Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Width	280px
Currentteam	Free Agent
Currentnumber	--
Currentposition	Wide receiver
Birth date	December 07, 1973
Birth place	Alexander City, Alabama
Heightft	6
Heightin	3
Weight	224
Debutyear	1996
Debutteam	San Francisco 49ers
College	Tennessee-Chattanooga
Draftyear	1996
Draftround	3
Draftpick	89
Pastteams	San Francisco 49ers (–) Philadelphia Eagles (–) Dallas Cowboys (–) Buffalo Bills () Cincinnati Bengals ()
Status	Active
Highlights	6× Pro Bowl selection (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007) 5× All-Pro selection (2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007) NFL 2000s All-Decade Team NFL Records
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	1,078
Statlabel2	Receiving Yards
Statvalue2	15,934
Statlabel3	Receiving TDs
Statvalue3	153
Nfl	OWE755129 }}

Terrell Owens (; born on December 7, 1973) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era. He holds or shares several NFL records, and features in the all-time top-5 in several receiving categories, including yards and touchdowns.

As productive as he has been, Owens has been equally controversial, creating firestorms with almost every team he has played for as a professional. Owens played college football and basketball at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and was selected in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. Owens was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 after a spat with 49ers front office members. Two years later, he was released and signed to another large pact by the Dallas Cowboys, only to be given his unconditional release on March 4, 2009. Owens has also played for the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Popularly known by his initials, T.O., Owens is as renowned for his flamboyant touchdown celebrations and public persona as he is for his prodigious talent on the field. His actions on and off the field have led to many league fines, as well as frequent penalties for his team.

Early life

Terrell Owens was born to LC Russel and Marilyn Heard in Alexander City, Alabama. When Terrell was very young his parents split and he moved in with his mother and grandmother. He grew up with three other siblings and was raised by his mother and grandmother. He enjoyed watching football, especially his favorite player, Jerry Rice. However, Owens’ grandmother initially forbade him from playing sports until high school. Owens attended Benjamin Russell High School, where he excelled in football, baseball, and basketball and later became one of the best receivers in the league.

Family

Terrell Owens became a father to Terique Owens on September 25, 1999. Owens' second son, Atlin Owens, was still a toddler as of 2009. Atlin was asked to model for Famous Stars and Straps (FSAS) Spring ‘09 clothing line. Owens also has a daughter, Kylee Owens. On February 27 and 28, 2010, Owens tweeted that he was spending time with his daughter and posted pictures of the two of them. He has a second daughter named Dasha.

College career

While enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Owens played basketball and ran track. Owens had the opportunity to play at the 1995 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Outside of basketball, Owens also played football. While playing in college, Owens wore the #80 jersey to honor his idol, Jerry Rice. He was not a distinguished athlete at first, but managed to make a breakthrough after becoming a starter during his sophomore year. Owens caught 38 passes for 724 yards and eight touchdowns during his sophomore year, and 34 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns during his junior year. Owens faced double coverage every week during his senior year, and was limited to 43 receptions for 667 yards and one touchdown. Owens previously held the single season receptions record at Chattanooga until it was broken in 2007 by Alonzo Nix. He also participated in the Senior Bowl, a college all-star game played by college seniors, in preparation for the NFL Draft.

Professional career

San Francisco 49ers

Based as much on his size and speed as on his demonstrated ability, the NFL's San Francisco 49ers drafted Owens in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Owens played his first professional game against the New Orleans Saints, where he served as a member of the 49ers' special teams. His first catches were recorded against the Carolina Panthers on September 22, 1996 (two catches for a net six yards). Against the Atlanta Falcons a week later Owens had a 17-yard kick return and one catch for 26 yards. His first touchdown came on October 20 against the Cincinnati Bengals; in the fourth quarter he caught a 45-yard touchdown throw from Steve Young that tied a game eventually won by the Niners 28-21.

In the 1997 NFL season, Owens became a big name for the 49ers when Jerry Rice went down early in the season with a torn ACL. He and quarterback Steve Young helped the 49ers win 13 games that season; Owens finished with 936 receiving yards and eight touchdowns; he added a touchdown in San Francisco's playoff win over the Minnesota Vikings.

1998 was another 12-4 season for the Niners and the first 1,000-yard year for Owens, as he caught 67 balls for 1,097 yards and fourteen touchdowns; he even had a rushing touchdown in October against the Rams. In the Wildcard playoff game the Niners faced the Green Bay Packers, who'd beaten them five straight times, three of them playoff games. Owens struggled, dropping a number of passes due to being briefly blinded by late-afternoon sun. Despite this Steve Young kept throwing to Owens and he redeemed himself by catching the game-winning touchdown (immortalized by the impassioned game call of Niners radio play-by-play announcer Joe Starkey) for a 30-27 comeback victory.

