Randy Moss will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this December.
He’ll go in alongside Larry Fitzgerald and Julius Peppers, among several other deserving names. Moss was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, nearly six years after his last snap with the San Francisco 49ers.
You may be asking yourself what took so long for the Marshall legend to be recognized by the college game. And you’re not the only one with that question, as Kay Adams pressed Moss during the ESPN NFL analyst’s recent appearance on her Up & Adams show.
Moss didn’t look bothered by the line of questioning, but maybe unbothered might be better for this context. He seemingly didn’t give it much thought, leading Adams to question whether it was bad and offer to take it out of the interview.
“No, leave it on,” Moss said. “I don’t know anything either about (the College Football Hall of Fame). But I think when you do it backwards, am I supposed to be excited?”
NFL HOF’er @RandyMoss candid response to finally being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this December… 👀🔊
“When you do it backwards… am I supposed to be excited?” @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/d0e9kwnYc7
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 15, 2024
Perhaps not.
“I’m very appreciative,” he added. “And it goes back to the body of work…I put up some crazy numbers in college.”
Though he initially planned to play for Notre Dame, a fight at school derailed those plans. This incident, sparked by a racist act (a classmate carving a racial slur on a desk), resulted in Moss spending three days in jail. Ultimately, combined with an incomplete application, the fight led to Notre Dame rescinding their offer.
Because Moss signed his letter of intent, the NCAA considered him a transfer student. So, when he transferred to Florida State, he had to sit out his freshman year. But he never played for the Seminoles. He was promptly dismissed from the program after violating his probation.
He returned to his home state of West Virginia with nowhere to turn. It was at Marshall that he put up video game numbers. Moss put up some ridiculous statistics in his first season of collegiate football. He hauled in 78 receptions for 1,709 yards and 28 touchdowns. And after combining with Chad Pennington the following season, he finished his collegiate career with 174 receptions for 3,529 yards with 54 touchdowns.
Moss’s upcoming induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is complex. While his talent is undeniable, the delayed recognition raises questions about the institution’s priorities—one that he and Adams know little to nothing about.
This is also the same Hall of Fame that hasn’t inducted the late Mike Leach because he finished his coaching career with a 158-107 record (59.6%), and to be inducted as a coach, you have to win at least 60% of his games.
How arbitrary.
So, it’s fair to say there are a few inconsistencies in how they go about the process. In any event, this December’s ceremony might be bittersweet, but it’s undeniable that Moss’s dominance on the field finally gets its due recognition.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.