Randy Moss Childhood

Randy Moss was born on February 13, 1977 in Charleston, WV. Moss was the son of Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt. His family moved to Rand, WV when he was young. Moss was raised by his mother on her own, and that fueled his desire to be the best athlete he could be. He played multiple sports growing up and excelled at each one.

Randy Moss High School Stats and Awards

Randy Moss’ high school years in athletics were nothing short of legendary. He played an array of sports and with his height and speed, was unstoppable especially in basketball and football. He led DuPont High School to a pair of state titles in football and a deep run for the state basketball championship with teammate and future NBA player Jason Williams. He won the state’s high school basketball and football player of the year honors and was one of the best prospects in the country. He had his pick of the best college football teams, including Florida State and Notre Dane.

Randy Moss College Career Stats and Notes

The start of Randy Moss’ college career got off to a rough start. Due to a fight in high school and subsequent legal issues, Notre Dame let Moss go from his scholarship. He attended Florida State but with violating his probation, he was dismissed from the program.

Moss enrolled at Marshall University in his home state and with the legal issues behind him, he showed the nation what he could do on the field. For two years, Moss was rewriting the records books. He set numerous NCAA records. As a freshman in Division I-AA, he set records for most yards as a freshman (1,709), most consecutive games with a TD (13) and tied for most TDs in a season (28) with legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice. He led the Thundering Herd to the I-AA title that year as well.

The following year, Marshall moved up to I-A which didn’t slow down Moss. He amassed 1,820 yards on 96 receptions with 26 TDs in 1997. He won the award for the best college wide receiver, the Fred Biletnikoff Award, and was a Heisman finalist. He finished his college career by scoring in every single game he played.

Randy Moss NFL Career Stats and Notes

Although he was the best wide receiver in college, NFL teams passed on him due to his past legal issues. Moss was taken 21st overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. With a chip on his shoulder, Moss again showed the world and the teams that passed on him, what he can do. All he did in his rookie season was win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and be named to First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl.

Moss played for the Vikings until 2005, when he was traded to the Oakland Raiders. With a career seemingly on the downside, he rejuvenated his best receiver in the league title when he was traded to the New England Patriots in 2007. His first season with Tom Brady was legendary. As Brady tossed an NFL record 50 TDs, 23 of those went to Moss, setting a new NFL record for TDs by a receiver. The Patriots went 16-0 that season as the league couldn’t stop the Brady-Moss connection. However, they were unable to complete the undefeated season. Brady and Moss hooked up in Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants, but it wasn’t enough as they lost 17-14 in one of the biggest upsets in sports history.

Moss spent three plus seasons with the Patriots before being traded back to the Vikings during the 2010 season. He would play for three different teams that year, ending the season with the Tennessee Titans. After a brief retirement in 2011, he returned in 2012 and joined the San Francisco 49ers. Moss got another chance to win a ring as the 49ers met the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. He was denied once again as the Ravens won 34-31. Moss would retire prior to the 2013 season. In 2018, Moss was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Randy Moss 1998 Thanksgiving Day Game vs Dallas Cowboys

The game that put Randy Moss on the map was his performance on Thanksgiving Day in his rookie season. On November 26, 1998 the Vikings traveled to Texas to take on the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were one of the teams that passed on Moss earlier in the year and he showed them what they could’ve had. His stat line: 3 catches, 163 yards and 3 TDs. Moss showed his blazing speed on each play as each score was 50 yards or more. In the end, the Vikings beat the Cowboys 46-36 and a star was born.

List of Pro Football Hall of Fame Members