The following season was a disaster for San Francisco, as Steve Young was lost for the season in a 24-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Niners fell from grace after a 3-1 start to a 4-12 finish; Owens in that season had 60 catches for 754 yards and four touchdowns. Young retired after the 1999 season after he was unable to pass medical tests due to a concussion sustained that season, and Jeff Garcia was named the 49ers' starting quarterback. In 2000, the 49ers only managed to win six games. However, Owens had a record-breaking day on December 17, 2000 with 20 catches for 283 yards in a 17-0 Niners win over the Chicago Bears. This single-game reception total surpassed the 50-year-old mark held by Tom Fears (which has since been surpassed by Brandon Marshall on December 13, 2009). Owens finished the year with 1,451 receiving yards and thirteen touchdowns.

The 2001 49ers managed to compile a 12-4 record but were defeated by the Packers led by Brett Favre in a wild-card playoff game. Owens finished with sixteen touchdowns catches (exactly half the 32 thrown by Jeff Garcia) and 1,412 receiving yards. The Niners followed up in 2002 with a 10-6 record and their 17th NFC West title; in this season Owens had 100 catches for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Niners hosted the New York Giants in the Wildcard playoff round, and after falling behind 38-14 the Niners erupted to 25 unanswered points; Owens had two touchdown catches and caught two 2-point conversions in the Niners' 39-38 win. However they were shot down 31-6 against the soon to be Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who held Owens to only four catches for 35 yards.

Coach Steve Mariucci was fired and former Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson took over. The ensuing season in 2003 proved subpar as the Niners finished 7-9. It was here that Owens decided to leave. Immediately after breaking off all ties to the team, Owens appeared in an interview for ''Playboy'' magazine, where he created controversy after insinuating that Garcia was homosexual.

Although Owens was eager to leave the 49ers, the 49ers asserted that Owens' previous agent, David Joseph, had missed the deadline to void the final years of his contract with the team. The NFLPA and Owens disputed this assertion, contending that the deadline referred to by the 49ers was not the applicable deadline. On March 4, 2004, San Francisco, believing it still held Owens' rights, attempted to trade Owens to the Baltimore Ravens for a second round pick in the 2004 draft. However, Owens challenged the 49ers' right to make the deal. Owens assumed that he would become a free agent on March 3, and did not believe that the earlier deadline was applicable. Hence, he negotiated with other teams in advance of his expected free agency, and reached a contract agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles, whose fan base strongly supported Owens in his desire to play for the team. The NFLPA filed a grievance on his behalf.

Before an arbitrator could make a ruling on Owens' grievance, the NFL and the three teams involved in the controversy reached a settlement on March 16, 2004. The Ravens got their second-round pick back from San Francisco, and the 49ers in turn received a conditional fifth-round pick and defensive end Brandon Whiting from the Eagles in exchange for the rights to Owens. Owens' contract with the Eagles was reported to be worth $49 million for seven years, including a $10 million signing bonus.

In September 2004, Terrell Owens released a purported autobiography: ''Catch This! Going Deep with the NFL's Sharpest Weapon''. The 288-page book was ghostwritten by Stephen Singular.

Philadelphia Eagles

The 2004 season got off to a great start for the Eagles, who started 7-0 and 13-1, as well as for Owens, who averaged a touchdown catch per game before his injury. Owens gained a tremendous amount of popularity throughout the league, especially among the Eagles' fan base. On December 19, 2004, Owens sustained a severely sprained ankle and a fractured fibula when Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams took him down with a horse-collar tackle; Owens' injury was one of the major reasons that the horse-collar tackle was later prohibited. With the Eagles heading to Super Bowl XXXIX, Owens shocked the media by announcing he would play no matter what, even though team doctors stated that his injury would take several more weeks to heal. Owens' trainer, James "Buddy" Primm, helped bring Owens back much sooner with the use of Micro Current and a hyperbaric chamber. Skeptics were silenced when Owens started the game and played well; the result was nine receptions and 122 yards, though the Eagles still lost to the New England Patriots. After the game, Owens criticized the media by saying that a player like Brett Favre would have been praised for such bravery.

On April 2005, Owens announced that he had hired a new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and indicated that he would seek to have his contract with the Eagles renegotiated. Owens made $9 million in 2004 (most of which being bonus money as his base salary was only $660,000), and was slated to make $4.5 million in 2005. This two year amount did not place Owens in the top 10 paid wide receivers playing. He also made a comment to the effect that he "wasn't the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl"; the remark, thought by most to be directed at quarterback Donovan McNabb, caused a controversy between them to heat up. Owens has always claimed the remark was not directed towards McNabb, but in regard to his obsessive diet and workout programs. On July 1, Owens' relationship with the Eagles became even more tense after Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and club president Joe Banner denied Owens permission to play basketball in a summer league under the auspices of the NBA's Sacramento Kings.

