ESPN is known to audiences as “The worldwide leader in sports.” That is due in part to the number of sports that it covers and the quality of its coverage of said sports. It is also because of the personalities who fill the network’s ranks and those of the ESPN family of networks. Now it has bolstered that reputation even more as it has announced that it has added another major name to its on-air roster. That name is NFL great Randy Moss.
Randy Moss was one of the NFL’s most polarizing figures during his time on the field. Now he will be a part of the game on the other side of the screen. ESPN announced today the he will serve as an analyst on the networks’ weekly NFL broadcasts of Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown live from the site of each Monday Night Football game. It was also announced that along with those duties, Moss will also be part of ESPN’s annual Super Bowl week coverage. Seth Markman is Senior Coordinating Producer for ESPN’s NFL studio shows. He was not afraid to touch on Moss’ reputation while discussing the NFL great’s addition to ESPN’s on-air roster. “As a player and now as an analyst, Randy has always been candid, direct and compelling; when he talks about football and other topics, you are instantly drawn to what he has to say,” he said. He also noted having Moss alongside two other NFL greats in Matt Hasselbeck and Charles Woodson for the network’s in-studio broadcasts. “With Matthew Hasselbeck, Charles Woodson and now Randy joining ESPN this offseason, we have added three dynamic, new voices to our studio team, all of whom are widely known and respected among football fans,” he said. Moss shared Markman’s sentiment in a statement released to the press. “ESPN is the No. 1 sports channel in the world! Now I’m a part of a network I grew up running home to watch,” he said. The team that has been put together has so much football knowledge to share and I can’t wait to get started. I feel very blessed and excited for this opportunity. It’s going be a great and fun year.”
Before joining ESPN’s ranks Moss worked as an analyst for Fox Sports’ Sunday morning NFL kickoff show FOX NFL Kickoff among other programs. Moss Was originally drafted #21 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in 1998. He wasted no time showing off his talents and value. He had 69 catches in his rookie season for a total of 1,313 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns, averaging 35.6 yards per touchdown. That is not only a league-leading stat but also an NFL rookie record. These numbers garnered Moss the 1998 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. It also earned him an invite in his rookie year to the Pro Bowl. He was the only rookie first-team All Pro, too as the Vikings would go on that year to a record of 15 – 1. His 1998 invite to the Pro Bowl was just the first of what would be six appearances at what is the NFL’s own “All-Star” game. His other appearances came in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2007. In 2007, Moss scored an NFL single-season record 23 receiving touchdowns. That was one of five times that he was named the league’s NFL touchdown leader. The same year he caught 98 passes for a total of 1,493 yards. That helped take the Patriots (with whom he played at the time), to Super Bowl XLII and a perfect 16 – 0 regular season record.
Moss eventually retired in 2012. During his 14 total seasons on the field he had amassed a total of 15,292 career yards and 982 receptions. That includes 156 for touchdowns. During his time as a player he was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s. And when the Vikings celebrated the team’s 50th anniversary, he was named one of the team’s 50 greatest players.
More information on Moss’ appointment is available online now along with all of the latest NFL headlines at:
Website: http://espn.go.com/nfl
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ESPNNFL
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