Born in Adena, Ohio, Moscrip attended The Kiski Prep School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, before enrolling at Stanford University.

A 1933 newspaper article stated that Moscrip acquired his nickname while at Kiski: he once came to school with haircut that made him look "apish" (as in, like a monkey), and he was quickly called "Monk".

[4] He played professional football with the Detroit Lions in 1938 and 1939—appearing in 11 games each season, he made 15 of 18 extra point attempts as a kicker and had one receiving touchdown.

[6] He served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II and participated in battles at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.

In October 1980, Moscrip died of a heart attack at his home in Atherton, California, at the age of 67.