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Purple Haze: Randy Moss' Most Badass Moments with the Minnesota Vikings
Guess you can go home again. Randy Moss began his career in Minnesota in 1998, and in seven seasons with the Vikings, the future Hall of Famer caught 574 passes for 9,142 yards and 90 TDs. Twelve years later, after having been discarded by the Patriots last week for a third-round draft pick, Moss is back wearing his familiar #84 in purple & gold. His second Viking debut will be tonight when Minnesota visits the New York Jets on Monday Night Football. We still think he has a lot left in the tank, but Moss will be hard-pressed to match the accomplishments of his first stint with the Vikes. From deep balls to lateral trick plays to infamous moonings, we've ranked Randy Moss' Most Badass Moments with the Minnesota Vikings...
10. Cover of NFL 2K
Date: September 9, 1999
Moment: Randy Moss appears on the cover of Sega's NFL 2K for the Dreamcast.
Complex says: The covers of sports video games are usually reserved for well-established stars, but Sega made a statement by choosing second-year pro Moss as the face of its new franchise. Moss appeared on the covers of 2K, 2K1, and 2K2, and quickly emerged as one of the most dominant video game athletes ever.
9. Good Ol' Boys
Date: 2000
Moment: Nike features high school buddies Randy Moss and Jason Williams in a commercial that uses the theme song from The Dukes of Hazzard.
Complex says: Moss has repped for a few different pro teams now, but he's always been a West Virginia boy at heart. Back when he and White Chocolate were the bad boys of their respective leagues, Nike put out this memorable ad.
8. DeAngelo Gets Burned
Date: August 20, 2004
Moment: Moss welcomes DeAngelo Hall to the league with this lesson in preseason, burning him on a 67-yard bomb.
Complex says: The rookie entered the league with a reputation as a lightning-fast corner, but there's "speed," and then there's "football speed." Moss has the latter in spades, which MeAngelo learned the hard way.
7. Tip Catch
Date: January 16, 2000
Moment: Moss catches this Jeff George pass off the hands of Rams CB Dre Bly. The Vikings would lose the divisional playoff game, 49-31, but Moss ends up with 9 catches, 188 yards, and two TDs.
Complex says: Moss was the fulcrum of high-powered Viking offenses in his first three seasons, each of which culminated in playoff appearances. Whether it was Brad Johnson. Randall Cunningham, Jeff George, or Daunte Culpepper, Moss made his QBs look damn good. Whatever happened to Jeff George, anyway?
6. Lateral Movement
Date: October 19, 2003
Moment: Moss throws an over-the-shoulder lateral to teammate Moe Williams for this first-quarter TD in a 28-20 win over the Broncos.
Complex says: Randy must've been channeling his homie J-Will with this flashy assist.
5. Buc Wild
Date: October 29, 2000
Moment: Moss catches a Culpepper pass with one hand for a TD in the second quarter of a 41-13 blowout of Tampa Bay.
Complex says: Along with providing evidence of Moss' awesomeness, this clip makes us miss John Madden.
4. Turkey Day Shootout
Date: November 26, 1998
Moment: In his rookie season, Moss catches a 56-yard TD pass from Randall Cunningham for one of three TDs in a Thanksgiving Day victory over the Cowboys.
Complex says: As a Viking, Moss made a habit out of sonning the Cowboys on Turkey Day. Two seasons later, he caught this gem in another Minny victory.
3. MNF Debut
Date: October 5, 1998
Moment: In his first Monday Night Football appearance, Moss catches five passes for 190 yards and two TDs, including this 52-yard toss from Randall Cunnigham.
Complex says: By his fifth game as a pro, Moss was already one of the league's most dangerous receivers. Who could've imagined back then that, 12 years later, Moss would be catching passes from the opposing team's QB?
2. Moss Moons Lambeau
Date: January 9, 2005
Moment: After a fourth-quarter TD to help seal the Vikings' wild-card win over Green Bay, Moss famously fake-moons the Lambeau Field faithful.
Complex says: One of Moss' last acts as a Viking was one of his most memorable–in fact, badass enough to merit inclusion in our countdown of sports celebrations. Also badass? This post-game interview.
1. First NFL Touchdown
Date: September 6, 1998
Moment: In the first game of his career, Moss catches his first touchdown pass, a 48-yard bomb from Brad Johnson.
Complex says: NFL rookies can only dream of a debut TD as pretty as this. It was the first of 151 TDs in Moss' career...and still counting. Your move, Favre.