Owens' contract controversy heated up as training camp drew nearer. Owens, with the negotiating help of Rosenhaus, continued to lobby for a new contract. Owens and Rosenhaus met with Eagles head coach Andy Reid and president Joe Banner, but no agreement was reached (this was in line with the Eagles' policy against contract renegotiations). Owens threatened to hold out of training camp until a deal was reached, but reported to camp on time. When the 2005 football season began, Owens was in the second year of a seven-year, $49 million contract. However, the contract was heavily back-loaded, and while the $49 million figure was routinely touted by the sports media as an example of Owens' greed, the money guaranteed to him was under the annual average for a top-tier wide receiver. During this time Terrell gained his record.

During the season, Owens continued to voice his displeasure. After more remarks about Eagles management and Donovan McNabb, Owens was suspended four games without pay and then deactivated for the rest of the season. (See ''Controversy Section.'') The next season, Owens was released by the Philadelphia Eagles franchise and eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys

On March 14, 2006, the Philadelphia Eagles released Owens. Four days later, on March 18, 2006, Jerry Jones announced that the Dallas Cowboys had signed Owens to a 3 year, $25 million deal, including a $5 million signing bonus, with a $5 million first year salary.

Owens returned to the field during the Cowboys' 2006 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. While the game ended in a Jaguars victory, Owens recorded 8 receptions for 80 yards and one touchdown. The following week, Owens damaged one of his finger bones, and was forced to leave the game. It was later determined that Owens would require surgery to correct the injury, and require anywhere from two to four weeks to recuperate. Days after Owens promised his fans he would return to play against Philadelphia Eagles, he overdosed on his medication (See ''Controversy Section''). After a bye week giving him time to recuperate, Owens played in the following game against the Tennessee Titans, where he accounted for 88 receiving yards as well as three touchdowns.

The following week, Owens made his highly anticipated return to Philadelphia, where he played his former teammate, Donovan McNabb. Upon his return, Owens was met by a hail of angry cheers and taunts, including chants of "O.D." throughout the game. In fact, when Owens dropped a pass during the pregame warmups, the Eagles fans cheered. Despite pregame talk about a weak Eagles secondary, Owens struggled throughout the game. Owens had three catches for 45 yards, while the Cowboys went on to lose, 38–24.

After the game, according to a report from a stadium employee at Lincoln Financial Field, Owens ran into the locker room following the 38–24 loss and launched into a tirade, yelling and asking why the Cowboys bothered signing him in the offseason, indicating that they should have thrown the ball towards him more. Owens later confirmed this in a post-practice interview. After the Cowboys defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 38-28, owner Jerry Jones revealed that Owens had injured a tendon on one of his fingers (the same finger that he broke in an unrelated incident a few weeks earlier). The doctors recommended season-ending surgery, but Owens elected to risk permanent damage to his finger and decided to wait until the end of the season to repair the damage. "There's no question about what he's willing to do for his team", Jones said.

Owens led the league in regular season with thirteen touchdown receptions. On March 1, 2007, he underwent surgery twice to repair his right ring finger.

In the 2007 season, Owens and the Cowboys began to live up to their potential. On November 18, Owens set a new career-high and tied a franchise record, with four touchdown catches against the Washington Redskins. With his TD catch against Green Bay on November 29, Owens became the first player in NFL history with at least 1 touchdown catch and six receptions in seven straight games. Also with this win, the Cowboys clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season, making this the third time Owens would participate in back-to-back postseasons. Owens was one of the starting wide receivers to represent the NFC in the Pro Bowl along with Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. On January 9, Owens made the All-Pro team along with teammates Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware. On December 22 in a week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers, Owens caught his 15th touchdown catch of the season to set a new Cowboy-record for touchdown catches in a season. During this game, however, Owens suffered a high ankle sprain after making a catch in the second quarter, which kept him out of the rest of the regular season. Owens was leading the league in receiving yards and was 2nd in receiving touchdowns at the time. He finished the season with 81 receptions, 15 touchdowns, and 1355 receiving yards, as the team finished 13-3 and clinched the NFC's top seed.

Owens returned for the divisional playoff game against the Giants, where he caught four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. The Cowboys lost the game, however, 21-17 and Owens broke down crying during the post game press conference in a now-infamous incident.

In the 2008 Pro Bowl, Owens caught 7 passes for 101 yards and 2 touchdowns in an NFC win. Despite his efforts, Minnesota Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson was named MVP.

In the Cowboys second game of the season, the last Monday Night game at Texas Stadium, Owens passed Cris Carter to move to second in touchdowns behind former teammate Jerry Rice.

The Cowboys released Owens on March 4, 2009. Owens later said that Jerry Jones had assured him that he would be remaining with the team and that he was blindsided by his release.

