Arthur Moats

Arthur Moats (born March 14, 1988) is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Moats played college football at James Madison, where he recorded 90 tackles as a senior. He was also a captain. He is well known for delivering the hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre that ended Favre's streak of consecutive starts the following week at 297.

Personal
Moats was born in Havelock, North Carolina, and was raised in Portsmouth, Virginia, where he attended Churchland High School. He graduated from James Madison University with a degree in political science.

College career
Moats finished his career at James Madison University with 208 tackles. He played in all of his team's games as a true freshman. He started only 5 games as a sophomore, but became a full-time starter for his junior and senior years. Moats won the 2009 Buck Buchanan Award as the top FCS defensive player.

Buffalo Bills
Moats was drafted in the sixth round, 178th Overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He is the only Buck Buchanan Award winner to be drafted by the Bills. In the Bills 3-4 defensive scheme, he moved from defensive end to inside linebacker, which is an unusual position change considering most defensive ends move to outside linebacker in 3-4 defensive schemes. After several weeks of failing to generate a consistent pass rush, Bills head coach Chan Gailey decided to move Moats to his more natural position of outside linebacker to utilize his pass rushing skill set.

In a Week 13 contest of the 2010 season, Moats delivered a hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre that aggravated the quarterback's shoulder injury. It was Moats' hit that eventually led to Favre's consecutive starts streak ending at 297 when he did not play against the New York Giants the following week.

Moats' personal catch phrase, 'Don't Cross The Moats', was created by WGR550's radio personality Joseph Zogaib. Since then, it has a become a popular trending topic on Twitter, and Moats himself even tattooed the phrase across his upper back.