History of Randy Moss in Timeline

Randy Moss, a former NFL wide receiver, is considered one of the greatest players in NFL history. He played for 14 seasons with multiple teams, including the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. Moss holds the NFL single-season touchdown reception record and the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie, solidifying his place as an elite receiver known for his exceptional athletic abilities and impact on the game.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1970: Marshall Football Team Plane Crash

In 1997, Randy Moss made controversial comments in regards to the 1970 plane crash that killed most of the Marshall University football team. Moss later claimed that the quotes were taken out of context. Nate Ruffin, a surviving member of the 1970 football team, later met with Randy Moss.

February 13, 1977: Randy Moss's Birth

On February 13, 1977, Randy Gene Moss was born. He became a professional football wide receiver known for playing in the NFL for 14 seasons.

1984: Tying Jerry Rice's Record

In 1996, Randy Moss tied Jerry Rice's 1984 record for most touchdown passes caught in a season with 28.

1987: Jerry Rice's Previous Record

In 1987, Jerry Rice set a record of 22 touchdown receptions in 12 games, which was later broken by Randy Moss in 2007.

1992: State Championship

In 1992, Randy Moss led the DuPont Panthers to a state championship in football.

1992: West Virginia State Champion

In 1992, as a sophomore, Randy Moss was the West Virginia state champion in the 100 and 200 meters with times of 10.94 seconds and 21.95 seconds, respectively.

1993: Back-to-Back State Championship

In 1993, Randy Moss led the DuPont Panthers to back-to-back state championship in football.

1994: West Virginia Football Player of the Year

In 1994, Randy Moss was honored with the Harrison H. Kennedy Award as the West Virginia Football Player of the Year.

1994: West Virginia Player of the Year in Basketball (Co-Player)

In 1994, Randy Moss was named West Virginia Player of the Year in basketball as a co-player.

March 23, 1995: Involved in a racially charged fight

On March 23, 1995, Randy Moss backed a friend in a fight at his high school, leading to charges against him.

August 1, 1995: Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Battery

On August 1, 1995, Randy Moss pleaded guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 30 days behind bars.

1995: Jerry Rice's Record

In 1995, Jerry Rice achieved a notable record that Randy Moss later matched in 2003: playing more than 12 games while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest.

1995: Named to All-American High School Football Team

In 1995, Parade magazine named Randy Moss to their annual All-American high school football team.

1995: West Virginia Player of the Year in Basketball

In 1995, Randy Moss was named West Virginia Player of the Year in basketball.

1995: 30-day jail sentence

In 1995, Randy Moss was serving his 30-day jail sentence in a work-release program.

1995: Considered a Transfer Student to Florida State

In 1995, because of his signed letter of intent at Notre Dame, the NCAA considered Randy Moss a transfer student to Florida State, so he had to redshirt the season.

1996: Against Army

In 1996 Facing Army, Moss had five receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Moss's first touchdown went for 79 yards and the second touchdown marked a career-long of 90 yards.

1996: Sets NCAA Division I-AA Records and Wins Championship

In 1996, Randy Moss set multiple NCAA Division I-AA records, including 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), and most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season (1,709). His Marshall Thundering Herd won the Division I-AA title.

1996: Dismissed from Florida State

In 1996, while serving his jail sentence, Randy Moss tested positive for marijuana, violating his probation and resulting in his dismissal from Florida State.

1997: Earns Unanimous All-American Honors

In 1997, Randy Moss earned Unanimous All-American honors while playing college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

1997: Wins Fred Biletnikoff Award

In 1997, Randy Moss won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the season's outstanding receiver and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, finishing fourth. He also was a Consensus All-American and won MAC Offensive Player of the Year. He made controversial comments in regards to the 1970 plane crash.

1997: Ford Motor City Bowl

In the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl against Ole Miss, Randy Moss caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Pennington on Marshall's first offensive play. He finished the game with six receptions for 173 yards. Marshall ultimately lost the game 34-31.

1997: Leads Thundering Herd to MAC Title

In the 1997 season, Randy Moss and Chad Pennington led the Marshall Thundering Herd to the Mid-American Conference title. Moss caught 26 touchdown passes, setting a Division I-A record at the time, and was a first-team All-American.

1998: Named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

At the end of the 1998 regular season, Randy Moss was named to the Pro Bowl, earned first team All-Pro honors, and won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie-record and league-leading 17 touchdown receptions and the third-highest receiving yardage (1,313) total.

1998: Drafted by Minnesota Vikings

During the 1998 NFL draft, Randy Moss was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st overall pick after concerns about his legal problems. He expressed that teams passing on him would regret it. The Dallas Cowboys, a team Moss wanted to play for, passed on him due to his off-field issues.

1998: Catalyst of Highest Scoring Offense

During the 1998 season, Randy Moss was the catalyst for one of the highest scoring offenses of all time, scoring 556 points.

