ESPN Films 30 for 30 documentary "Rand University" focused on the football and life path taken by Randy Moss. First of all, it's terrific. Moss' impersonation of Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green is an instant classic. Second of all, it got me thinking about the 1998 NFL Draft. This draft was a very exciting one for Vikings fans. It was exciting for Colts fans too but they didn't have to wait long for their excitement. There was a lot of speculation about the NFL landing spot for the trouble-making receiver from Marshall. Randy Moss' future was clouded by a racially motivated assault in high school and some weed in college. Those misdeeds cost him shots at collegiate stardom at Notre Dame and Florida St. Instead of the big stage, he took apart defenses at itty bitty Marshall. In addition to his jaw-dropping college stats, ESPN talking heads Chris Berman, Mel Kiper Jr., and Joe Theisman showed Moss' criminal record during the broadcast of the draft. Personally, I didn't think that his crimes were even close to that of Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips. Despite dragging his ex-girlfriend down a flight of stairs by her hair, the St. Louis Rams drafted Phillips with the sixth pick of the 1996 NFL Draft. This draft day blunder by the Rams likely cost Moss from being drafted in the top ten just two years later. Many teams decided that they didn't want to make the same mistake or take the same risk. I'd never before seen a receiving talent like Randy Moss. Beyond that, he wasn't an ass in the same way as Phillips. I figured that some team, probably the Dallas Cowboys, would pick him long before the Vikings selected at #21. I was wrong. At least 19 teams didn't want to risk their first round on Randy Moss.
Many in the media tried to create drama with the first overall pick of the draft. If the Indianapolis Colts were run by anything other than a box of hammers, the choice was easy:
1. Indianapolis Colts-Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee
2. San Diego Chargers-Ryan Leaf, QB, Washington St.
3. Arizona Cardinals-Andre Wadsworth, DE, Florida St.
4. Oakland Raiders-Charles Woodson, CB, Michigan
During the "Rand University" documentary, ESPN showed a picture taken at the 1997 Heisman Trophy presentation of the finalists for the trophy. It included three of the first four picks. Manning, Leaf, and Woodson. The fourth finalist was Moss. This is quite a collection of football talent. All-time football greats. Excluding Leaf, of course.
5. Chicago Bears-Curtis Enis, RB, Penn St.
6. St. Louis Rams-Grant Wistrom, DE, Nebraska
7. New Orleans Saints-Kyle Turley, T, San Diego St.
8. Dallas Cowboys-Greg Ellis, DE, North Carolina
Of all of the teams selecting in the top ten, the Cowboys were the team most often mentioned as the one that might take a chance on Moss. That might have been the case because Jerry Jones told Moss that they were going to take him. Whether that little nugget ever got out prior to the draft, who knows? Hints of it certainly did. Moss thought that the Cowboys were going to select him. They didn't and he took it out on them every chance that he got for his entire career. Starting with the 1998 Thanksgiving Day game.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars, Fred Taylor, RB, Florida
10. Baltimore Ravens-Duane Starks, CB, Miami
When Moss slid by the Cowboys and wasn't taken in the top ten, I started to believe that the impossible could happen. Randy Moss might fall all the way to the Vikings pick. Moss was a once in a lifetime football talent. He should have been selected with his fellow Heisman finalists. There was no way that he should drop past #10. The more teams that passed on him only meant that other teams would pass on him. His fall was gaining momentum. I was on my feet for the rest of the draft.
11. Philadelphia Eagles-Tra Thomas, T, Florida St.
12. Atlanta Falcons-Keith Brooking, LB, Georgia Tech
13. Cincinnati Bengals-Takeo Spikes, LB, Auburn
14. Carolina Panthers-Jason Peter, DT, Nebraska
15. Seattle Seahawks-Anthony Simmons, LB, Clemson
16. Tennessee Oilers-Kevin Dyson, WR, Utah
A receiver being selected before Randy Moss! Inconceivable. Dyson is best known for being tackled a yard short of the endzone in Super Bowl XXXIV and for being the receiver selected before Moss. At this point, I felt that the only way Moss didn't make it through the next four picks was if some team traded up to get him.
17. Cincinnati Bengals-Brian Simmons, LB, North Carolina
The Oilers/Titans got a lot of grief for picking Dyson over Moss. The Bengals got some grief too as the one team that passed on Moss twice. Three more picks.
18. New England Patriots-Robert Edwards, RB, Georgia
Two more picks.
19. Green Bay Packers-Vonnie Holliday, DT, North Carolina
One more pick.
20. Detroit Lions-Terry Fair, CB, Tennessee
Oh my.
21. Minnesota Vikings-Randy Moss, WR, Marshall
I've watched pretty much every draft since ESPN decided to bring this strange event to the public. Never in that time have I been more excited, shocked, happy, disbelieving, relieved, and exhausted as when Randy Moss was announced as the Minnesota Vikings first round selection. For the first couple hours of this draft, Moss being selected by the Vikings was an impossibility. A foolish dream. They would have to trade up to have a chance at a player like Moss. I didn't think that there was much chance at that as they already had one of the best receiving tandems in the league in Cris Carter and Jake Reed. Picking Moss would be a luxury and no team trades up that far for a luxury. Some might say that at #21 the risk of taking Moss wasn't as great. Sure but there is a risk and a gamble with every first round pick. Teams only get one and they need them to count. I actually believe that Dennis Green would have selected Moss at pretty much any spot of the draft outside of the first pick. After the first ten picks were made, every one of the next ten picks were tense. It felt like ten hours to go from pick #11 to pick #20.
It's been reported several times since the 1998 NFL Draft that Dennis Green called Cris Carter early in the draft to say that Moss was going to fall and that he was going to select him. Carter said that it was impossible. Moss was too good to fall that far. Green had called Carter to get confirmation that he would mentor the troubled, talented youngster. Carter said that he would and he did. Moss will be teammates with Carter again in a few years in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
As for the rest of the draft, I watched it but I was more than a little distracted by what I had just witnessed. I believe that I might have finally sat down around pick #26.
22. Tebucky Jones-New England Patriots, S, Syracuse
Jones was actually the player that I hoped that the Vikings would select before Moss started to fall.
23. Oakland Raiders-Mo Collins, T, Florida
24. New York Giants-Shaun Williams, S, UCLA
25. Jacksonville Jaguars-Donovin Darius, S, Syracuse
26. Pittsburgh Steelers-Alan Faneca, G, LSU
27. Kansas City Chiefs, Victor Riley, T, Auburn
28. San Francisco 49ers-R.W. McQuarters, CB, Oklahoma St.
29. Miami Dolphins-John Avery, RB, Mississippi
30. Denver Broncos-Marcus Nash, WR, Tennessee
This is one draft that was definitely high drama, tension-filled viewing. At least for Vikings fans.
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