Buffalo Bills

On March 8, 2009, the Buffalo Bills signed Owens to a 1-year, $6.5 million contract. Owens had his first catch with the Bills when he had a 27-yard play on a 3rd-and-1 in the 25-24 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. With that catch, he passed former Bills receiver Andre Reed on the all-time Top 20 career leaders list for pass receptions. Owens debuted with 2 catches for 45 yards in the game. Owens caught his first TD pass with Buffalo in a 33-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 20, 2009. Owens had his best game with the Bills in a 15-18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Owens had 9 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. Owens and Ryan Fitzpatrick set a Bill's record for longest TD reception when Fitzpatrick connected with Owens for a 98 yard TD. The 98 yard TD reception is Owens' longest TD reception. He also became the oldest player to have a TD reception of 76+ yards (35 years, 350 days).

Owens became the sixth player to reach 1,000 receptions in a career. He accomplished this during a game against the Atlanta Falcons from an 8-yard pass from Brian Brohm.

Cincinnati Bengals

On July 27, 2010, Owens signed a one year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was reportedly worth two million dollars, with another two million dollars possible from bonuses. He joined Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco, both of whom lobbied for the Bengals to sign Owens. He received his old number, #81, given to him by free-agent acquisition wide receiver Antonio Bryant in exchange for an undisclosed sum of money to be donated to a charity of Bryant's choice.

Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, he had a spectacular game with 10 receptions, 222 yards and a touchdown of 78 yards on the day. On December 21, Terrell Owens was placed on the Injured Reserve, for the first time in his 15 year career. He still managed to lead all Bengals' receivers (including Ochocinco) with receptions, yards and touchdowns for the season. However the Bengals decided to head in a new direction by trading Ochocinco, allowing Palmer to retire (though he still has yet to officially retire) and not re-signing Owens for the 2011 season.

Controversy

Controversy with Eagles

During his weekly Philadelphia sports radio show on WIP (AM) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys, Owens stated if he could return to the 2004 off-season he would not have signed with the Eagles. After the Dallas game, in which the Eagles were badly beaten, Owens was seen by ''Philadelphia Daily News'' reporters wearing a Michael Irvin throwback football jersey on the way to the Eagles airplane flight. Irvin was a hall-of-fame wide receiver for the Cowboys during the '90s when the Cowboys-Eagles rivalry was perhaps the most intense. Ironically, as a 49er Owens had drawn the ire of Cowboys fans when he celebrated a touchdown by dancing on the midfield logo at Texas Stadium.

As a result, Owens' appearance in the jersey was seen as provocative in the Philadelphia press and by many fans. According to sources and Andy Reid's post-game press conference, none of Owens' teammates or coaches challenged him. The following Friday, on Owens' radio show, he stated he did not care what the fans thought of him wearing the jersey and that he would wear what he chooses.

On November 3, 2005, Hugh Douglas, former Philadelphia Eagles Defensive End, acting as an ambassador for team management, started to have an argument with Owens in front of the team in the locker room before practice. This soon led to a short fight between the two.

That afternoon Owens made a number of controversial statements during an ESPN interview. In the interview, Owens voiced his frustrations of the Eagles not recognizing his 100th career TD. He referred to the Eagles as a classless organization for the way they behaved. The Eagles have since stated that the Club does not recognize individual achievements.

When asked whether or not he agreed with a comment made by ESPN analyst Michael Irvin, Owens agreed to the statement, saying that he thought the Eagles would be undefeated if Brett Favre were on the team instead of Donovan McNabb. Owens went on to expand on the point, calling Brett Favre a warrior. Many people took offense at this, since it appeared as though Owens was claiming that McNabb, who was playing with a sports hernia among other injuries, was not a warrior. This interview effectively ended Owens' career in Philadelphia.

During his weekly news conference the following day, Eagles head coach Andy Reid said that Owens had been suspended for four games—starting with the 17-10 loss to the Washington Redskins on November 6—for conduct detrimental to the team. The four games represented the maximum amount of time that a player could be suspended without pay for such conduct under NFL rules. After Owens served his suspension, the Eagles deactivated him from their roster for the remainder of the season, so that they wouldn't be forced to release him and let him sign on with another team.

On November 8, Owens and his agent Drew Rosenhaus held a news conference at Owens' Moorestown Township, New Jersey residence on Landing Court. Terrell apologized to the team (including Donovan McNabb) and the fans. After Owens read his statement, Rosenhaus answered questions from reporters. However, Rosenhaus answered many questions, such as "What have you done for T.O. besides get him suspended?" with a "next question." He blamed the media for Owens' current employment status. In his autobiography, "T.O.", Owens did state that most of the apology was forced upon him and not sincere.

On the grounds that deactivation cannot be used as a means of punishment, the NFLPA and Owens appealed the Eagles punishment to an arbitrator. On November 23, 2005, Terrell Owens' season was effectively ended after arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled that the Eagles were justified in suspending him for four games and that they did not have to activate him after the suspension (the Eagles would deactivate him game by game, with pay, for the final five games of the season, but that so long as he was paid, he was not technically suspended). The NFLPA subsequently said they would make sure Bloch never arbitrated with them again.

