The look of the Super Bowl was different for Tom Moore as he surveyed Dolphin Stadium. It has been 27 years since he last was a participant in this event. "It's a lot bigger than it was the last time," he said.

So is Tom Moore.

When Moore was last at the Super Bowl with the 1979 Steelers, he was a little-known receivers coach. Probably no one outside of the Pittsburgh media bothered to talk with him. Moore likes it that way. He never has been a guy to seek publicity. He always has been a guy to stay in the background.

This time around, he can't do that. He is the offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, which means he's the man who devised the game plans that produced the second-most points in the NFL and the man who calls the plays for Peyton Manning.

Moore did not generate as much media attention as Manning or some of the other major figures in the game, but several dozen reporters ventured over to his station in the stands at Media Day Tuesday. Moore fielded the questions easily, rarely saying anything colorful or self-promotional.

Other men in similar roles have earned the title of "mastermind" or "genius." Moore, low key in the extreme, runs away from such words.

"This isn't the Tom Moore offense," he said, "it's the Indianapolis Colts' offense.

"I don't go for that genius stuff. I don't take any of those things seriously. We've got great players, and it's a game of players. The big thing is devising what you can do with those players to make them as good as they can be. I'm not into genius and all that stuff."

Moore can distance himself all he wants from the achievements of the Colts, but he's an important part of them.

When Manning was asked about the success of the Colts' offense under Moore, he said, "Tom Moore would tell you that it is because of the players that he has, but that's Tom being Tom. There is not a day that goes by that we don't appreciate having him as our coordinator."

Moore maintains he has not changed his approach since his days with the Steelers. He was receivers coach from 1978 to 1983 and offensive coordinator and quarterback coach until leaving after the 1989 season.

"My philosophy has not changed. My philosophy is to get your best 11 players on the field and get your offense designed [so] that [it] takes advantage of their abilities."

In the post-Super Bowl years that he ran the Steelers' offense, Moore didn't have the players. In his final season, Bubby Brister was the quarterback, and Tim Worley and Merril Hoge shared the carries. Rodney Carter was second in receptions behind Louis Lipps.

It speaks to Moore's abilities that he had little trouble securing other jobs after he left Pittsburgh. He was with Minnesota for three years as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach after leaving the Steelers and followed with three years with the Detroit Lions. In 1995 with the Lions, journeyman quarterback Scott Mitchell threw for more than 4,000 yards and receivers Brett Perriman and Herman Moore both had more than 100 catches.

He was at Indianapolis, working for Jim Mora, when Manning was a rookie in 1998.

"He stuck by me," Manning said. "He never held me back. That's one thing about Tom. He wasn't going to restrict me. He let me work through a lot of things."

When Mora was fired and Tony Dungy hired, Moore's job was hardly in jeopardy.

"I go back to 1973 with coach Dungy," said Moore. "I helped to recruit him to the University of Minnesota, and I coached him there."

Dungy said, "Tom Moore is a special coach. He was my coach in college, and I have ultimate faith in him. So, when the job in Indianapolis came available and Tom was already here, it was just a real blessing.

"He was on the staff when I was a player at Pittsburgh. And then we coached eight years together there and one year with the Vikings. So we've worked a lot together and we know each other very well and know what each other wants."

Moore, the loyal soldier, has interviewed only once for a head-coaching job -- last year at Detroit. The job went to Rod Marinelli.

"There are a lot of qualified people but only 32 jobs," Moore said. "I'm not one of those 32, so I want to be the best coordinator I can be."

At 68, he would figure to be nearing the end of his career. He doesn't see it that way.

"When they won't hire me anymore, that's when I'm through," he said. "I want to stay young. This keeps you young. It's fun. To quote Marv Levy, 'Where would you rather be than right here today?' It's my life."