Historical Spotlight: Randy Moss

Playing in a Super Bowl is considered one of the highest accomplishments for a football player and many athletes train their entire lives for a chance to win the Lombardi Trophy. It’s estimated that only 3.1% of players actually achieve such a rare feat. Roster changes, injuries, coaching mishaps, and other factors can dictate if a player ever secures a ring but some of the elites propel their teams forward and refuse to retire without leaving their mark on the game. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on Randy Moss, one of the greatest wide receivers to ever grace the field. 

Randy was born on February 13, 1977 to his parents Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt in Rand, West Virginia. His father wasn’t active in his life, but his mother made sure him and his brother and sister were well loved. She was a nurse's aid and worked hard to make sure her children had everything they needed to succeed. 

Randy attended DuPont High School and was active in football, basketball, baseball, track, and even the debate team. In football, he excelled at wide receiver but was a versatile player who also played free safety, returned kickoffs and punts, and kicked and punted for the team. He helped his team secure back to back state championships in 1992 and 1993. He was awarded the Harrison H. Kennedy Award in 1994 as the West Virginia Football Player of the Year and made Parade magazine’s All-American high school football team in 1995. 

He was equally as dominant in basketball and was named the West Virginia Player of the Year in 1994 and 1995. During his senior season, he averaged 30.2 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.1 steals, 3.8 blocks and 3.1 assists while shooting 60% from the field. He solidified his legacy by scoring a school-record of 1,713 career points. 

His athletic excellence also translated to track and field and he was the 1992 West Virginia state champion in the 100 and 200 meter events after clocking 10.94 seconds and 21.95 seconds. Even though he only ran with his high school track team during his sophomore year, he later picked up his track spikes again in college and improved his 200 meter time. He also played center field for his baseball team, but didn’t have much time to cultivate his skills. 

He dreamed of playing for Notre Dame and even signed a letter of intent, but his dream was thwarted after he was involved in a fight on March 23, 1995. He was helping defend his friend from a white student who said racist comments. Unfortunately, he pled guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. 

After being expelled because of the incident, he finished his high school diploma at an alternative school. Even though Notre Dame subsequently denied his enrollment application, Florida State gave him a short chance before they too released him for violating his probation. 

In 1996, he enrolled at Marshall University and set the NCAA Division I-AA records for most games with a touchdown catch in a season at 14, most consecutive games with a touchdown catch at 13, most touchdown passes caught in a season at 28, and most receiving yards by a freshman in a season at 1,709. He was also the leading kickoff returner that year and amassed a total of 612 yards by averaging 34 yards. 

He helped his team go undefeated his redshirt freshman season and secured the Division I-AA title by catching four touchdowns in the championship game against Montana. The very next season, Marshall’s football program moved to Division I-A and the team’s explosive offense propelled them to the Mid-American Conference title. Randy set a record by catching 26 touchdown passes that season and was named first-team All-American. 

At the end of his collegiate career, he was named a Consensus All-American, won MAC Offensive Player of the Year, won the Fred Biletnikoff Award, and finished fourth as a finalist for the 1997 Heisman Trophy. He scored at least one touchdown in all 28 games that he played at Marshall and had multiple 200+ yard receiving games, marking him as a dominant wide receiver that could benefit almost any pro system. 

Randy entered the 1998 NFL Draft instead of playing his junior and senior seasons in college. He skipped the NFL Combine and instead completed an individual workout at Marshall’s pro day where he recorded 40 yard sprint times of 4.24 and 4.28 and a 47 inch vertical leap. Even though he was a projected high first-round pick, he slid to the 21st overall pick because teams were nervous of his previous legal troubles. 

The Minnesota Vikings took a chance that other teams like the Dallas Cowboys chose to forgo. Randy felt as though the Cowboys lied to him about their commitment to drafting him so he made it a point to beat them during every matchup. His first contract with the Vikings was a 4-year, $4.5 million contract with an additional $4 million in bonuses and incentives. 

