We are 88 Days Away From College Football Kickoff. We all know that 88 was a great year for music. It is also a great football number. Today we have two great 88’s who are also, record breaking receivers Randy Moss and Jerry Rice. Hope you enjoy todays installment in the countdown to kickoff.
Randy Moss Days Away From College Football Kickoff
You’ve Been Mossed
Randy Moss set new records at Marshall. He was known for his fierce competitiveness and outstanding athleticism. Moss was a two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 1996 and unanimous honors in 1997 as a wide receiver.
Over two seasons, Moss caught 174 passes for 3,529 yards and 54 touchdowns, breaking records at the national, conference, and school levels. On special teams, he returned 32 kickoffs for 875 yards, averaging 27.3 yards per return, and 25 punts for 271 yards, averaging 10.8 yards. In 1997, his 26 touchdown catches set an FBS record. That year, he caught a touchdown in every game, finishing with 96 catches for 1,820 yards. Marshall, the team went 28-3 overall in Moss’ two seasons.
In 1996, Moss was named First Team All-America as a kickoff returner, and he was also named Southern Conference Freshman of the Year.
In 1997, Moss won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wide receiver and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. He was named Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Vern Smith Award winner as MVP.
Moss still holds Marshall records for most receiving yards in a game 288, most touchdown catches in a game (5), most receiving yards in a season 1,820, most touchdown catches in a season (28), and most career touchdown catches 54. He also holds Mid-American Conference records for most touchdown catches in a game, 5, and in a season, 26.
In 1998, Moss was selected 21st overall in the first round of the NFL Draft by Minnesota. He played 14 seasons in the NFL with the Vikings, Raiders, Patriots, Titans, and 49ers. He won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, was named All-Pro four times, and made six Pro Bowls. Moss led the league in receiving five times and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Moss now works as a football analyst for ESPN. He has supported several charities, including the Smile Network, which helps children with cleft palates, and Links for Learning, which assists children in West Virginia. He has also supported the Women and Children’s Hospital of Charleston. Moss was inducted into the Marshall Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010 and the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Another Great #88 Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice, considered one of the best wide receivers ever, joins his former college quarterback Willie Totten in the College Football Hall of Fame. Both were key players in Mississippi Valley State’s famous ‘Satellite Express.’ Rice grew up in Crawford, Mississippi, where he developed his strong hands by helping his father lay bricks. Although no Division I-A schools recruited him after high school, Mississippi Valley State gave him the opportunity to play college football close to home. He went on to have one of the most impressive careers in the sport.
In his sophomore year, Rice caught 66 passes for 1,133 yards and scored seven touchdowns. The next year, he set NCAA records with 102 catches and 1,450 receiving yards, earning first-team Division I-AA All-America honors. In 1984, Rice finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting and broke his own records with 103 receptions and 1,682 yards. His 27 touchdown catches that season set an NCAA record for all divisions. He was named the 1984 SWAC Player of the Year and Mississippi’s Offensive Player of the Year. Along with first-team Division I-AA All-America, both the NEA and Football Writers Association of America selected him for their Division I-A All-America teams.
By the time he finished college, Rice had broken every receiving record at Mississippi Valley State. He caught 301 passes for 4,693 yards and scored 50 touchdowns.
The San Francisco 49ers picked Rice 16th overall in the 1985 NFL Draft. Over 20 seasons from 1985 to 2004, he became one of the greatest players in NFL history. Rice was selected for 13 Pro Bowls, won three Super Bowls, and set nearly every receiving record. He led the league in receptions twice, receiving yards six times, and touchdown catches six times. He finished his career with a record 1,549 catches for 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns. His 208 total touchdowns are also an NFL record.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: RVR Photos-Imagn Images
