An all‑time “what if” case resurfaced when Peyton Manning revealed how he once drove seven hours in the middle of the night to try to land a young, talented Randy Moss at the Tennessee Volunteers. While Moss didn’t choose the Vols, the ripple effects helped shape two decades of football history.
How Did Peyton Manning Miss the Opportunity To Play With Randy Moss?
Speaking on RushmoreOnX, Manning recounted the lengths he went to during Moss’ college football recruitment. “I don’t know how I can sit here arguing against Randy Moss. I drove seven hours in the middle of the night from my then‑girlfriend and now wife’s apartment to host him on a visit to Tennessee,” he said.
“That’s how much I wanted Randy Moss in Tennessee. I knew this guy was special. Kinda like Tom (Brady) said, all eyes were on him right from the start,” Manning added.
Moss ultimately signed with Notre Dame but never played there. He transferred to Marshall, where he became a two-time All-American and a 1997 Heisman finalist before entering the 1998 NFL Draft.
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Meanwhile, Manning remained at Tennessee and was selected No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts. Moss went No. 21 to the Minnesota Vikings and ignited a Hall of Fame career. Their divergent college choices created parallel NFL arcs, with Manning and Tom Brady as era-defining quarterback rivals, and Moss as Brady’s record-breaking receiver in New England a decade later.
Moss landed with the New England Patriots in 2007 via trade from the then-Oakland Raiders and immediately partnered with Brady, the top-ranked quarterback that season, according to PFSN’s QB Impact score. That year, Moss posted 98 receptions, 1,493 yards, and an NFL‑record 23 touchdown catches; Brady threw 50 touchdown passes as New England went 16-0 in the regular season.
Moss’s 2010 season started back in New England, but he was traded midseason to Minnesota and later claimed by Tennessee. He finished his career with 982 catches, 15,292 yards, and 156 touchdowns before his Hall of Fame induction in 2018. Those statistics underscore how Moss’s decision‑making, from college recruitment to NFL fit, helped redraw offensive expectations and the record book.
Manning’s late-night recruiting story and the Rushmore debate highlight how thin the margins can be when it comes to talent pairing. Had Moss joined Manning at Tennessee, the Vols’ passing game and subsequent draft boards might have looked different. Instead, the sport got Brady‑to‑Moss at full stride, and a quarterback rivalry that often determined where AFC titles were played.
The seven‑hour drive didn’t change history, but it shows how close the sport was to another timeline.