Randy Moss was already considered an all-time great wide receiver before he arrived with the New England Patriots in 2007. But once he got there, he hit the ground running and set records. Most notably, he still holds the record for most touchdown receptions in a season with 23.
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After being a Pro Bowler in five of his first seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and one of the league’s premier receivers, Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2005. There, he became disgruntled with his production and role in the offense. On top of that, he suffered from injuries that held him back.
That’s why one night, while sharing a hotel with the Patriots, Moss decided to sneak into Tom Brady’s room and let him know that he wanted out of Oakland.
“There were probably four or five hours before they go to the stadium on Monday night. I sneak in their hotel, meet [Tom] Brady for the first time. I said, ‘Look, dude, I’mma cut straight to it- I want to play with you. Whatever you can do to get me up here, do it,’” Moss shared on New Heights.
Security flooded each floor that the Raiders and Patriots were staying on. So, Moss had to make sure he was careful. But he successfully evaded enforcement and found a way to have a face-to-face conversation with Brady.
After their interaction, Brady and the Pats went to their Monday night game to face the Vikings. The QB had a day to remember statistically, and Moss thought that it was he who lit a fire under TB12.
“That night, I watched the game, Brady’s first time ever in his career, he throws five touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings. So, I’m sitting up here thinking I might’ve rubbed off on Brady a little bit,” Moss said.
Eventually, the All-Pro wideout was traded to the Patriots for just a fourth-round pick. He would go on to have his record-breaking 23 TD reception season in his first year with the team. New England also went 16-0 and almost became the second undefeated Super Bowl-winning team in NFL history.
But upon arriving with the Pats, Moss set the bar so high for himself that he got injured and missed all of the preseason.
“I had high expectations and ended up getting a hamstring injury that forced me out of preseason. And so, my first actual game in going out there and really doing it was Week 1 against the Jets,” Moss shared.
At the end of the day, though, it didn’t end up mattering. Moss went off in his first game, catching 9 passes for 183 yards, including a 51-yard TD reception. The Patriots would go on to win 38-14, kicking off one of the most dominant offensive seasons we’ve ever seen.
It was pretty neat to hear the behind-the-scenes on how Moss got to the Patriots. Once he got there, they continued to treat him well, restructuring his contract to give him the most annual money he ever made in his career. He also led the league in TD receptions again two years later in 2009. So, both parties got a lot out of the relationship.
