Randy Moss

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Moss was born in Rand, West Virginia. He attended DuPont High School, one of two schools that later consolidated into Riverside High School, where he excelled in football, basketball, baseball, and track. Randy was also on the school's debate team. On the football field, Moss led the DuPont Panthers to back-to-back state championships in 1992 and 1993. He was a star at wide receiver, but also played free safety, returned kickoffs and punts, and was the team's kicker and punter. In 1994, he was honored with the Harrison H. Kennedy Award as the West Virginia Football Player of the Year. Parade magazine named him to their annual All-American high school football team in 1995 and in 2009 named him one of the 50 greatest high school football players of all time. At DuPont, he was a teammate of future Chicago Bears linebacker Bobbie Howard. In addition to playing football at DuPont, Moss was twice named West Virginia Player of the Year in basketball (in 1994 when he was co-player of the year and in 1995), where he was a teammate of future NBA player Jason Williams. In his senior season of basketball, Moss averaged 30.2 points, 13.7 rebounds, 5.1 steals, 3.8 blocks, and 3.1 assists while shooting 60% from field; he scored a school-record 1,713 career points. As a sophomore in 1992, at the age of 15, Moss joined the track & field team and was the West Virginia state champion in the 100 and 200 meters with times of 10.94 seconds and 21.95 seconds, respectively. This was the only year he competed on the school's track team, but he would later join the Marshall track team and lower his 200 m time to 21.15 seconds. He also played center field for the baseball team. Moss's dream was to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but he also considered going to Ohio State, where his half-brother, Eric, had played offensive tackle. Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz said "Randy Moss was the best high school football player I've ever seen." Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden said "He was as good as Deion Sanders. Deion's my measuring stick for athletic ability, and this kid was just a bigger Deion." After originally signing a letter of intent to play college football with Notre Dame in 1995, Moss took part in a racially charged fight at his high school that left one person hospitalized. On March 23, 1995, Moss had backed a friend in a hallway fight against a white studen

In Their Own Story

In 1996, while serving a 30-day jail sentence in a work-release program, Moss tested positive for marijuana, violating his probation. He was dismissed from Florida State and served an additional 60 days in jail. Ultimately, he transferred to Marshall University. In 1996, he set the NCAA Division I-AA records for the most games with a touchdown catch in a season (14), most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (13), most touchdown passes caught in a season (28 – tying Jerry Rice's 1984 record), and most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season (1,709 on 78 catches). The 1996 Marshall Thundering Herd went undefeated and won the Division I-AA title, with Moss having four touchdown receptions in the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game against Montana. In the 1997 season, Marshall's first in Division I-A, Moss caught 26 touchdown passes, at the time a Division I-A record. In the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl against Ole Miss, Moss added his 26th touchdown of the season on Marshall's first offensive play from scrimmage, catching an 80-yard touchdown pass.

Reader's Guide

Randy Moss is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history. He holds the single-season touchdown reception record (23 in 2007) and the rookie single-season touchdown reception record (17 in 1998). He ranks second all-time in career touchdown receptions and fourth in career receiving yards. Known for his speed (4.25 40-yard dash at 6 ft 4 in) and leaping ability (43-inch vertical), the term "mossed" was coined for his spectacular contested catches. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and San Francisco 49ers. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

Did You Know?

• Moss set the NFL single-season touchdown reception record with 23 in 2007.
• He set the rookie single-season touchdown reception record with 17 in 1998.
• Moss led the league in touchdown receptions five times, third most all-time.
• He was a six-time Pro Bowl and four-time first-team All-Pro selection.
• Moss was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.