Randy Moss

Football Player

• Born: February 13, 1977
• Birthplace: Rand, West Virginia

Sport: Football

Early Life

Randall Gene Moss was raised by a single mother in Rand, West Virginia, a predominantly African American community. At an early age, Randy showed tremendous athletic prowess. At Dupont High School in Belle, West Virginia, he played both football and basketball.

On two separate occasions the West Virginia Sportswriters Association named Randy “Mr. West Virginia” for his outstanding basketball performance. However, Randy decided to pursue a career in football. He enrolled at Florida State University but left before the end of his freshman year, enrolling at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, in 1996.

The Road to Excellence

At Marshall, Randy, who was a wide receiver, led the football team to two winning seasons and a victory in the 1997 Motor City Bowl. He caught 174 passes for 3,529 yards and scored 54 touchdowns. In 1997, he finished fourth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy and won the Biletnikoff Award as the best college receiver in the nation.

In January 1998, Randy announced that he was leaving Marshall to pursue a career in professional football. A West Virginia hero, particularly to Marshall University fans, Randy sent an open letter to Marshall supporters, telling of his decision to leave the university without a degree and indicating that his future plans included obtaining a college diploma.

In 1988, Randy was picked by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the NFL draft. Many observers felt that Randy, who was the twenty-first player chosen, might have been selected earlier in the draft if not for his reputation as a troublemaker. He had had several brushes with the law, including a domestic-violence charge for beating the mother of his child. In July 1998, Randy signed a $4.5-million four-year contract as a wide receiver with the Vikings and reported to training camp.

The Emerging Champion

Randy quickly distinguished himself in his career with the Vikings, although off the field, some member of the media criticized his haughty attitude. Randy, who, at the time of signing, stood 6 feet 3 1/2 inches and weighed 210 pounds, was prized by the Vikings for his speed and agility. These qualities immediately turned him into a star. In 1998, the Associated Press, College and Pro Football Weekly, and Football Weekly named him offensive rookie of the year. Sports Illustrated named him rookie of the year, as did The Sporting News and The Football News.

In that same year the Professional Football Writers of America named Randy National Football Conference (NFC) rookie of the year. He was named all-rookie by four magazines and all-pro by the Associated Press and five magazines. He was named to the all-Madden team and was selected for Pro Football Weekly’s all-NFC and all-NFL teams. In November 1998, he was named NFL offensive rookie of the month, and several times during his first season, he was honored as NFC player of the week.

In his debut season, Randy set and broke many records. He achieved an NFL record for touchdown receptions by a rookie, with 17. He was the only rookie to be selected for the 1999 Pro Bowl, in which he was a starter, and the first Viking rookie ever to score 2 touchdowns in an initial NFL game. He was one of only four NFL players ever to score in their first games.

Randy tied Cris Carter’s Viking records for most consecutive games with touchdown catches in a season (seven) and set a team record for most games with a touchdown pass in a season (eleven), breaking Carter’s previous record of ten. Randy shattered the team record for touchdowns of 40-plus yards with 10, breaking Gene Washington’s total of 5.

Although his second season was somewhat less spectacular, in the 2000 Pro Bowl, Randy had 9 catches and 212 yards, both of which were Pro Bowl records, and he was named the game’s most valuable player. During his third season, in 2000, he caught 77 passes and scored 15 touchdowns and ended the year regarded as one of the league’s brightest stars.

Continuing the Story

Randy was sometimes labeled uncooperative. In 1999, he received criticism for failing to appear at an autograph signing for a group of youngsters in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He maintained that he had done nothing wrong, and that the matter was a result of miscommunication. A few weeks later he redeemed himself by showing up in Charleston, West Virginia, where five hundred youngsters met him and got his autograph.

In 2001, Randy had more than 1,000 yards receiving for the fourth consecutive year, but his statistics lagged behind his earlier seasons with the Vikings. In 2002, Randy reminded fans why he had been regarded so highly, catching more than 100 passes for the first time in his career. Finishing the season with 106 receptions, 7 touchdowns, and 1,347 yards, Randy was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. In 2003, Randy had a landmark year when he caught an amazing 111 passes for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns. All exceeded or tied his personal records with the Vikings, and, once again, he played in the Pro Bowl.

After the 2004 season, Randy’s career with the Vikings ended, when he was traded to the Oakland Raiders. His last year as a Viking would have been outstanding for most receivers but fell below Randy’s career averages. He walked off the field with 2 seconds remaining in the Viking’s last game of the season. Many accused him of quitting on the team. The continued “antics” that had come with Randy’s tremendous athleticism prompted the Vikings to trade him.

In 2005 and 2006, with the Raiders, Randy played with a poor team and experienced frequent injuries. However, he became the first Raider since 2002 to compile more than 1,000 yards receiving. Before the 2007 season, Randy was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick. This trade was a steal; Randy became an important puzzle piece in the Patriot’s drive to the Super Bowl, Randy’s first. He matched up with quarterback Tom Brady to set an NFL record for receiving touchdowns in a season, 23, and set a Patriot record with 1,493 yards receiving. The Patriots were undefeated until February 3, 2008, when the team lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. In March 2008, Randy signed a three-year contract with the Patriots for $27 million. During the 2010 season, the Patriots traded Randy back to the Vikings, but he lasted only a month with his former team. He finished the season with the Tennessee Titans, sat out the 2011 season, and returned for one final year in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers. He played in the Super Bowl with the 49ers that year. During his career, he was selected to the Pro Bowl five times.

Summary

From an early age Randy Moss was identified as a natural athlete who possessed speed and agility. However, Randy developed a reputation as a troublemaker. His behavior plagued him throughout his career, but his speed, athleticism, and artistry ensured his elite status. Perhaps the best receiver of the twenty-first century, as of 2016, Randy had the fourth-highest total of touchdown receptions in NFL history.

Bibliography

Bernstein, Ross. Randy Moss: Star Wide Receiver. Berkeley Heights: Enslow, 2002. Print.

Bruton, James H. Vikings Fifty: All-time Greatest Players in Franchise History. Chicago: Triumph, 2012. Print.

Holler, John. Minnesota Vikings: Fact and Trivia. South Bend: E. B. Houchin, 1998. Print.

Nelson, Julie. Minnesota Vikings: NFL Today. Mankato: Smart Apple Media, 2000. Print.

Stewart, Mark. Randy Moss: First in Flight. Breckenridge: Twenty-First Century, 2000. Print.