The Freak

[comet52]

This is an unlocked article from the Athletic on Randy and how he blew people's minds at his pro day and was later drafted by the Vikings.   I really enjoyed reading it.

link

[savannahskol]

Cool read.
I learned something here….

Jeff Diamond, former GM, Minnesota Vikings: A lot of scouts are very careful how they recommend guys. Conrad Cardano knew the Marshall coaches very well. He coached with them at one point. He had good inside information there. He really stood up for Randy.


I nominate Conrad Cardano for the Ring of Honor, lol. Before this article, never heard of him.

At least he got to blow the gallarhorn.
https://www.vikings.com/video/long-time-...ikings-col

[MaroonBells]

"We already had a couple of good receivers in Darnay Scott and Carl Pickens. The need just wasn’t there."

LOL. To this day I've never seen anything like watching Randy's Marshall clips. He glided like he was digital. It was cartoonish. It can't even be described with words. It was like watching Michael Jordan play basketball against middle schoolers. The guy was 6-4, 210, ran back-to-back 4.25s in freezing weather against a gale force win, then popped off a 47 inch vert. Are you ****ing kidding me?  The NFL has seen nothing like it before and nothing like it since.

[IceRatz16]

Great article!


Moss was very much like John Daly.  I watched Daly get out of his car, cigarette in one hand, drink in the other and sets both on the tee box lawn; pulls his driver out of the bag, places the ball on the tee and, without a practice swing, rips a 385 yard bomb down the middle, almost hitting the first hole from the tips.  He also was like Gretzky in that he anticipated the play and knew where to be whether it was positioning, catching, passing, they both had a knack for making plays. Randy had the best body awareness I have ever seen in an NFL wideout. Cris Carter was good, but nothing compared to Randy, especially stopping on a dime with that electrofying speed with outstretched arms and coming down with the ball in the back of the end zone with both feet planted firmly in bounds.  Unreal.


Moss was so fun to watch and beyond one of the most talented to ever play.  Imagine if he pushed himself to be even better?


And this right here sums up my love for the guy:

Garrett: There’re a lot of talented players, but they don’t have the right makeup. (People) get seduced by talent. So after we did the measurements and were setting up the 40, I hung back. I know the coaches are gonna tell me all good things, but I wanted to talk to the people who serve around there. I talked to the equipment guy or the maintenance guy. I asked, “How’s Randy?” He goes, “He’s awesome. He helps me pick up all the tape and stuff that everybody just throws on the ground and puts it in the trash.” That proved to me, with all the distractions, that he has a good heart.

[PurplePorsche]

Garrett: There’re a lot of talented players, but they don’t have the right makeup. (People) get seduced by talent. So after we did the measurements and were setting up the 40, I hung back. I know the coaches are gonna tell me all good things, but I wanted to talk to the people who serve around there. I talked to the equipment guy or the maintenance guy. I asked, “How’s Randy?” He goes, “He’s awesome. He helps me pick up all the tape and stuff that everybody just throws on the ground and puts it in the trash.” That proved to me, with all the distractions, that he has a good heart.

Interesting quote about a guy who would later be moved from the team for treating the family catering business serving the Vikings like sh*t. Luv me some Randy, but I’m always sad about the time he lost during his petulant period.

[purplefaithful]

Hes on my own Viking Mt Rushmore...

Legend

I just wish he had a Ring, but he won an ever bigger prize; Cancer Survivor

[mblack]

Melvin Cunningham, former Marshall defensive back: One game where we weren’t playing well, he took the headset and said, “Just throw me the ball!” Two touchdowns later, the game was over.

Jason Starkey, former Marshall offensive lineman: Getting “Mossed” … I saw that at Marshall every day. One time I saw him catch the ball over our corner’s head. It was in the end zone near the pylon, so staying in bounds was part of it also. He grabbed this ball over the DB with one hand so quickly and hid it behind his back and just stood there looking at our DB, who was looking around like, “Where’s the ball?” Randy just flipped it to him.

Bennett: I heard a story from our track coach. Randy’s lying down on the infield with his headphones on. First call for the 55-meter dash. He didn’t budge. Second call. Didn’t budge. Last call. He takes his headphones off. Walks over. Shakes his legs two times. Gets in the blocks and qualifies for the nationals.

[greediron]

Great article!


Moss was very much like John Daly.  I watched Daly get out of his car, cigarette in one hand, drink in the other and sets both on the tee box lawn; pulls his driver out of the bag, places the ball on the tee and, without a practice swing, rips a 385 yard bomb down the middle, almost hitting the first hole from the tips.  He also was like Gretzky in that he anticipated the play and knew where to be whether it was positioning, catching, passing, they both had a knack for making plays. Randy had the best body awareness I have ever seen in an NFL wideout. Cris Carter was good, but nothing compared to Randy, especially stopping on a dime with that electrofying speed with outstretched arms and coming down with the ball in the back of the end zone with both feet planted firmly in bounds.  Unreal.


Moss was so fun to watch and beyond one of the most talented to ever play.  Imagine if he pushed himself to be even better?


And this right here sums up my love for the guy:

Garrett: There’re a lot of talented players, but they don’t have the right makeup. (People) get seduced by talent. So after we did the measurements and were setting up the 40, I hung back. I know the coaches are gonna tell me all good things, but I wanted to talk to the people who serve around there. I talked to the equipment guy or the maintenance guy. I asked, “How’s Randy?” He goes, “He’s awesome. He helps me pick up all the tape and stuff that everybody just throws on the ground and puts it in the trash.” That proved to me, with all the distractions, that he has a good heart.

My son had some of that vision and anticipation in high school. His body type didn't hold up, he couldn't put on weight, he was just talk and lanky and sadly concussions ended his career before his senior season, but he could sense or see the play develop like I have never seen at that level.  

I remember one play at DE he closed the edge on one side and the RB reversed and went around the other end.  He picked his way thru all the trash (his own teammates mostly) and tackled the guy on the other sideline.  Really wanted to see him play more, but his health was more important.

Being a Viking fan, we have seen some serious freaks.  AD was the best pure RB ever.  As described here, Randy was the smoothest WR ever.