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Moss's fortunes took a better turn on the football field during the 2003 regular season, where he became the first wide receiver in history to play more than 12 games (he played 16) while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest. He finished with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns. All three of the numbers either tied or became a new personal best.
Moss's fortunes took a better turn on the football field during the 2003 regular season, where he became the first wide receiver in history to play more than 12 games (he played 16) while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest. He finished with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns. All three of the numbers either tied or became a new personal best.




[[Image:Randymossmoon.jpg|thumb|right|Randy Moss' end-zone celebration stirs up controversy]]
[[Image:Randymossmoon.jpg|thumb|right|Randy Moss' end-zone celebration stirs up controversy]]
Line 81: Line 83:


On [[February 23]], [[2005]], Randy's agent, Dante DiTrapano, reported that Moss was going to be traded to the [[Oakland Raiders]] from the [[Minnesota Vikings]] for linebacker Napoleon Harris, the 7th overall pick and a 7th round pick. Some have speculated that [[Quarterback]] [[Daunte Culpepper]] wanted him traded. The trade was officially consummated on [[March 2]], [[2005]].
On [[February 23]], [[2005]], Randy's agent, Dante DiTrapano, reported that Moss was going to be traded to the [[Oakland Raiders]] from the [[Minnesota Vikings]] for linebacker Napoleon Harris, the 7th overall pick and a 7th round pick. Some have speculated that [[Quarterback]] [[Daunte Culpepper]] wanted him traded. The trade was officially consummated on [[March 2]], [[2005]].

Randy Moss made the Pro Bowl 5 times in his 7-year career with the Minnesota Vikings (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003).
Randy Moss made the Pro Bowl 5 times in his 7-year career with the Minnesota Vikings (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003).
moss called a "whiner" got his way when he got out of minnesota and now plays for the oakland raider which is knowen for taking in the so calle rotten apples. even though he had a descent seson alot of people still think he was alot to prove that he was worth the tade.


Randy wore number 18 with the Minnesota Vikings in his rookie season's training camp. Moss then switched to number 84. He is currently wearing number 18 with the Oakland Raiders because teammate wide receiver [[Jerry Porter]] owns the rights for the number 84 with the Oakland Raiders.
Randy wore number 18 with the Minnesota Vikings in his rookie season's training camp. Moss then switched to number 84. He is currently wearing number 18 with the Oakland Raiders because teammate wide receiver [[Jerry Porter]] owns the rights for the number 84 with the Oakland Raiders.

Revision as of 16:40, 31 March 2006

Randy Moss during practice
Date of birth February 13, 1977
Place of birth Rand, West Virginia
Position(s) Wide Receiver
College Marshall
Draft 1998 / round 1
Pro Bowls 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
Statistics Pro Football Reference
Statistics NFL.com
Statistics DatabaseFootball
Statistics ESPN
Statistics Sports Illustrated
Team(s)
1998-2004
2005-Present		 Minnesota Vikings
Oakland Raiders
Pro Football Hall of Fame, [[{{{HOF}}}]]

Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977 in Rand, West Virginia) is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders NFL franchise. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998, and played the first stage of his career in Minnesota before a trade in 2005 brought him to Oakland. He is 6 ft 4 in. tall and weighs 210 lb.

Family

His parents are Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt, but Moss does not have much contact with his father. He has a sister named Lutisia and a brother Eric, who had a short stint in the NFL as an offensive lineman with the Minnesota Vikings. Moss has 4 children with his girlfriend, Libby Offut (two daughters-Sydney and Senali, and two sons-Thaddeus and Montigo).

High school

As a high school sophomore at DuPont High School, a now-defunct institution in Belle, West Virginia (near Charleston), he helped lead his school to the state AAA football title (West Virginia's highest class), starred in basketball alongside current Miami Heat point guard Jason Williams, and also won the state title in the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes. He played center field in baseball, which some argued was his best sport. He played wide receiver, safety, punter, place kicker, kick returner, and punt returner in football. He finished his high school football career with 109 catches, 2,435 receiving yards, and 44 receiving touchdowns, along with rushing the ball 75 times for 843 yards and nine touchdowns. He ended his basketball career at DuPont with 1,713 points scored. He was named the state's Athlete of the Year once in football and twice in basketball.

