The spectators in Canton were in midseason form when the opportunity finally came. As soon as Randy Moss first brought up a Patriots-related topic,…
The spectators in Canton were in midseason form when the opportunity finally came.
As soon as Randy Moss first brought up a Patriots-related topic, a chorus of boos echoed throughout the building.
Moss is used to distractions, though, and he carried right through with his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech Saturday night. As the boos subsided, he thanked Patriots owner Robert Kraft, assistant head coach Dante Scarnecchia, and head coach Bill Belichick for positively shaping his life.
“All those individual awards don’t really mean anything to me,” Moss said. “Football is a team sport.”
He first showed his appreciation for Kraft, crediting him for “ignoring the noise” and welcoming him with open arms. Moss recalled shaking Kraft’s late wife Myra’s hand, and how she told him she was glad he was in New England.
“I wanted to thank you personally for finding out on your own if I was real or not,” Moss said about Robert Kraft.
He then praised Scarnecchia, whom he said helped him through a murky time in his career. When Moss was considering retirement, he received a letter from Scarnecchia telling him what Scarnecchia had learned from the wide receiver.
The letter also noted that Moss was an inspiration to Scarnecchia, which Moss said changed his mood entirely at the time. Moss was invigorated and uplifted, as that one personal, heartfelt message helped him immeasurably.
“I was down and out,” Moss said. “I wanted to leave the game, but Scar, you talked me back into the game with that letter.”
He then thanked other organizations, but he eventually circled back and lauded Belichick’s efforts. Moss thanked Belichick for being a friend when it wasn’t always about football.
The wide receiver said his coach reaffirmed his love for the game, while challenging him every day to be great. It worked, especially in 2007, when Moss set the single-season touchdown record with 23.
He eclipsed Jerry Rice’s mark by one score, and no one else has come close since. Though the Patriots weren’t able to win a Super Bowl during his three-plus years in New England, Moss still reflects fondly on his time with the team.
Moss noted that football isn’t who he is, but rather what he does. He thanked his family members for their unwavering support and made sure to say that they all earned this honor together.
“Faith, family, and football,” Moss said. “That’s what makes Randy Moss, in that order, nothing else inside the circle.”
