Vikings Induct Randy Moss, Ahmad Rashad To 2017 Ring Of Honor
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The Minnesota Vikings are inducting two legendary wide receivers to their Ring of Honor this year, the team announced Wednesday.
Randy Moss and Ahmad Rashad will be added, bringing the group to 23 members. They are the first inductees to the Ring of Honor since 2013.
Moss was the Vikings first-round draft choice in 1998 and had a record-setting first year in Minnesota. He helped lead the Vikings to the 1999 NFC title game and is second in NFL history with 156 receiving touchdowns, third with 15,292 receiving yards and has the league record for touchdowns in a season, 23 with the New England Patriots in 2007. He set a rookie record with 17 touchdowns in 1998.
Moss has the Vikings career record with 41 100-yard receiving games. He was one of the most popular Vikings players among fans until he left the team after seven years and went to the Oakland Raiders. He returned to Minnesota for four games in the 2010 season, only to clash with head coach Brad Childress before leaving the Vikings and going to play with the New England Patriots.
Moss said Wednesday he owes a lot to Vikings coach Dennis Green for the team drafting him in 1998.
"Coach Green gave me an opportunity man, and I told him, 'Coach you're not going to regret this.' You ask me what I would say to him, and I'd probably just fall in his arms and give him a hug. There are no words I could tell him," Moss said.
Ahmad Rashad played seven of his 10 NFL seasons with the Vikings and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He led the Vikings in receiving three straight seasons and had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in 1979 and 1980. He still holds the Vikings' record for touchdowns in a game with four in 1979 against the San Francisco 49ers. He started 95 of is 98 games with the Vikings and finished with 34 career touchdowns.