Football player. Starred in four sports at DuPont High School, 1993-95; enrolled at Marshall University, 1996; chosen in the first round of the NFL draft with the 21st overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings, 1996.

Randy Moss, the star receiver for the Minnesota Vikings football team, is a volatile combination of tremendous athletic talent and troubled personal history. While he racked up impressive statistics for touchdown receptions on the field, he made headlines with his scandalous off-field behavior. The Heisman-trophy contender nearly squashed his own promising career in the NFL because coaches were worried that his exploits would supercede his talent, but in his first season with the Minnesota Vikings he proved his critics wrong. While staying out of trouble, Moss went from being a third-string receiver to the Vikings' star player, proving that he is capable of fulfilling NFL expectations.

Randy Moss was born in Rand, West Virginia, to Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt on February 13, 1977. He grew up in the small mining town with his mother and sister Latisia and a half-brother Eric. As a high school student Moss was perhaps the finest athlete ever to come out of West Virginia, excelling in football, winning the state's Mr. Basketball title twice, and winning state championships in the 100 and 200 meters in track. After winning state track titles as a sophomore he switched to baseball and played to a similarly high level.

Lost College Scholarships

Moss was recruited to play football all over the country but settled on Notre Dame. After signing a letter of intent to play football for the Fighting Irish, Moss participated in a racially-motivated fight at school which resulted in his expulsion and a 30-day jail sentence. Notre Dame revoked his scholarship, claiming his application was incorrectly filled out, but Lou Holtz, the Fighting Irish coach at the time, recommended Moss to Bobby Bowden at Florida State University. Moss attended Florida State for his freshman year, but was redshirted, meaning he did not play with the football team in an official capacity. For the first year, he appeared to be committed to staying out of trouble and keeping up with his studies. After the spring semester Moss reported to a Charleston, West Virginia jail to serve his 30 days in a work release program. Two weeks into the sentence in April of 1996, Moss tested positive for marijuana. He told Curry Kirkpatrick of Sport: "What was I thinking? Nothing, obviously. I did it, put the weeds to my lips. I devastated myself." Moss went from the work release program to a week in solitary confinement and spent 90 days in jail before he was released on July 26. To the surprise of no one, Florida State revoked his scholarship.

Finally Back on the Field

Two weeks after being released from prison Moss enrolled at Division I-AA Marshall University in the fall of 1996. At Marshall Moss was a star on the football field. In his first game he scored a touchdown, had three catches, gained 142 yards on five kickoff returns, and blocked well. He was on his way to leading his team to a national championship when he again made headlines for his off-the-field exploits. On November 17, 1996, four months after finishing his time in jail, Moss dropped off his daughter Sydney at her mother's house, a woman with whom Moss had just broken up. The wide receiver pulled up in his new girlfriend's car and a fight ensued. Moss told S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated: "She just ticked me off, and it got out of hand. The only thing I regret was I put my hands on her. I don't put my hands on a woman. But I had to apply some pressure to get her off me." Each of the two was arrested for the altercation, but charges were later dropped when they agreed to go into counseling.

On the field Moss and the Thundering Herd were unstoppable. Moss caught 28 touchdowns, the most by any freshman in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) history. He caught touchdown passes in all 11 regular season games and also led Division I-AA with an average of 34 yards per kickoff return. Marshall won the I-AA championship game by decimating unbeaten Montana 49-29. After the championship season Marshall coach Bob Pruett told Kirkpatrick of Sport: "You'd have to be Willie off the pickle boat not to recognize that when Randy steps on the field, it's like the Kentucky Derby."

The following year Moss turned in another stellar season, amassing perhaps the gaudiest statistics in a two-year period ever by a wide receiver in college football. Moss caught 174 balls for 3,529 yards and 54 touchdowns. After his sophomore season Moss finished fourth in the vote for the Heisman Trophy, was named a first-team All-American, and was given the Biletnikoff Award for being the best receiver in college football. After two unbelievable years at Marshall Moss decided to leave college and enter the 1998 NFL draft. Then Chicago Bears coach Dave Wannstedt told Peter King of Sports Illustrated: "Our scouts say he's the best receiver to come out of college in the last thirty years."

Still there were concerns about his character. Moss did not help himself when he skipped the NFL's scouting combine where potential draft picks are evaluated. Moss's agent said he had to cancel the day of the combine because an abscessed wisdom tooth forced him to undergo dental surgery. Combined with his past indiscretions, the last-minute cancellation caused many coaches in the NFL to wonder if he was having any other problems. New Orleans Saints coach Mike Ditka commented to Dan Pompei of The Sporting News on Moss's absence: "You create suspicions and doubts as to why [he was not there]. I think he should have come--but that's his business. He's a big boy." Despite his awesome potential as a professional, Moss's stock dropped dramatically. Some draft experts expected him to fall out of the first round of the draft--and he almost did.