He decided to wear number 84 and immediately made his impact on the game by helping the Vikings become the number 1 rated offense ever at the time and setting the single-season record for scoring with 556 points. He was the first rookie to score three touchdowns on Thanksgiving and he was named to the Pro Bowl, earned first team All-Pro honors, and won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

During his sophomore season, he continued his dominance by catching 80 passes for 1,413 yards and 11 touchdowns. He earned his second straight Pro Bowl appearance and was the MVP for the game. His 2000 season produced his iconic catch during the Thanksgiving Day game against the Cowboys in which his entire body, except for his toes, was out of bounds. He finished the season with a career-high 1,437 yards, 15 touchdowns, his third trip to the Pro Bowl, and his second selection to the All Pro team, officially making him the youngest and fastest player to catch over 3,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. 

Randy’s playing style was so dominant that teams started coming up with Randy Rules to reduce his impact on the game and avoid him from being matched up one-on-one with defenders in single coverage. It worked during his 2001 season, but the Vikings coach came up with the Randy Ratio to try and get him the ball more frequently in shorter routes instead of deep streaks. The idea only lasted halfway through the 2002 season and the Vikings struggled to a 6-10 finish.

He became the second wide receiver in NFL history to play more than 12 games while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per game during his 2003 season, but the Vikings missed the playoffs after going 9-7. Unfortunately, Randy had a hamstring injury in the middle of his 2004 season that forced him to miss multiple weeks and record his lowest stats in receptions and yards. 

On March 2, 2005, Randy was traded to the Oakland Raiders and changed his jersey to number 18. Unfortunately, he battled nagging injuries throughout the season, leading to a lack of offense, and wins, for the organization. He expressed his unhappiness with the losses that racked up over the next season and announced the possibility of leaving the Raiders on November 14, 2006. 

In 2007, he was traded to the New England Patriots and got the much needed spark that was lost during his time in Oakland. The Patriots were undefeated in the regular season and Randy recorded 1,493 yards in 93 catches and was selected to his sixth Pro Bowl. He completely went off that year and scored touchdowns in 13 of 16 games, had nine 100-yard games, six touchdowns of 40 or more yards, and eight multi-touchdown games. Despite his exemplary performance, the Patriots lost in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants. 

In 2008, his performance stayed steady after losing Tom Brady to an ACL injury early in the season. In his 2009 season, he joined an elite crowd as the 11th player with over 900 receptions and the seventh player to reach over 14,000 career receiving yards. He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2000’s first team. 

In 2010, Randy only played four games with the Patriots before he was traded to the Vikings, where he also only lasted four games before being waived. He was picked up by the Tennessee Titans and played eight games totaling only six catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns. 

After becoming a free agent, his agent announced his decision to retire on August 1, 2011, but just six months later on his 35th birthday, he announced he was ready to play again. On March 12, 2012, he signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers and was the NFL’s active leader in receiving yards after Terrell Owens retired. He also played in Super Bowl XLVII (47) but ultimately fell to the Baltimore Ravens. 

Despite never winning a Super Bowl, Randy finished his career with 218 games played, 982 catches, 15,292 receiving yards, and 156 touchdowns. He is one of three players to have at least 1,600 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in a season. He shattered records and ranks second all-time in touchdown receptions and fourth all-time in receiving yards. He even has his own term, “mossed”, because of his unique ability to physically overpower defenders and make spectacular contested catches in tight coverage.

He was also the very first and only football athlete to sign a footwear deal with Jordan Brand and Nike in 1999. He wore the NFL’s first-ever signature Jordan Brand shoe called the Air Jordan Super Freak and even had the chance to design his very own ‘Randy Moss’ colorway. 

Outside of football, Randy has a generous heart dedicated to giving back to organizations focused on helping children. He has donated clothing, food, transportation to amusement parks and games, free backpacks, and much more to kids who need it the most. On June 29, 2005, he hosted the Randy Moss Celebrity Charity Invitational Bass Tournament to raise money for the Smile Network and assist children with treatable mouth problems. In 2008, he formed the Links for Learning foundation to build learning centers for children in West Virginia. 

Randy joined ESPN as an analyst from 2016 to 2022, was inducted into the Pro Football Half of Fame in 2018, and was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. He has five children and battled bile duct cancer in December 2024, but managed to catch it early and underwent a procedure to remove it. 

Considered one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play the game, Randy put in the work to be excellent. He faced adversity and trials, but never allowed them to keep him down for too long. He was unapologetically himself, which often led to coaches, teams, and the media to judge him harsher than necessary, but there were no questions about his raw talent and work ethic to win. 

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Signed, 

Jessica Marie