''Desperate Housewives'' skit

On November 15, 2004, Owens, wearing a Philadelphia Eagles uniform, appeared with popular TV actress Nicollette Sheridan (of the ABC series ''Desperate Housewives'', in character as Edie Britt) in an introductory skit which opened that evening's ''Monday Night Football'' telecast, in which Owens and the Eagles played the Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Some observers (especially then-Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy) condemned the skit as being sexually suggestive because of Sheridan removing a towel (see video), and ABC later apologized for airing it. However, on March 14, 2005, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that the skit did not violate decency standards, because it contained no outright nudity or foul language.

2006 Hydrocodone overdose

Some media outlets in Dallas reported on the morning of September 27, 2006 that Owens had tried to kill himself by intentionally ingesting an overdose of hydrocodone, a pain medication. A police report filed on the night of September 26 seemed to confirm the attempt, saying that Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, found him unresponsive with an empty bottle of pain killers, pried two pills from his mouth, and called 9-1-1, after which an ambulance transported him four blocks from his Deep Ellum condo to Baylor University Medical Center. The event became a national news sensation but was soon overshadowed by the Platte Canyon High School Shooting which had occurred only hours later.

According to the police report, Owens and Etheredge both said he was depressed, and Owens answered "yes" when asked whether he had intended to harm himself. Owens' publicist, however, refuted the report, stating that Owens had suffered an allergic reaction to the medication combined with a dietary supplement. ESPN reported that about half the police report was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose."

Owens left the hospital later on September 27. At a news conference after his release, Owens denied having made a suicide attempt, stating that he expected to join the team for practice the next morning. He stated that he was "not depressed" and was "very happy to be here", and denied that doctors had pumped his stomach, calling speculation to that effect "definitely untrue." The press conference took place after Owens had run routes and caught passes with the Cowboys at the team's practice facility in Valley Ranch.

Owens' publicist lashed out at the police and said they took advantage of him. Notably, Owens himself made no such statements, and at his press conference praised both the police and medical personnel who treated him. Then on Thursday, September 28, the Dallas Police Department reported the incident to be an "accidental overdose" and ended their investigation.

Spitting incident

After the December 16, 2006 game against the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall claimed that Owens spit in his face after a play early in the game. Game officials and reporters were unaware of the incident and Owens was not asked about it until his post-game interview with the NFL Network, when he confirmed it. Owens said, "I got frustrated and I apologize for that. It was a situation where he kept hugging me and getting in my face. He had a lot of words, I didn't. I just wanted to come and prove I’m not a guy to be schemed with." Hall said that he lost all respect for Owens. The NFL fined Owens $35,000 for the incident. Within a week of the incident, Deion Sanders served as a mediator for Owens and Hall, and the two reportedly "made up."

Bill Parcells retirement

On May 15, 2007, to begin the Dallas Cowboys' spring mini-camp under new head coach Wade Phillips, Owens was questioned by ESPN about what he learned during his one-season experience with former head coach Bill Parcells. Owens was reported to have said, "Nothing, really." Afterwards, Owens and other teammates had high praise for Phillips, seeming to forget about Parcells quickly. "Everybody knows he's a laid-back coach, obviously a little different than Bill. ... I don't think you have to be a disciplinarian to get your point across", Owens said. "I think having a new head coach is good for everybody. It's a little bit more relaxed. I think you can tell that by the atmosphere in the locker room. I don't think I just have to really spell it out for you, but I think it's very evident."

Touchdown celebrations

Owens is known for his flamboyant celebrations after scoring touchdowns, some of which have resulted in fines by the NFL front office.

Celebrations for San Francisco

While playing the Atlanta Falcons on January 9, 1999, Owens caught a long touchdown pass and proceeded to mimic the "dirty bird", the Falcons’ signature touchdown dance with Owens performing a slashing of the throat gesture at the end of the dance.

On September 24, 2000 in Dallas, Terrell Owens showed off his excitement after his two touchdown catches by running from the end zone to midfield and celebrating on the Dallas Cowboys' famous star logo. The second time Owens made a trip to the star, then Cowboys safety George Teague hit him during the celebration. Teague would be ejected for his actions, while Owens was suspended for a week by his head coach. The celebration and subsequent hit were named one of the ten most memorable moments in the history of Texas Stadium by ESPN in 2008, and is ironic given his later stint in Dallas.

During a ''Monday Night Football'' game against the Seattle Seahawks on October 14, 2002, Owens pulled a Sharpie marker out of his sock to sign the football he caught to score a touchdown, and then gave the ball to the financial adviser of Shawn Springs, who was covering Owens on the play. He was criticized by Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren for the stunt, but was not fined, although the league quickly adopted a new rule banning players from carrying "foreign objects" with them on the field. Steve Sabol of NFL Films praised the stunt by noting the Niners (who won the game 28-21 as Owens had six catches for 84 yards and two scores) improved their passing game following the stunt.

