Vikings pay special tribute to Hall of Famer Randy Moss after his cancer revelation
Before and during their Monday Night Football game against the division rival Chicago Bears, the Minnesota Vikings honored one of their all-time greatest players with a tribute.
Just days ago, Hall of Famer Randy Moss revealed that he had cancer and had undergone surgery to address it.
Before the coin toss, Minnesota football legends Cris Carter and Jake Reed walked out holding up a Moss Vikings jersey as the announcer said over the speakers, “In honor of Randy Moss and all those fighting cancer, let’s let Moss Being cancerous.’
The crowd erupted into chants of “Ran-dy, Ran-dy,” as the Vikings’ social media team said, “You’re with us tonight, 84.”
Moss saw the tribute and replied, “LUV U ALL! #letsmosscancer’.
The tribute extended to the game itself, when Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught the game’s first touchdown.
The Minnesota Vikings paid tribute to former receiver Randy Moss following his cancer revelation
Jake Reed (L) and Cris Carter (R) brought Moss’ jersey to the opening coin toss on Monday
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson threw up a heart sign and shouted, “We love you Randy!”
Jefferson threw a heart sign into the camera and shouted, “We love you, Randy! That’s for you!’
Moss has received an outpouring of support from across the football world in the days following his shocking revelation.
Adam Thielen, a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers who used to play at Minnesota, even wore a Vikings jersey with Moss on the back for a game on Sunday.
Moss was selected 21st overall in the 1998 NFL draft by the Vikings out of Marshall University. After seven seasons in Minnesota, in 2005, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for linebacker Napoleon Harris and a first- and seventh-round pick.
Within two seasons, he was then moved to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round pick. It was with the Patriots that Moss formed his most productive QB-WR partnership with Tom Brady and came closest to winning a Super Bowl.
He played three full seasons in New England before being traded back to Minnesota midway through the 2010 season. He only played briefly with the Vikings before being waived and claimed by the Tennessee Titans.
Moss initially retired in 2011 before returning to play another NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers.
Moss’ heartbreaking cancer news was revealed on Instagram on Friday, when he sat down next to his sons for a live video to update fans.
Vikings wide receiver Jefferson celebrates catching the first touchdown of the game
Moss is a Minnesota Vikings legend who was previously inducted into Ring of Honor
Last month, fans became concerned about Moss when they saw his eyes turn yellow on TV
The clip showed a frail Moss stumbling into the shot, wearing a “Team Moss” shirt, before revealing: “I’ve been telling y’all for the last few weeks that I’m fighting something internally, and your boy is a survivor of cancer.’
Later in the video he reveals, “I had cancer, they found it in the bile duct, right between the pancreas and the liver, and the cancer was just outside the bile duct.
“So my doctors went in, I was in surgery for six hours, and for a lot of you wondering, you can Google it. I had a Whipple procedure. The best doctor in the United States, Dr [John] Martinie, I am eternally grateful to you.’
Moss later told fans he’s “finding his way back” and revealed, “It’s going to be a tough road with some chemo and some radiation.”
It is unclear whether Moss is now cancer-free, or if he is still receiving treatment in an attempt to remove the cancer cells from his body.
In the social media clip, Moss also took the time to thank several people for their support, starting with: ‘I would like to call out to many people who really helped me through this. I was in the hospital for six days, I only got out today, thank God.
“So first and foremost I want to thank God for blessing me and my family through this difficult time, and allowing me to come out of this surgery and fight the cancer.”
Moss then mentioned each of his doctors personally, before adding, “The best that Charlotte has to offer to humanity, I appreciate that. Some of the best from around the country.”