When Dante Moore recently opened up about his private battles with depression, it did not surprise Ewan Stewart. The Oregon wideout already knew about his quarterback’s deeply empathetic side, having witnessed it firsthand during one of the darkest moments of his career.

“Last year, when we were about to have that little fun season, and it came to an end. It really started there, because he dropped a tear when he came in,” Evan Stewart revealed aftermath of season-ending injury (torn patellar tendon in his right knee) during a summer practice back in June 2025.

“They told him the news. And after I looked over and seen him crying, like, because, basically, he was kind of like, it was his fault, like he was saying he should have put the ball further. It could have been a better ball. But I was telling him, like, what was gonna happen was gonna happen, like, it’s not your fault.” The senior WR added.

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Basically, it was the very first day of summer workouts at Oregon, and he was running a routine route during a one-on-one drill.
Dante Moore threw him a pass, and as Evan went to catch it, he just planted his right foot wrong. He ended up tearing his patellar tendon, which is a pretty brutal knee injury that sidelined him for the entire year.

Evan said he looked down and saw his kneecap wasn’t where it was supposed to be. He even tried to push it back into place himself before realizing he couldn’t walk. While Stewart was lying there, dealing with the physical pain, he looked over and saw a tearful Moore.

Moore felt like the injury was his fault for not throwing a “better ball” that would’ve kept Stewart out of harm’s way. Even though Stewart’s season was effectively over right then and there, he ended up being the one comforting his QB, telling him straight up that it wasn’t his fault and that he still “100% wanted Moore to be his leader” no matter what.

It was one heck of a blow for Dan Lanning and his offense, for good reason, because he was apparently the only certified returning WR heading into the season. The injury robbed him of his true WR1 season for the Ducks. To him, Evans, the tears were the proof of investment. Since Stewart couldn’t play a snap in 2025, the two of them actually started hanging out constantly off the field. They made it a tradition to grab breakfast together and head to church every Sunday, becoming best friends in the process.

On game days, even though Stewart was stuck on the sidelines in a brace, being a senior on the team, he acted as a “calming presence” for Moore. The bond they built during that injury year is literally the reason they’re both still in Oregon jerseys right now. Both guys could have easily left for the NFL Draft, but they decided to “run it back” for the 2026 season.

Stewart admitted he was basically waiting to see what Moore was going to do. Once Moore decided to stay, Stewart knew he had to come back too because they felt like they had “unfinished business” to settle on the field together. Moore’s decision to go public about his mental health journey sheds new light on why he took Stewart’s injury so personally. The quarterback was carrying his own emotional weight long before he arrived in Eugene.

Dante Moore’s depression and how he dealt with it

On March 17, Moore opened up about a really tough time he went through with his mental health. When he was just 18 and starting at UCLA, he dealt with deep depression for two reasons. First, the pressure of playing as the starting QB in a Power Four conference at a very young age. At the same time, his mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and was going through chemotherapy. Trying to balance big-time football, college classes, and worrying about his mom’s health all at once became a mountain to carry.

To get through it, Dante leaned on his friends, family, and virtual mental health services. The good news is that things have turned around. His mom is now cancer-free, and Dante is back to feeling like himself on and off the field.

Because of what he went through, Dante has become a huge advocate for mental health. He even wrote a letter to Oregon’s governor, asking for better access to online therapy for young people who might be struggling like he was.

“There are a lot of times in football, we have anxiety of performing on the field, taking care of our families, trying to keep up with our schoolwork, football, just all your things going on, and it can be stressful. I’ve been through it all, and I feel like just using my voice, and just all the athletes just using our voices, our platforms (to tell) the world, and telling the … men or women in this world that mental health is important,” Moore said.

“Because when you’re performing at your greatest, your mental health is great. And then when you perform at your worst, your mental health is terrible. We’re human at the end of the day.”

According to him, when your mind is in a good place, you perform better, but when it’s not, your performance suffers. The Ducks QB said that he loves to play golf because it is one of the most important things in his life outside of football. He loves golf because it is calm and peaceful. When he plays, he enjoys the quiet environment, the fresh air, and the open space around him.

Moore recently met his idol, Tom Brady, and learned a lot from him about leadership and mindset. Brady, who has spoken about going to therapy during his career, shared valuable advice. Moore said the experience was unforgettable, and he’s going to remember it for the rest of his life.