1998: Vikings number 1 rated offense

In 1998, Randy Moss helped the Vikings to become the number 1 rated offense ever at the time, setting the single-season record for scoring with 556 points.

1998: Sets NFL Single-Season Touchdown Reception Record for a Rookie

In 1998, Randy Moss set the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie with 17 touchdowns.

1998: Moss's Rookie Contract

In 1998, Randy Moss signed his rookie contract, which was entering its final year in 2001.

1998: NFC Championship Loss

In 1998, the Vikings, with a 15-1 record, were stunned by the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game, losing 30-27 in overtime despite Moss's efforts.

1998: NFL Jersey Number Restrictions

In 1998, when Randy Moss entered the NFL, wide receivers were not allowed to wear number 18, a restriction that was later lifted in 2004.

1999: Culpepper drafted in 1999

In 1999, Daunte Culpepper was drafted in the first round, a pick acquired from the Redskins, to utilize his strong arm for Moss's deep routes. Culpepper was selected largely due to his extremely strong arm, which the team believed was perfectly suited for Moss's deep routes.

2000: Career-High Season for Moss

In 2000, Randy Moss had a career-high 1,437 receiving yards and a league-leading 15 touchdown receptions, becoming the youngest and fastest player to reach over 3,000 yards and 45 touchdowns. He earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl trip and second All-Pro team selection in 2000.

2001: Contract Negotiations in 2001

In 2001, Randy Moss and his agent began negotiating a new long-term contract with the Minnesota Vikings, seeking to become the highest-paid player in the NFL. Moss was scheduled to earn $3.5 million in 2001.

2001: Troy Brown's Catches

In 2001, Troy Brown caught 101 catches which was surpassed by Moss in 2007.

2001: Randy Ratio

In 2001, the Vikings' record was 4–1 when Moss had 40% of the passes thrown his direction, and 1–10 in other games. Mike Tice implemented the Randy Ratio, a strategy to increase Moss's involvement in the offense by targeting him with 40% of the passes.

January 10, 2002: Mike Tice Named Head Coach

On January 10, 2002, Mike Tice was officially named head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He implemented the Randy Ratio, a strategy to increase Moss's involvement in the offense by targeting him with 40% of the passes.

2002: Randy Ratio Abandoned

In 2002, the Randy Ratio was scrapped midway through the season. Moss caught a career-high 106 passes but had a career-low seven touchdown receptions, and the Vikings had a 6–10 record. Moss was named to his fourth Pro Bowl that year.

2003: Strong Performance in 2003

During the 2003 regular season, Randy Moss became the second wide receiver in NFL history (behind Jerry Rice in 1995) to play more than 12 games while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest. Moss finished with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2003, earning his fifth Pro Bowl selection.

2004: Peyton Manning's Record

In 2004, Peyton Manning set the single-season record which was broken by Tom Brady in 2007.

2004: Career Lows in 2004

In 2004, Randy Moss had career lows in receptions (49) and receiving yards (767), failing to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.

2004: NFL Rule Change on Jersey Numbers

In 2004, a rule change allowed NFL receivers to wear numbers 10-19, in addition to the 80s numbers.

January 9, 2005: Mooning Controversy

On January 9, 2005, after scoring a touchdown in an NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers, Randy Moss feigned pulling down his pants to moon the fans and was later fined $10,000 for his actions.

March 2, 2005: Trade to the Oakland Raiders

On March 2, 2005, Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders. As part of the trade, Moss changed his jersey number to 18, which was previously not allowed for wide receivers.

2005: First Season with the Raiders

In 2005, Randy Moss finished his first season with the Oakland Raiders with 1,005 receiving yards and 60 catches, though the Raiders had a poor 4-12 record.

2005: Traded to the Oakland Raiders

In 2005, Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders, where he experienced a slump in play.

November 14, 2006: Moss Expresses Unhappiness

On November 14, 2006, Randy Moss expressed his unhappiness with his performance and the Raiders' losing record, indicating a desire to move to another team the following year.

2006: Moss's Performance in 2006

In the 2006 season, Randy Moss recorded 553 yards and three touchdowns on 42 receptions.

November 4, 2007: Moss's Incredible Grabs

On November 4, 2007, it was noted that Randy Moss was making incredible one-handed grabs and out-leaping defenders for touchdowns.

2007: Vikings scoring record Surpassed

In 1998, Randy Moss helped the Vikings to become the number 1 rated offense ever at the time, setting the single-season record for scoring with 556 points. This was later surpassed by the 2007 New England Patriots, a team that also featured Moss.

2007: Record-Breaking Season

In 2007, Randy Moss set a single-season record of 23 touchdown receptions and played a crucial role in the Patriots' perfect 16-0 regular season. He recorded 98 catches for 1,493 yards, earning his sixth Pro Bowl selection and fourth first team All-Pro nomination. His season featured touchdowns in 13 of 16 games. On the same play, Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single-season record set in 2004 with his 50th touchdown pass.

