Skyy Moore is aware of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ history of plucking smallish wide receivers from the Mid-American Conference and developing them into stars.

He wouldn’t mind following in the footsteps of Antonio Brown and Diontae Johnson. And he has the skill set to make that a possibility in the NFL Draft.

The Steelers could have an opening for a slot receiver if they don’t re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Moore certainly has the credentials to fill the job.

And also the connections.

A New Kensington native, Moore played football at Shady Side Academy with Dino Tomlin, son of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

“Those are my guys,” Moore said earlier this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. “My best friend in high school. We grew together.”

At Shady Side, Moore was the one throwing the passes, and Tomlin was on the receiving end. But at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds, Moore didn’t get any offers to play quarterback from Division I schools. Instead, he was recruited as a defensive back. No Power 5 schools wanted him on offense, not even Pitt, the college he wanted to attend.

“They were always my school,” he said. “I was always getting messages from them, but they just never pulled the trigger.”

It wasn’t until Bill Kenney, Western Michigan’s recruiting coordinator and offensive line coach, dangled a scholarship to play wide receiver that Moore found an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“I felt like it was the biggest stage for me,” Moore said.

As a freshman, Moore proved a quick study as a receiver. He totaled 51 receptions for 802 yards and three touchdowns. His 2020 season was limited to five games because of the pandemic. In 2021, while maintaining sophomore eligibility, Moore broke out with 95 receptions for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The production was good enough for Moore to be named to the first-team all-MAC list. Perhaps just as satisfying is what he put on tape in a September game at Heinz Field.

Facing Pitt, the team that didn’t want him on offense, Moore caught 11 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown as Western Michigan stunned the Panthers, 44-41.

“Not only did it feel great to win in the city,” Moore said, “but to win against a legit team that was a legit contender.”

Moore celebrated his touchdown by dropping to his knees and extending his arms. It was a tribute to Brown, arguably the MAC’s most famous (and now infamous) pass catcher.

“When I was in high school, I tried to emulate his work ethic,” Moore said. “No matter what you say about AB, you can’t take away the work he puts into the game.”

Brown, of course, lasted until the sixth round before he was drafted by the Steelers. Moore is considered a potential second-day selection, much like Johnson, a third-round pick from Toledo in 2019.

Moore has comparable size to Brown and Johnson. And he displayed acceptable speed at the NFL Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds. His time tied for the ninth-fastest recorded by a wide receiver. Moore also finished tied for fifth among receivers in the three-cone drill and sixth in the 20-yard shuttle.

“I saw some Antonio Brown traits from him when I studied him, minus some of the newer Antonio Brown info,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “He’s really dynamic and crisp. … He’s quicker than a hiccup, just puts guys in a blender.”

Moore ended his final college regular season in style, combining for 24 catches, 387 yards and five touchdowns in games against Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois.

“Skyy Moore is great, what you see is what you get,” said Western Michigan quarterback Kaleb Eleby, who also attended the combine. “His hard work is unmatched. We spent a lot of time together in the offseason. He sacrificed just as much as me. Guys went home for summer break, but (we) made a decision we were going to stay and work on our chemistry and get things going.”

Could all of that hard work eventually lead Moore back to Pittsburgh and a reunion with Mike Tomlin?

“It’s a storybook ending if I land with the Steelers,” Moore said. “But I’m also open to any other team.”

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