Randy Moss

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Moss's journey began at DuPont High School in Rand, West Virginia, where he led the Panthers to back-to-back state championships in 1992 and 1993. After a racially charged fight in 1995 resulted in a guilty plea for misdemeanor battery and a jail sentence, Notre Dame denied his enrollment. He transferred to Florida State but was dismissed after testing positive for marijuana during his probation. Finally settling at Marshall University, he became a Division I-AA phenomenon in 1996, setting records for most games with a touchdown catch (14) and most receiving yards by a freshman (1,709). In 1997, leading the Thundering Herd to the MAC title, he caught 26 touchdowns. Drafted first round by Minnesota in 1998, he immediately set the rookie TD record and earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

In Their Own Story

In his first seven seasons with Minnesota, Moss caught 90 touchdown receptions, surpassing 1,200 yards annually for six consecutive years. A trade to Oakland in 2005 saw a slump attributed to surrounding talent and perceived decline. However, a 2007 trade to the New England Patriots sparked a career resurgence. That year, he set the single-season record with 23 touchdowns, helping lead the Patriots to a historic 16–0 regular season and a Super Bowl XLII appearance against the New York Giants. Moss was the catalyst for two of the highest-scoring offenses ever: 556 points in 1998 and 589 points in 2007. After returning briefly to Minnesota in October 2010 before moving to Tennessee, he sat out 2011. He signed with the San Francisco 49ers for 2012, appearing in Super Bowl XLVII, before retiring. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, he now serves as an ESPN analyst.

Reader's Guide

Moss ranks second all-time in career touchdown receptions and fourth in career receiving yards. He led the league five times in touchdowns, the third most ever, while earning six Pro Bowl selections and four first-team All-Pro honors. His stats include extraordinary physical metrics: a 4.25-second 40-yard dash and a 43-inch vertical leap. At Marshall, he set school records in the 55 meters (6.31) and 200 meters (21.15). In high school basketball, he averaged 30.2 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game. As a track athlete at DuPont in 1992, he won state titles in the 100m (10.94) and 200m (21.95). His ability to overpower defenders in tight coverage remains his defining trait, making him a perennial threat on deep routes like go, post, and corner patterns.

Did You Know?

• Moss set the NCAA Division I-AA record for most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (13) and most receiving yards by a freshman (1,709) in 1996.
• He was initially denied enrollment at Notre Dame after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery charges following a hallway fight.
• In his senior basketball season, Moss averaged 30.2 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.1 steals while shooting 60% from the field.
• Moss was named to Parade magazine's All-American high school football team in 1995 and one of the 50 greatest high school players in 2009.
• He led the 1998 Minnesota Vikings (556 points) and 2007 New England Patriots (589 points) to two of the highest-scoring offenses in NFL history at those times.