2007: Sets NFL Single-Season Touchdown Reception Record

In 2007, Randy Moss set the NFL single-season touchdown reception record with 23 touchdowns.

2007: Moss Traded to Patriots

In 2007, Randy Moss was traded to the New England Patriots during the NFL Draft. The Patriots acquired the draft pick from the San Francisco 49ers, and the Raiders selected John Bowie.

2007: Traded to the New England Patriots and Sets Record

In 2007, Randy Moss was traded to the New England Patriots, where he experienced a career resurgence and set the single-season record for total touchdown receptions. He helped lead the Patriots to a 16–0 regular season record.

2007: Contract Restructure for Moss

In 2007, as a condition of the trade to the Patriots, Randy Moss restructured his contract, taking a pay cut. Tom Brady converted $5.28 million of his base salary into a signing bonus to free up cap room.

2007: Rumors of Moss Leaving Raiders

Leading up to the 2007 NFL draft, there were rumors that the Raiders were eager to trade Randy Moss, with the Patriots and Packers showing the most interest.

January 15, 2008: Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Dating Violence

On January 15, 2008, radio station WDBO reported that Randy Moss was hit with a temporary injunction for protection against dating violence. The affidavit stated that Moss committed battery upon Rachelle Washington, causing serious injury, and then refused to allow her to seek medical attention. The affidavit also revealed that Moss cannot come within 500 feet of the victim and cannot use or possess firearms.

February 28, 2008: Moss Becomes a Free Agent

On February 28, 2008, Randy Moss became a free agent after the Patriots decided not to place the franchise tag on him.

March 3, 2008: Moss Signs with Patriots

On March 3, 2008, Randy Moss decided to return to the Patriots, signing a three-year, $27 million deal that included a $12 million signing bonus.

April 29, 2008: Formation of Randy Moss Motorsports

On April 29, 2008, Randy Moss announced the formation of Randy Moss Motorsports, an auto racing team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

July 2008: Moss Buys Share in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports

In July 2008, Randy Moss announced that he had bought a 50 percent share in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with the team's No. 46 entry switching to No. 81.

2008: Original Contract

In 2007, Randy Moss had two years remaining on his contract and was scheduled to earn $11.25 million in 2008

March 2009: Moss's Foundation Donates to Women and Children's Hospital

In March 2009, Randy Moss's foundation made a donation that enabled the Women and Children's Hospital of Charleston, West Virginia to purchase a Starlight Children's Foundation 'Fun Center' for their patients. The 'Fun Center' is a portable bedside entertainment system equipped with a TV, DVD player, and 22 Nintendo Wii games.

2009: Named One of the 50 Greatest High School Football Players

In 2009, Randy Moss was named one of the 50 greatest high school football players of all time by Parade magazine.

October 2010: Returns to the Vikings, then Claimed by Titans

In October 2010, Randy Moss returned to the Vikings in a trade from the Patriots but was waived less than a month later and then claimed by the Tennessee Titans.

November 3, 2010: Moss Claimed Off Waivers by Tennessee Titans

On November 3, 2010, Randy Moss was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, the only team to submit a claim.

August 1, 2011: Moss Announces Retirement

On August 1, 2011, Randy Moss's agent announced Moss's decision to retire from professional football.

2011: Sits Out the Season

Randy Moss sat out the 2011 NFL season.

February 13, 2012: Moss Announces Return to NFL

On February 13, 2012, his 35th birthday, Randy Moss announced that he was coming out of retirement and was ready to play again.

March 12, 2012: Moss Signs with 49ers

On March 12, 2012, Randy Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

September 9, 2012: Moss Passes Terrell Owens on All-Time Receiving Touchdown List

On September 9, 2012, Randy Moss caught his 154th touchdown reception, and subsequently passed Terrell Owens for sole possession of second on the all-time receiving touchdown list.

2012: Signs with 49ers and Retires

In 2012, Randy Moss signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring following the season.

June 2014: Moss Hired as High School Coach

In June 2014, Randy Moss was hired as an associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Victory Christian Center High School in Charlotte, North Carolina.

July 2016: Moss Joins ESPN as Analyst

In July 2016, Randy Moss joined ESPN as an analyst, appearing on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown.

2018: Moss Inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame

In 2018, Randy Moss was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2019: Moss Named to NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

In 2019, Randy Moss was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

2022: Leaves Monday Night Countdown

In 2022, Randy Moss left Monday Night Countdown on ESPN.

December 2024: Moss Announces Leave of Absence and Cancer Diagnosis

In December 2024, Randy Moss announced that he would be taking an indefinite leave of absence from ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown to address an "internal" health issue. Later in December, Moss revealed he had undergone a Whipple procedure to address bile duct cancer and that he was now "a cancer survivor".