On December 15, 2002, in a home game against the Green Bay Packers, Owens scored a touchdown and ran to a row of cheerleaders beyond the end zone. He reached out and asked to borrow two pompoms from a 49ers cheerleader, which he then playfully shook, doing his own brief spontaneous routine before dropping them to the ground.

On November 17, 2003, the 49ers hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Monday night game. Owens wore a wristband with the words "The Answer" emblazoned on it. Eight minutes into the game, he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from Tim Rattay, and pointed to the wristband to draw attention to it. After the game (won by San Francisco 30-14), Owens was asked by a reporter the significance of the slogan on the wristband, and he replied: "Because I am The Answer." "The Answer" is the widely known nickname of NBA guard Allen Iverson.

On December 14, 2003, Owens scored a touchdown in a loss at Cincinnati, ran to a snow pile at the edge of the field, and threw snow at the fans.

Celebrations for Philadelphia

The "Bird Dance", "The Bird" or "Wing Flap" became T.O.'s trademark dance with the Eagles. T.O. did the "Bird Dance" frequently during the 2004 season after a big play or TD. His touchdown celebration was first imitated in the Eagles' first loss of the season at Pittsburgh. After scoring on a reverse, Hines Ward imitated T.O.'s "Bird Dance." After playing the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, New England players did a version of the "Bird Dance" with their celebrations.

He imitated and mocked the trademark pre-game ritual dance of Baltimore Ravens Ray Lewis after scoring a touchdown while playing against the Ravens in the 2004 season.

After catching a touchdown from Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb during a game in Cleveland, Owens ran through the end zone and threw the football at a sign that said, "T.O. has B.O.." After scoring another touchdown, he tore down a sign that said, "Takes One to Know One", a reference to a prior incident where he implied that Jeff Garcia (the Browns' starting quarterback at the time) was homosexual.

After scoring his 100th career touchdown in Philadelphia, he pulled a towel from his waist, folded it over his arm, and then placed the football in the palm of his hand, holding it over his shoulder and pretending to serve it up to the opposing team like a waiter would present a meal.

After scoring a touchdown against the Chicago Bears on October 3, 2004, Owens celebrated by doing six sit-ups in the end zone, one for each touchdown he had scored at that point in the 2004-2005 season.

Celebrations for Dallas

After catching a touchdown against the Washington Redskins on November 5, 2006, Owens pretended to take a nap, using the football as a pillow. This was in part response to media reports during the week that he fell asleep during team meetings. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration".

On the Thanksgiving Day game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on November 23, 2006, Owens, after catching a pass for a touchdown, dropped the ball in an oversized Salvation Army Red Kettle, donating the ball to the Salvation Army. (Since 1997, the Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day game halftime show has traditionally started the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Christmas Campaign.) About the touchdown celebration, Owens was quoted as saying, "That was my donation. I hope it's worth as much as the fine."

On December 16, 2006, Owens first introduced his trademark "T.O." symbol with his arms after scoring his second touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons. It has since become a frequent celebration after Owens scores.

On September 16, 2007, Owens mocked Bill Belichick after catching a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins, by hiding behind a field goal post and holding the football to his face in a video camera fashion, as if secretly spying and filming the game. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration". On September 19, 2007, the league fined Owens $7,500 for the celebration. According to Owens, he was only fined because he used the ball as a prop. On November 4, 2007, against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles, Owens flapped his wings, mimicking the dance he did while with the Eagles. This, coupled with Owens' tumultuous stay with the Eagles and his subsequent tenure with the Cowboys (an Eagles division rival), earned the boos of the crowd. After the game, Owens was quoted as saying, "There's a lot of love in those boos."

On November 30, 2007, Owens celebrated a touchdown on Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers by jumping on the wall behind the endzone, grabbing a fan's popcorn, and dumping it into his helmet.

On September 7, 2008, Owens celebrated his first touchdown of the 2008 NFL Season against the Cleveland Browns by preparing himself like an Olympic sprinter ready to explode out of the blocks. Fox Sports play by play man Joe Buck suggested the celebration may be homage to the Olympics and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The Cowboys were penalized 15 yards for "excessive celebration."

On September 15, 2008 in a Monday Night home game against the Eagles, T.O. scored a touchdown and ducked his head down before he got into the endzone as if mimicking a sprinter's shoulder dip at the end of a race.