Along with his State Athlete of the Year awards, Moss was named to USA Today's All-USA high school football team in 1994, and was named to USA Today's 20th anniversary All-USA high school football team.

College years

Moss' dream was to play for Notre Dame, but he also considered going to Ohio State, where his half-brother, Eric, had played offensive tackle.

According to Lou Holtz, Moss was the greatest high school athlete he had ever seen because "he was just a bigger Deion Sanders."

After originally signing a letter of intent to play college football with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 1995, Moss took part in a racially-charged fight at his high school that left one person hospitalized. He pled guilty to battery and received probation along with a 30-day suspended jail sentence. Notre Dame revoked his scholarship, but this setback did not stop another high profile college football program from giving him a chance. Notre Dame officials suggested Florida State due to the esteemed reputation of its coach, Bobby Bowden, for handling troubled players. However, because of his signed letter of intent at Notre Dame, the NCAA considered him a transfer student, which made him ineligible to play for the Seminoles in the 1995 football season. He was redshirted in his freshman season. While at Florida State, Moss ran a 4.25 40 yard dash (only Deion Sanders, with a 4.23 40 yard dash, did better).

In 1996, while serving his 30-day jail sentence in a work release program from 1995, Moss tested positive for smoking marijuana, violating his probation, and was let go by Florida State. He served 60 extra days in jail for the probation violation.

Ultimately, Moss transferred to Marshall University, about an hour's drive from his home. Because Marshall was then a Division I-AA school, NCAA rules allowed him to transfer there without losing any further eligibility. In 1996, he set the NCAA Division I-AA records for most games with a touchdown catch in a season (14), most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (13), most touchdown passes caught by a freshman in a season (29), and most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season (1709 on 78 catches). Those records still stand. Moss was also the leading kickoff returner in Division I-AA on the season, with 484 total yards and a 34.6 yard average. Marshall went undefeated and won the Division I-AA title in its last season before moving to Division I-A.

In the 1997 season, Marshall's first in Division I-A, Moss and current New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington were the centerpiece of an explosive offense that led the Thundering Herd to the Mid-American Conference title. Moss caught 26 touchdown passes that season, at the time a Division I-A record, and was a first-team All-American. For the season, he had 96 receptions for 1820 yards, and 26 touchdowns. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's leading wide receiver, and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy (finishing fourth in the balloting, while cornerback Charles Woodson, now his teammate on the Oakland Raiders, won the award).

NFL career

During the 1998 NFL Draft, Moss was projected as a high first-round pick because of his physical skills, but most teams were afraid to take him because of his personal history. The Minnesota Vikings finally selected him late in the first round (as the 21st overall pick).

In 1998, Moss helped the Vikings to become the number one ranked offense in the 1998 season while they set a record for total points by a team. They finished with a 15-1 winning record and were poised to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. However, the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Vikings by winning the NFC Championship Game 30-27 in overtime. At the end of the 1998 regular season, Moss was named a Pro Bowl starter and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie record 17 touchdown receptions and the third highest receiving yard (1,313) total of 1998.

On September 24, 2002 in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, Moss was driving in his Lexus and was preparing to do an illegal turn. A city worker saw what Moss was trying to do. She stood in front of his car and was ordering him to stop. However, Moss didn't stop his car until she fell on the ground. Moss was originally charged with Suspicion of Assault with a Deadly Weapon which is a felony and a misdemeanor marijuana possession. Moss pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor traffic violation. He was ordered to pay a $1,200 fine and perform 40 hours of community service.

Moss's fortunes took a better turn on the football field during the 2003 regular season, where he became the first wide receiver in history to play more than 12 games (he played 16) while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest. He finished with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns. All three of the numbers either tied or became a new personal best.


