultimately chose to play football for the black and gold.

Asked for his vertical leap, Moore shrugged.

"It's not that high - only 36 inches," he said with a straight face. "But I can get higher when I run and jump."

If you don't believe him, just ask Johnson.