Randy Moss

For the sports analyst and reporter, see Randy Moss (sports reporter).

Randy Moss
refer to caption
Moss in 2016
No. 84, 18, 81
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1977-02-13) February 13, 1977 (age 47)
Rand, West Virginia, U.S.[1]
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:DuPont
(Dupont City, West Virginia)
College:Marshall (1996–1997)
NFL draft:1998 / round: 1 / pick: 21
Career history
Career highlights and awards
NFL records
  • Most receiving touchdowns in a season: 23
  • Most receiving touchdowns in a rookie season: 17
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:982
Receiving yards:15,292
Receiving touchdowns:156
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers. Widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time,[2][3][4][5][6][7] he holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007), as well as the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17 in 1998).

All-time, Moss ranks second in career touchdown receptions (leading the league five times in touchdown receptions, third most all-time) as well as fourth in career receiving yards. In addition to possessing extraordinary speed at his size (4.25 40-yard dash at 6 ft 4 in) and superior leaping ability (43-inch vertical), he was famously known for often securing spectacular contested catches in tight coverage by physically overpowering defenders. The term "mossed", referring to this ability, has since become a common term in the football lexicon.[8]

Moss played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd and earned Unanimous All-American honors in 1997. A six-time Pro Bowl and four-time first-team All-Pro selection, Moss was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft, where he set the single-season record for touchdown receptions in a rookie season and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In his first stint with the Vikings, Moss caught 90 touchdown receptions in his first seven seasons, as well as having more than 1,200 yards in each of his first six seasons. He was traded in 2005 to the Oakland Raiders, where he experienced a slump in play, notably due to the lack of talent surrounding him and perceived decline.

In 2007, Moss was then traded to the New England Patriots, where he experienced a career resurgence and set the single-season record for total touchdown receptions. That season, he helped lead the Patriots to a record breaking 16–0 regular season record. During both the 1998 and 2007 seasons, Moss was the catalyst of the two highest scoring offenses of all time at the time they occurred (556 points in 1998, 589 points in 2007), now ranking sixth and second all-time. In October 2010, Moss returned to the Vikings in a trade from the Patriots but was waived less than a month later and then claimed by the Tennessee Titans. After sitting out the 2011 season, Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 before retiring following the season.[9]

He played in two Super Bowl games, XLII with the Patriots and XLVII with the 49ers, both losses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, and is a member of the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Post-football, he began working for ESPN as a studio analyst for its Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown programs.[10] In 2022, Moss left Monday Night Countdown.[11]

  1. ^ Bieler, Des (November 12, 2014). "What we learned from ESPN's '30 for 30' on Randy Moss". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  2. ^ Kenyon, David (October 3, 2018). "The Top 10 NFL Wide Receivers of All Time". Bleacher Report. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  3. ^ Harrison, Elliot (March 8, 2016). "Ten best receivers of all time". NFL.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  4. ^ Tallent, Aaron (February 18, 2022). "25 Greatest Wide Receivers in NFL History". Athlonsports.com | Expert Predictions, Picks, and Previews. Archived from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  5. ^ Markarian, Jerry (April 27, 2022). "The 10 Best NFL Wide Receivers Of All Time, Ranked". TheSportster. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  6. ^ Brennan, Ryan (September 5, 2021). "10 Greatest Wide Receivers of All-Time". At The Buzzer. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  7. ^ Patuto, Greg (May 15, 2020). "Ranking The 20 Greatest NFL Wide Receivers Of All Time". ClutchPoints. Archived from the original on February 7, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  8. ^ Dunn, Sam (September 9, 2021). "How Randy Moss Became a Verb". Boardroom. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Lepore, Steve (August 12, 2013). "Randy Moss is officially an NFL analyst for Fox Sports 1, as part of 'Fox Football Daily'". SB Nation. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  10. ^ Volner, Derek (August 16, 2022). "Together Again: ESPN Re-Signs Hall of Famer Randy Moss, Three-Time Pro Bowler Matt Hasselbeck, Super Bowl Champion Tedy Bruschi and Accomplished Host Sam Ponder as Sunday NFL Countdown Returns Same Cast for 2022 NFL Season". ESPN Press Room U.S. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  11. ^ Crean, Tim (July 11, 2022). "Randy Moss Out at ESPN 'Monday Night Countdown' in Favor of NFL QB Bust". Sportscasting. Retrieved March 3, 2023.