A 6’4” wide receiver with the speed of an Olympic sprinter, Randy Moss, at his best, was perhaps the most unguardable pass catcher in NFL history and, indeed, the game's greatest-ever serious threat.
One of only three players ever with over 15,000 career receiving yards and 150 touchdowns, Moss left his mark as a legend in Minnesota and New England while redefining what a WR could be.
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Today, we’ll examine Randy Moss's career and what makes him one of the best wide receivers in NFL history.
An All-Time Start
While some early personal and legal troubles saw him switch schools from Notre Dame to Florida State and finally to Marshall University, Moss’ talent on the field was undeniable. In his only season at the FBS level, Moss and QB Chad Pennington combined to form college football's most lethal 1-2 punch, as he set the then-record for most TD receptions in a season with 25.
Despite his record-breaking performances, Moss fell to the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st pick in the 1998 draft because of ‘character concerns,’ which were quickly proven unfounded.
To say Randy Moss's numbers were unique in Minnesota is the understatement of the century. As a rookie, he helped lead the Vikings to the most outstanding offensive season in NFL history at the time, finishing the year with a league-leading 17 touchdowns. This included his most famous game, a 1998 Thanksgiving showdown versus the Dallas Cowboys.
Credit to the Cowboys, Moss only caught three passes all day, but unfortunately, every single one was a touchdown of 50+ yards, as the Vikings went on to win 46-36.
Over the next few seasons, Moss continued to impress with the Vikings, making four more Pro Bowls and leading the league in receiving touchdowns two more times. But, with the team on the decline and the star WR starting to grow discontent with his situation, he eventually switched to Oakland and New England, where the second legendary chapter of his career would take place.
Late Career Renaissance
After some underwhelming seasons with the Oakland Raiders and entering his age-30 season, you’d be remiss not to think Randy Moss's stats and career were on the decline. But that’s when fate intervened.
Needing a star receiver to pair with all-time great quarterback Tom Brady, New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick swung for the fences and traded for Moss in the summer of 2007. This move ended up being a stroke of genius for both sides. Just like in Minnesota, Moss’s first year in New England was one for the ages. He had a sterling 17-0 record, nearly 1500 receiving yards, and an NFL-record 23 receiving touchdowns.
Although that team would lose the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, Moss had two more productive years in New England before bouncing across a handful of teams in his later years and retiring in 2012.
Randy Moss has a net worth of over 80 million dollars thanks to his playing career and is now forever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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