Professional statistics

Team San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersPhiladelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesDallas CowboysDallas CowboysDallas CowboysBuffalo BillsCincinnati Bengals (15 years)

Year	|	G	GS	Rec		Yards	AVG	LG	TD
1996	|	16	10	35	520	14.9	46t	4
1997	|	16	15	60	936	15.6	56t	8
1998	|	16	10	67	1,097	16.4	79t	14
1999	|	14	14	60	754	12.6	36	4
2000	|	14	13	97	1,451	15.0	69t	13
2001	|	16	16	93	1,412	15.4	60t	16
2002	|	14	14	100	1,300	13.0	76t	13
2003	|	15	15	80	1,102	13.8	75t	9
2004	|	14	14	77	1,200	15.6	59t	14
2005	|	7	7	47	763	16.2	91t	6
2006	|	16	15	85	1,180	13.9	56t	13
2007	|	15	15	81	1,355	16.7	52t	15
2008	|	16	16	69	1,052	15.2	75t	10
2009	|	16	16	55	829	15.1	98t	5
2010	|	14	11	72	983	13.7	78t	9
Tot.	|	214	198	1078	15,934	14.8	98t	153

NFL records and career notables

;NFL records

* Currently, the only player in NFL history to score a receiving TD against all 32 NFL teams

* Currently, the only player in NFL history to score 2 TDs against all 32 NFL teams

* Oldest player to have a TD reception of 98+ yards (35 years, 350 days)

* Oldest player to have a TD reception of 78+ yards (36 years, 300 days)

* Oldest player to have a 200 yard receiving game (36 years, 300 days)

* Consecutive Seasons with at least 6 or more touchdowns, 2000-2010 (11) - tied with Marvin Harrison 1996-2006, Jerry Rice 1986-1996, Cris Carter 1991-2001, Tim Brown 1991-2001, Don Hutson 1935-1945

* Consecutive Seasons with at least 5 or more touchdown receptions, 2000-2010 (11) - tied with Marvin Harrison 1996-2006, Jerry Rice 1986-1996, Cris Carter 1991-2001, Tim Brown 1991-2001, Don Hutson 1935-1945

* Consecutive Seasons with at least 5 or more touchdowns, 2000-2010 (11) - tied with Marvin Harrison 1996-2006, Jerry Rice 1986-1996, Cris Carter 1991-2001, Tim Brown 1991-2001, Don Hutson 1935-1945

* Consecutive seasons with at least 4 touchdown receptions, 1996-2010 (15)

* Consecutive seasons with at least 4 touchdowns, 1996-2010 (15)

* Consecutive seasons with at least 3 touchdown receptions, 1996-2010 (15)

* Consecutive seasons with at least 3 touchdowns, 1996-2010 (15)

* Consecutive seasons with at least 500 receiving yards, 1996-2010 (15)

* Consecutive seasons with at least 750 receiving yards, 1997-2010 (14)

* Consecutive seasons with at least 40 receptions, 1997-2010 (14)

* Consecutive seasons with at least 35 receptions, 1996-2010 (15) - tied with Art Monk 1980-1994

* One of six players to have at least 2 receptions of 90+ yards (John Taylor, Mike Quick, Gaynell Tinsley, Steve Watson, and Willard Dewveall)

;Career notables

* 5th player to reach 150 touchdowns

* 6th player to reach 1,000 career receptions, 6th player to reach 100 touchdown receptions, 6th player to reach 14,000 receiving yards

* 3rd player to reach 150 touchdown receptions, 3rd player to reach 15,000 receiving yards

* Through 15 seasons, has 156 total touchdowns (153 receiving), 15,934 receiving yards, 1,078 receptions, 39 rushing attempts, 251 rushing yards, 3 rushing touchdowns, 5 kickoff returns, 23 kickoff return yards, 2 fumble recoveries, 13 fumble return yards, and 3 two point conversions

Averaged one touchdown per game in 2001, 2004, and 2007

Has had nine 1,000 yard seasons, including five consecutive (2000–2004)

Reached 100 catches in only 14 games in 2002

Led League in receiving touchdowns in 2001, 2002, and 2006

* Tied for second all-time in receiving touchdowns with Randy Moss and behind Jerry Rice

* Second all-time in receiving yards behind Jerry Rice.

* Fifth all-time in receptions behind Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Cris Carter, and Tim Brown.

* Second all-time in seasons with 13+ touchdown receptions with 7, behind Jerry Rice, who has 8.

* Tied for second all-time in seasons with 50+ receptions with 13 (Andre Reed and Tony Gonzalez), behind Jerry Rice, who has 17.

Other work

Owens is depicted in a photographic work by contemporary African-American artist Hank Willis Thomas entitled ''Liberation of T.O.: Ain't no way I'm go'n in back ta'work fa'massa in dat darn field'' (2004). The work was featured in "Frequency", the Studio Museum in Harlem's 2006 exhibition of emerging artists.

Owens rapped in a single titled "I'm Back", available for download on his website.

Outside of his football career, Owens also appeared in various commercials, television shows, and films. Owens played himself, as a wide receiver wearing #82 for the fictional Miami Sharks, in the 1999 film ''Any Given Sunday''. In 2003 he appeared in a commercial for the ESPY Awards where he caught a home run ball from Barry Bonds in McCovey Cove. Owens appeared in an episode of ''Punk'd'', starring Ashton Kutcher, which is based on his November 19, 2005 suspension.

