Randy Moss may not be remotely close to the best wide receiver in NFL history, but he’s a future Hall-of-Famer, was unbelievable in his prime and certainly will never be forgotten.
In 14 seasons, Moss has racked up a total of 982 receptions for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns with five different teams. He spent the least amount of time with the Tennessee Titans.
And albeit Moss was often off-the-charts with the Minnesota Vikings (1998-2004; 2010) and New England Patriots (2007-10), his short stint in Tennessee didn’t go so well.
After Moss was tossed by the Vikings, the Titans claimed his contract on waivers during the 2010 regular season.
Despite his disappointing showing in Minnesota in 2010, fans were hungry to purchase his No. 84 jersey and see him play in Tennessee.
Reporters camped out to see his private jet land at the airport after the club claimed him off waivers and Mike Reinfeldt, the general manager at the time, referred to Moss as a “difference maker” for a 5-3 Titans team that seemed poised to make a push for the playoffs.
Moss may have made quite an impression on his teammates, but his on-field production was non-existent, as he caught just six passes for 80 yards in eight games with the Titans, who finished 1-7 down the stretch.
So what went wrong in the Music City? Well, according to the four-time first-team All-Pro receiver and six-time Pro Bowler, he was “blackballed.”
Photo Credit: 49ers.com
“Why they claimed me, I really don’t know,” Moss said of the Titans, via the Tennessean. “There were some things where I could really tell I really wasn’t liked, and that was coming from the coaching staff. To be able to still make plays … there were some things going on in-house that I probably won’t speak upon until I write my book.”
In 16 games (two starts), Moss has caught 28 passes for 434 yards and three touchdowns in 2012. The former first-round pick (21st overall in ’98 by the Vikes) has added five catches for 71 yards in two playoff games as the San Francisco 49ers have advanced to Super Bowl XLVII for the “HarBowl” against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday evening.
His best three seasons on the stats sheet happened in 2000 with the Vikings when he hauled in 77 catches for 1,437 yards and 15 TDs, 2003 when he hauled in 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 scores (also with Minnesota) and in 2007 when he made 98 catches for 1,491 yards and 23 TDs with Tom Brady and company.
However, after a year away from football, the 6-4, 210-pound, 35-year-old wide out out of Marshall is very happy for the opportunity to win his first Super Bowl ring and add to his impressive, yet complex legacy.
“That really wasn’t me,” Moss said of his days with the Titans. “I’ve said time and time again I love to play football. And not being able to go out there and compete and help a team win, it will frustrate you. It will depress you in a way.
“That’s not the way I wanted to go out. I just wanted to come back and make plays and show I still have something left.”
Michael Gartman is a College Football and NFL Senior Writer, the AFC South and NFC West Lead Writer and the Founder, CEO of GridironGrit.com. He’s also about to start reporting on topics across all sides of the political spectrum and analyze important issues in the liberty movement for a political website. Follow him @_MichaelGartman on Twitter.
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