| This article is one of a series of articles written | | | | still stands today. He helped Marshall take the |
| about some of the current players of the New | | | | national championship for Division I-AA schools. |
| England Patriots. In this article we will look at the | | | | Randy also played football at Marshall during his |
| life and football career of Randy Moss, the | | | | sophomore year. This was the first year for the |
| Patriot's star wide receiver. While some of his | | | | University as a Division I-A school. During the |
| off-field transgressions are well known, his stature | | | | two seasons that Randy played at Marshall, he |
| of being one of the best wide receivers ever in | | | | broke many NCAA records. Overall at Marshall, he |
| the NFL is undisputed. Lets examine the biography | | | | scored at least one touchdown in all 28 games |
| of Randy Moss. | | | | that he played. He won the Fred Biletnikoff |
| Randy Moss was born in Rand, West Virginia, on | | | | Award as the nation's leading wide receiver, and |
| February 13, 1977 to Maxine Moss and Randy | | | | was a finalist for the 1997 Heisman. He finished |
| Pratt. Rand was a small mining town, not the type | | | | 4th in the balloting for that year, behind Ryan |
| of town you would expect to produce one of the | | | | Leaf, Peyton Manning, and Charles Woodson. Not |
| big stars of the NFL. Rand was so small that they | | | | bad considering Randy was only a sophomore. |
| did not have their own high school. Therefore, | | | | Charles Woodson, the University of Michigan star, |
| Randy attended high school at the now defunct | | | | who won the Heisman that year, stated that |
| DuPont High in nearby Belle, West Virginia. | | | | "Randy had superior talent, and he was surprised |
| During his high school years, Randy excelled in | | | | that Randy did not get the Heisman". |
| sports. His favorite sports were football and | | | | Randy Moss was so good during his sophomore |
| basketball. He helped bring his team state titles in | | | | year at Marshall, that many of the NFL scouts |
| both football and basketball during his junior and | | | | started to take notice. It appeared as if Moss |
| senior years. Because of his excellent | | | | would be drafted in the 1998 NFL Draft, and this |
| performance in football during his high school | | | | is exactly what happened. This meant that he |
| years, college football powerhouses became very | | | | would no longer attend Marshall University. The |
| interested in him. Top colleges who displayed an | | | | remarkable two seasons that he had at Marshall |
| interest in Randy were Ohio State, Notre Dame, | | | | were good enough to get him drafted. |
| and Florida State University. Lou Holtz of Notre | | | | Moss was taken by Minnesota in the 21st round |
| Dame said that "Randy Moss was the best high | | | | of the 1998 NFL Draft. He was expected to be |
| school football player he had ever seen". In | | | | drafted in the top 5 rounds, but during the draft |
| 1995, Randy signed a letter of intent to go to | | | | teams were hesitant. I am sure his off-field issues |
| Notre Dame on a full football scholarship. | | | | played a role here. Also, Moss missing the NFL |
| Racial tensions were high at the high school that | | | | combine in Indianapolis, prior to the draft that |
| Randy Moss attended. These tensions resulted in | | | | year, was a concern to some NFL teams. The |
| many fights at DuPont High School. After signing | | | | combine provides a showing of top potential NFL |
| to go to Notre Dame, Randy got involved in one | | | | draftees to NFL scouts. He missed the combine, |
| of those racially motivated fights. This resulted in | | | | due to an abscessed tooth. But some believe that |
| Notre Dame rescinding his scholarship. Lou Holtz | | | | he was trying to avoid the drug testing. In any |
| suggested to Bobby Bowden, the head coach of | | | | case, Minnesota at that time was a perfect fit for |
| FSU, to give Randy a chance. So Randy intended | | | | Randy. |
| to go FSU on a full football scholarship. However, | | | | At the end of the 1998 regular season at |
| because of his signed letter of intent at Notre | | | | Minnesota, Moss was named a Pro Bowl starter |
| Dame, the NCAA considered him a transfer | | | | and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his |
| student. This made him ineligible to play for the | | | | rookie-record 17 touchdown receptions. From |
| Seminoles in the 1995 football season. So in 1995, | | | | 1998 to 2004, Moss had a stellar career at |
| Randy was red-shirted. | | | | Minnesota. He then spent a couple of years with |
| In 1996, due to some off-field transgressions, | | | | the Oakland Raiders, before ending up at the New |
| Randy was dismissed from Florida State. He | | | | England Patriots. |
| ended up never playing for FSU. He then needed | | | | In 2007, the New England Patriots picked up Moss |
| to make a decision on where to play his college | | | | on a trade with Oakland. Moss did very well during |
| football. He considered Marshall University, which | | | | the 2007 season for the Patriots. He had the |
| was only a couple hours away from his home | | | | highest total yardage for the Patriots with 98 |
| town. Randy knew that Marshall was going from a | | | | catches for 1,493 yards. That season he earned |
| Division 1-AA to a Division 1-A, which would mean | | | | his sixth Pro Bowl selection, made touchdowns in |
| tougher competition, and greater exposure to NFL | | | | 13 of 16 games, had nine 100 yard games, and |
| scouts. This I am sure influenced his decision to | | | | helped bring the New England Patriots an |
| attend Marshall. | | | | undefeated season, with the only loss being in |
| During the 1996 season, Randy broke many | | | | Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants. |
| records as a freshmen at Marshall. This included | | | | In 2008, Moss made 69 catches for 1,008 yards |
| most games with a touchdown catch in a season | | | | and 11 touchdowns. Quite an accomplishment |
| (14), most consecutive games with a touchdown | | | | considering quarterback Tom Brady was lost to a |
| catch (13), and most touchdown passes caught in | | | | season ending knee injury in the first game of the |
| a season (28). He also broke the record for the | | | | year. In 2009, Moss is having another stellar |
| number of receiving yards gained by a freshman | | | | season for the Patriots. |
| in a season (1709 on 78 catches), a record which | | | | |