All About Oregon Ducks QB Dante Moore’s Parents, Mom Jera Bohlen-Moore and Dad Otha Moore

NEED TO KNOW

• Oregon Ducks starting quarterback Dante Moore was mostly raised by his dad, Otha Moore
• Dante's mom, Jera Bohlen-Moore, was once a high school basketball star before getting diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023
• Otha is a Detroit native and a "diehard" University of Michigan fan

On and off the field, Dante Moore continues to be inspired by his supportive parents, dad Otha Moore and mom Jera Bohlen-Moore.

As the starting quarterback for the Oregon Ducks football team, Dante has been a standout player, helping lead the Ducks to victory when they beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders at the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1.

Now, on Jan. 9, the Ducks will go up against the Indiana Hoosiers at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. While the NCAA College Football Playoffs (CFP) can be intense, Dante refers to his motto, "hard work is undefeated" — inspired by his father's work ethic.

Not only does Dante look up to Otha, but also his mother, who is a former athlete herself and a breast cancer survivor.

So, with the Oregon Ducks hitting the field once again, here's everything to know about Dante Moore's parents, Otha Moore and Jera Bohlen-Moore.

Jera is a former high school basketball star

Dante isn't the only athlete in his family.

According to the Logan-Hocking Times, while attending Logan High School in Ohio, Jera played for the Lady Chiefs basketball team, where she set records that remained for decades.

Jera graduated in 1997, and she was still the fourth-leading scorer in the team's history and had the second-highest per-game scoring average as of 2022.

Otha raised Dante and his siblings as a single dad

Otha raised Dante and his two older siblings "mostly as a single dad," according to ESPN.

"He's the youngest of three. He credits his older brother and sister for helping raise him," CBS Sports' Jenny Dell said about Dante's upbringing. "He says his mentality comes from his dad, a single dad, and that's what sets him apart."

Otha was an engineer at a Ford plant and also worked various side jobs

Dante's father worked as an engineer at a Ford plant, along with other side jobs, including a landscaping business, and bartending at Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions games.

According to the Los Angeles Times, he coached youth sports teams and was still able to make all of Dante's games growing up.

During his eighth-grade graduation, Dante was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. The future sports star said "football player," but when he was told to pick something else, Dante said "engineer," like his dad.

Dante’s motto is inspired by his father

"Hard work is undefeated" is Dante's personal motto, one inspired by his father, who worked multiple jobs while Dante was growing up.

When the University of Michigan offered Dante a scholarship at age 13, he reflected on having to ask his dad what "an offer" was, according to the L.A. Times.

"A lot of times, my dad had to sacrifice a lot of things, so understanding that you get a full, free ride scholarship to a place when you get offered," Dante told the outlet. "You kind of feel like all this work I’ve put in is starting to pay off."

Jera was diagnosed with breast cancer during Dante’s freshman year at UCLA

Jera was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, during the spring of Dante's freshman year at UCLA.

In an October 2024 episode of The Mighty Oregon Podcast, Dante recalled when he got the news about his mother's cancer diagnosis, telling host Rob Moseley he remembered that day "vividly."

"My mom, she usually texts with her voice. So when I was reading the message, it was a long paragraph, and then she sent another message, and she was like, 'I have cancer,' " he said.

"And it said cancer, like she spelt it wrong, and I was just praying like she didn't mean what she meant to say," he continued. "She corrected the spelling and said she has cancer."

After reading the message, Dante said he dropped his phone and started to cry.

"You don't want to lose your mother, you don't want to lose anyone in your family. Being her youngest child, I'm a mama's boy. I love her to death," he said.

"She was an athlete growing up, so she knows how to overcome challenges, but seeing her sometimes cry, go through the pain, she was going through the chemo, and things of that nature. It was challenging," he continued.

Dante shared that he appreciated the support he got from UCLA, adding that he "didn't want to take every day for granted. I just wanted to appreciate her."

In July 2024, Dante announced that Jera was cancer-free, per Sports Illustrated.

"I'm glad she got through it, and I love her to death," he said on The Mighty Oregon Podcast.

Otha is a Detroit native and is a “diehard” University of Michigan fan

Otha is from Detroit and is a massive fan of the University of Michigan, so much so that he has a tattoo inspired by the legendary rivalry between the school and Ohio State.

"He loves Michigan. He's a diehard Michigan fan," Dante said in an April 2022 episode of The Michigan Insider. "He has a tattoo of Michigan peeing on the Ohio State logo, and he has the whole Michigan glove [state outline] on his back with the exits and everything."

"So he really takes it serious, takes it to heart," he added.

Read the original article on People