Working Out With Randy Moss
June 19th, 2015
Helped out Mike Evans.
People squealed like gutted hogs to not draft a gifted player like “America’s Quarterback,” Bucs signal-caller Jameis Winston. Joe remembers the same intensity of wailing and moaning when Randy Moss came out of Marshall.
Joe vividly recalls then-Bucs coach Father Dungy bragging that Moss was off his draft board.
Father Dungy bellowed despite the Bucs terribly needing a big-play wide receiver (the Bucs did not have a first-round pick that year but did select Jacquez Green in the second round). The Vikings and Fat Albert selected Moss with the 21st overall pick.
At the time, Dungy’s reasoning seemed sound. Moss had been run out of two colleges, Notre Dame and Florida State, and was no stranger to the law back in his West Virginia hometown.
As it turned out, Moss was anything but a menace in the NFL, and proved to be one of the greatest wide receivers that ever stepped on a football field. The true definition of a game changer.
Maybe because of his not-so-deserved bad boy rep, maybe because it was the age of Madden, maybe it was the explosion of fantasy football, but kids grew up idolizing Moss.
Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans was no different.
Moss, who now works for FOX Sports, learned Evans admitted to doing a touchdown preen honoring Moss last year. That prompted the former Vikings great to reach out to Evans and the two bonded. They even hooked up for some one-on-one football work, Joe Kania of Buccaneers.com writes.
“It was just me and him,” Evans said. “I was up for there in North Carolina for about a week at the end of March. There’s a lot of knowledge there, man.
“He’s still just as explosive as he always was. We were doing drills and I couldn’t catch him running around the cones. We were just talking about the league. He was just telling me stories that any fan would want to know about one of their favorite players. It was pretty much just his knowledge of the game and some stories of what he’s been through.”
Forgive Joe if he is fired up this early on a Friday morning, and it isn’t the thought of downing frosty beers this afternoon. Just think of Evans now playing for a real offensive coordinator, working with a gifted quarterback, and getting personally coached up by an all-time great.
This could be really something. Imagine the possibilities: Moss’s knowledge with a young Evans? Wow.
June 19th, 2015 at 7:39 am
Savage Mike! He’s going to be a steady force for years to come. #nomichaelclayton
June 19th, 2015 at 7:53 am
i thought moss was strictly a downfield threat hmmm interesting
June 19th, 2015 at 8:21 am
Not many better to have received some pointers from. Good job Mike getting off yo arse and taking the great Randy Moss up on his invitation.
June 19th, 2015 at 8:29 am
Bad boys bad boys, what cha gonna do, what cha gonna do when you are outstanding and they don’t come for you. Moss is and was a special talent. He was ornery and backed it up. Evans can equal that impact.
June 19th, 2015 at 9:07 am
Moss played when he wanted to play. Nuff said.
June 19th, 2015 at 9:15 am
STOP IT JOE. You are getting me too excited! Could the Bucs actually come of age and have a real NFL offense?! An honest to goodness real franchise QB? WRs other teams fear? A TE that can’t be stopped that is not on the opposing team? Please sweet Jesus!
June 19th, 2015 at 9:44 am
How many Super Bowl trophys did Moss bring to his teams? How bout the other ‘look at me” Wr Terrel Owens?
June 19th, 2015 at 9:58 am
“BuccanAy Says:
June 19th, 2015 at 9:44 am
How many Super Bowl trophys did Moss bring to his teams? How bout the other ‘look at me” Wr Terrel Owens?”
Yep. Steve Largent too. Same with Cris Carter, Tim Brown, Andre Reed and Calvin Johnson. No rings. Clearly not that good.
June 19th, 2015 at 11:35 am
Love this right here, don’t forget last year he worked out with Marshall. We might have a superstar on our hands.
June 19th, 2015 at 12:03 pm
I remember on the field when i was a kid if you made a nice catch, you got “mossed”. Im hoping the kids nowadays will start saying you got “miked” lol
June 19th, 2015 at 1:29 pm
Sorry if this offends anyone here, I have all the respect in the world for the guy, but especially given Dungy’s repeated on the record feelings about Winston, I’d say “father Dungy” is your typical religious hypocrite when it comes to second chances, or even first chances for that matter, on guys who have never even played a down in the NFL or have been found guilty of ANYTHING…Sorry but if Dungy hadn’t gone to Indy and had Manning at the helm, he’d have gone down in history as another lost in the shuffle mediocre at best NFL coach.
June 19th, 2015 at 2:01 pm
Joe, the Bucs actually did have a first round pick that year. They held the 23rd overall pick, but traded down into the 2nd round during the draft. At the time, I was hoping they’d trade up with the Lions or anyone to grab the free-falling Moss. But obviously Father Dungy knew better, just like he did when proclaiming how he would take Mariota over Winston.
The Lions whiffed by taking CB Terry Fair that year, while the Titans took WR Kevin Dyson over Moss. Dyson is known for three things, being the only WR taken ahead of Randy Moss in that draft, being part of the music city miracle and managing to be one yard short of a TD catch that would’ve tied the Titans with the Rams in super bowl. Which is somewhat impressive for a 6 year career, but nothing close to what Moss had.
June 19th, 2015 at 3:20 pm
And people always wonder why Jeff Fisher’s offenses suck year after year.
June 19th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
Buc4life1979:
Can’t disagree.
June 19th, 2015 at 5:55 pm
Money it’s gotta be the afro….
June 20th, 2015 at 12:13 am
Maybe Kenny Bell can be a smaller version of Randy Moss, he have the speed, he have the fro.
June 20th, 2015 at 9:04 am
Mike Evans is destined to be a household name, not just here, but nationwide! He’s got the work ethic to match his talent, he’s not like Michael Clayton who was living fat in the off season (fur coats, late night parties, women, ect…..) Mike Evans however, is serious about getting better, he has a no nonsense attitude and also takes care of his body. He truly is a freak receiver to cover, much like Moss was!
June 20th, 2015 at 10:51 am
Oh man…this is too good. Hope some of that Moss magic rubs off on an already insanely good Evans. Randy Moss was electricity personified on a football field.
June 20th, 2015 at 2:58 pm
I have not seen a more dominant WR than Randy Moss his rookie year. He would explode past CB trying to keep up with him. I hope Mike will pass on some of Randy;s insiight to young up and coming players like Kenny “Afro Thunder” Bell. Not only do I like Bell but I think Clay is going to impress this year as well.