"Moss Likes the Position He's In"
- From: Mike <yard22192@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 11:12:41 -0800 (PST)
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Moss Likes the Position He's In
Back Among the Elite Receivers, Patriot Eyes Elusive Title
By Mark Maske
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 30, 2008; E01
GLENDALE, Ariz., Jan. 29 -- Randy Moss stepped to his assigned podium
for Super Bowl media day, scanned the scene in front of him and
laughed.
"What's happening?" he asked rows of reporters surrounding him on the
field at University of Phoenix Stadium, where the sport's dominant
wide receiver and his New England Patriots will try to complete an
unbeaten season Sunday by winning Super Bowl XLII.
Moss finally has reached football's biggest stage, and even his two
one-catch games in the AFC playoffs and his ongoing legal troubles in
Florida couldn't diminish his grin Tuesday. He was in a bubbly mood as
he spent an hour talking about a 10-year career in which he has gone
from being an unstoppable but admittedly angry young player with the
Minnesota Vikings to a frustrated and unproductive member of the
Oakland Raiders to a contented key cog on a team poised to make
football history.
"Before I retired, I wanted to have a chance to play on this stage,
not for all the publicity and everything but just playing in the Super
Bowl," Moss said. "I mean, you hear about a lot of greats and a lot of
guys making their name as Super Bowl MVPs and being able to win the
big game. So that's what I wanted. I wanted to be on this stage to
play the big game, the last game of the season."
Moss was asked if he was laughing at the Vikings and Raiders, the two
franchises that gave up on him in the apparent belief that he was too
much of a football diva to get them this far.
"I'm not that type, man," Moss said. "I don't really get back at
people like that. I think that whatever the past is or whatever
happened in the past, I want to leave that there, and the reason why
is because I'm on a high pedestal just as far as being in the Super
Bowl, the team coming into this game undefeated and just everything
that's been happening that's been positive this year. I don't want to
reflect on anything negative, and I've never been that type."
Moss has managed to make the Patriots look smarter than everyone else
in the league. His two seasons of injuries and apparent indifference
in Oakland diminished his value so much that the Patriots were able to
get him in a draft-weekend trade with the Raiders for a fourth-round
pick.
Conventional NFL wisdom was that Moss's days as a Pro Bowl player were
behind him, and he would create locker room problems wherever he went.
Patriots Coach Bill Belichick thought differently and persuaded team
owner Robert Kraft to approve the trade.
"Bill and I had a discussion, and he told me how he felt, and I told
him I wanted to have an opportunity to meet with [Moss] and talk with
him, and I did," Kraft said Tuesday. "I spoke with him for an hour the
morning of the trade before we signed the contract. We had a good
heart to heart, and I found him to be someone who looked me straight
in the eye. He is very intelligent, in my opinion. He told me he just
wanted to come in and win and that it is not about the money. It is
about respect.
"In his case, he came to us and wanted to be part of a team that could
win and he said to me: 'Mr. Kraft, I have made a lot of money, more
money probably than I need. This is about winning.' He lived up to
every commitment that he has made, and he also treats people very well
in the organization. Everything that I've seen, he has conducted
himself very well."
Now there's nothing but praise for Moss from all corners of the
Patriots' locker room.
"Randy is a great teammate," fellow wideout Wes Welker said. "He's
been nothing but a great teammate for all of us. He's led by example,
and he's been great to be around."
Said quarterback Tom Brady: "He is the smartest offensive football
player I've ever been around from his understanding of the receiver
position, his understanding of football, how to get open, how to
manipulate his routes to how to change up his speed."
Moss understood he had to be on his best behavior to fit in with the
Patriots. He was, and did he ever fit in. He set a single-season NFL
record with 23 touchdown catches and helped make the Patriots the
highest-scoring team in league history.
"I approached the game when I was young, very angry -- not at anyone,
you know, in particular. It was just the game of football," Moss said
Tuesday. "Now I still carry that same chip on my shoulder, but now I
do understand that I'm a little bit older."
The new Moss, the one who has bought into Belichick's all-for-one way,
refrained from complaining when Brady turned to other receivers during
the playoffs.
"The last couple weeks they've been doubling me and somewhat triple-
covering me, and it was up to the other guys," Moss said. "You know,
it is a team sport. It was up to the other guys to make things happen.
My thought process of playing four quarters and not receiving the ball
or not even seeing the ball was just, you know, it's playoff time.
"I think early in my career I would have probably went over there and
tried to voice my opinion of certain plays and certain ways to get
open. Now I've got younger guys such as Welker, [Jabar] Gaffney,
[Dont¿] Stallworth. Those guys, their bodies are a little bit fresher
than mine. Their legs are a little bit fresher. I definitely don't
have a problem with what they're doing."
Moss had to spend time during the playoffs defending himself against a
battery accusation by a Florida woman. A temporary restraining order
against Moss was extended Monday via an agreement by both sides'
attorneys. Moss has denied the woman's allegations and has accused her
of trying to secure a six-figure financial settlement, but he avoided
the subject Tuesday.
"I haven't really been thinking about that, man," Moss said. "I'm here
for the Super Bowl, one of the biggest times of my life as far as a
professional athlete. So I'm not really considering anything negative
at this time."
Moss reworked his contract to facilitate the trade that brought him to
the Patriots, taking a hefty pay cut but leaving himself eligible for
free agency this offseason. Kraft declined to comment Tuesday when
asked if he's optimistic about re-signing Moss to a long-term deal.
"They have everything that you want in a football organization," said
Moss, who turns 31 next month. "For me to be able to say I would love
to become a New England Patriot and finish my career there, that's
something that I can really believe in."
.
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