File:Randymossmoon.jpg
Randy Moss' end-zone celebration stirs up controversy

In 2005, he was fined $10,000 because the NFL found his end zone celebration where he pretended to moon the fans at Lambeau Field) unsportsmanlike during the playoffs. However, Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, a respected voice of reason in the NFL, explained (if not completely defended) Moss' action by pointing out that Green Bay Packers fans are infamous for mooning the buses of departing opponents.[1]

On February 23, 2005, Randy's agent, Dante DiTrapano, reported that Moss was going to be traded to the Oakland Raiders from the Minnesota Vikings for linebacker Napoleon Harris, the 7th overall pick and a 7th round pick. Some have speculated that Quarterback Daunte Culpepper wanted him traded. The trade was officially consummated on March 2, 2005. Randy Moss made the Pro Bowl 5 times in his 7-year career with the Minnesota Vikings (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003). moss called a "whiner" got his way when he got out of minnesota and now plays for the oakland raider which is knowen for taking in the so calle rotten apples. even though he had a descent seson alot of people still think he was alot to prove that he was worth the tade.

Randy wore number 18 with the Minnesota Vikings in his rookie season's training camp. Moss then switched to number 84. He is currently wearing number 18 with the Oakland Raiders because teammate wide receiver Jerry Porter owns the rights for the number 84 with the Oakland Raiders.

In August 2005, Moss created a public relations faux pas for himself and the Raiders when he told HBO's Bryant Gumbel that he has smoked marijuana during his NFL career "once a blue moon." [2]

NFL Records

  • Rookie record 17 TD catches
  • He is third only to Anquan Boldin and Bill Groman for most rookie receiving yards with 1,313.
  • In NFL history, Randy Moss after 8 seasons has caught 98 TD passes. He only trails Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Steve Largent, and Don Huston, all of whom have played or played many more seasons than Moss.
  • Has caught 13 or more TDs in a season 4 times. He trails only Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice in such seasons.
  • Is the only player next to Jerry Rice to catch 17 or more TDs in a season twice (Moss accomplished the feat in 1998 and 2003).
  • Moss has had 3 seasons where he averaged at least one receiving TD a game. 1998 (17 TDs in 16 games), 2003 (17 TDs in 16 games), and 2004 (13 TDs in 13 games). It is an NFL record for players.
  • He had back to back 100 catch seasons, first in 2002 and then in 2003. He joined Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter, Herman Moore, and Rod Smith as the only receivers to do so.
  • At the end of the 2005 season, Moss is averaging approximately 12.25 receiving TDs per season, which is an NFL record.
  • Holds the record for most 1,000 yard seasons in his first seasons of the league. In his first 6 seasons in the NFL, he had 1,000+ yards in each seasons, setting an NFL record.

Career Notables

  • Is second on the Minnesota Vikings all time receiving TD list with 90. Cris Carter holds the record with 110 receiving scores.
  • Has a 16.0 YPC for his career
  • Played on the 1998 Vikings team, which set an NFL record in total points scored
  • At the end of the 2005 season, Moss is averaging 81.2 yards per game.
  • Had a career-high 12 receptions for 204 yards against the Chicago Bears, at Soldier Field, on November 14, 1999 in a 27-24 overtime win.
  • Had a Pro Bowl record nine receptions for 212 yards in the 1999 season's Pro Bowl played on February 6, 2000. NFC won in a shootout, 51-31, marking the highest scoring output in Pro Bowl History.
  • Caught three touchdowns in four different games:

at Dallas (Nov. 26, 1998), a 46-36 victory; vs. Chicago (Dec. 6, 1998), a 48-22 victory; at Detroit (Oct. 1, 2000), a 31-24 victory; vs. San Francisco (Sep. 28, 2003), a 35-7 victory.

NFL year by year statistics

Year Team G GS Rec Yards AVG TD Lg Pro Bowl All-CONF Pro All-NFL Pro
1998 Min 16 11 69 1313 19.0 17 61t yes yes yes
1999 Min 16 16 80 1413 17.7 11 67t yes yes yes
2000 Min 16 16 77 1437 18.7 15 78t yes yes yes
2001 Min 16 16 82 1233 15.0 10 73t no yes no
2002 Min 16 16 106 1347 12.7 7 60 yes yes no
2003 Min 16 16 111 1632 14.7 17 72 yes yes yes
2004 Min 13 13 49 767 15.7 13 82t no no no
2005 Oak 16 15 60 1005 16.8 8 79 no no no
Totals 125 119 634 10147 16.0 98 82t 5 6 5
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