Randy Moss, Cris Carter and Jake Reed formed one of the more famous receiver trios in NFL history. “Three Deep” yielded a lot of yards and highlights for the Minnesota Vikings.
When Carter and Reed went out for the pre-game coin toss Monday night, their famous teammate wasn’t with them. But the two brought with them a memory of Moss.
Carter and Reed came to center field holding a Vikings No. 84 jersey with Moss’ name on it. Moss revealed last week that he was battling cancer and had undergone successful surgery. Moss was a wildly popular Vikings player and the crowd started chanting his name after Reed and Carter pulled out his jersey.
That was not the last tribute. When current Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson caught a touchdown in the first quarter, he found the camera and as he made the heart symbol with his hands, he shouted, “We love you Randy! That’s for you!”
Another poignant tribute to Moss came Sunday when Carolina Panthers receiver Adam Thielen, a Minnesota native, wore a Moss Vikings jersey as he arrived at Carolina’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Thielen said after the game that Moss was the reason he wanted to play football.
Moss, who retired from ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” was drafted by the Vikings in 1998 and had one of the best rookie seasons ever, with 17 touchdowns. He played his first seven seasons in Minnesota and returned for a brief stint with the Vikings late in his career.