In 2006, Owens wrote ''Little T Learns to Share'', a children's book which encourages children to share.

Owens appeared in the 2008 NBA All-Star celebrity game (wearing number 81) and scored 18 points including a dunk, the first in the game. He also became the MVP of the game, despite showing up in the middle of the second quarter missing about 12 minutes. His team was down by as much as 10 before he came but ended up winning, 51-50.

In August 2008, Owens was featured in the pilot episode of the web series FACETIME, on My Damn Channel. He and Three 6 Mafia interview each other in the episode.

In September 2008, Terrell Owens became the co-host of "Inside The Huddle", a one-hour player commentary show along with wide receiver Sam Hurd. The show was broadcast on KRLD-FM - 105.3 FM ''The Fan'', a radio station in Dallas, and regionally on Time Warner Cable, ESPN2, and Video on Demand service.

He starred in a summer 2009 reality show on VH1, dubbed ''The T.O. Show''; the show followed Owens and his "best friends and publicists" as they re-evaluated Owens' personal life.

Owens appeared in the NBA All-Star celebrity game again in 2009 scoring 17 points including two alley-oops, to secure his second consecutive MVP award.

In June 2009, Owens starred in ABC's reincarnation of The Superstars, a sports competition show from the 70s where celebrities are paired with professional athletes. The first episode is rumored to have ended in controversy, as evidenced by a leaked clip of partner supermodel Joanna Krupa calling Owens a "prima donna".

As a one-time rating sweeps week stunt, Owens replaced WKBW-TV sports anchor Jeff Russo for their 6:00 p.m. newscast on May 18, 2009.

Owens also has a breakfast cereal named after him called Terrell Owens T.O.'s Cereal.

The Superstars

On January 6, 2009, Variety reported that Juma Entertainment and Blue Entertainment Sports TV would produce a six-week series on ABC starting on June 23, 2009 featuring pairing of celebrities and athletes with one pair being eliminated each week. Principal location filming took place in the Bahamas. Owens was one of the athletes of the show paired with supermodel Joanna Krupa.

The show did nothing to help the reputation of T.O. The pair was the main attraction of the first few weeks of the competition. The show featured Joanna Krupa displeased with the performance of her teammate Owens. This occurs in the first episode, during an elimination competition involving the obstacle course in which Mr. Owens gets tangled in the cargo net obstacle and loses a race. Owens/Krupa then go into a final race to determine who goes home. Although Owens performed better this time, Cortese stayed close enough behind him that Krupa was unable to outrace Leslie and Owens/Krupa were the first team eliminated from the competition. Krupa continued to vent her frustration and disappointment in Owens' performance well after the race was over, stating that she expected better results from such a well-known athlete. They had lost a kayak race earlier. A better performance in any of the events (the duathlon, in which they finished middle-of-the-pack, two kayak races that they lost, and two obstacle course races that they lost) would have permitted them to stay in the competition. However, there was no explanation as to why Owens/Krupa with their fourth-place finish (20 points ahead of two teams that tied for fifth place) were even in a "tiebreak" situation to begin with, and the show was also silent on what tiebreaker separated the two fifth-place teams, sending one to the obstacle course automatically while putting the other in a "rubber match" kayak race against Owens/Krupa who clearly finished 20 points ahead of the fifth-place teams in the standings.

In the second episode, a team disbanded due to injury and Owens and Krupa were allowed back on the show to compete in their place. Jennifer Capriati and Dan Cortese withdrew from the competition due to injury that they sustained during the show.

The Owens and Krupa team left the show on the third episode. T.O. decided to bow out and report to Buffalo camp, citing his responsibility to his team, teammates, and Buffalo fans. He was further criticized and cursed by his partner for being a bad teammate.

The T.O. Show

In the summer of 2009 VH1 premiered The T.O. Show, which followed Terrell Owens in his personal life off the football field. The show has proven to be a ratings hit with season 1 averaged 1.5 million viewers and on September 9, 2009, VH1 announced that the show has been picked up for a second season. The series will resume production after Owens’ 2009 football season with the Buffalo Bills. He will again be faced with a professional dilemma: deciding to continue with the Bills or searching for another football team. There is also talk about pursuing ventures following the completion of his football career and following his romantic interests. Kita Williams and Monique Jackson, the other stars of the show and Terrell’s marketing and publicity experts, also return to the series providing guidance in both his personal and professional lives. As Jeff Olde the EVP of Original Programming and Production at VH1 stated, “Terrell has been a great asset to the VH1 team and we’re thrilled to have him back for another season. He is a compelling figure to watch both on and off the field and we hope to continue to watch his life evolve beyond football for many seasons to come.” On the show, Owens also expressed interest in pursuing an acting career.

References

External links

Official Website

Cincinnati Bengals Bio

The T.O. Show @ VH1.com

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American basketball players Category:American football wide receivers Category:Basketball players from Alabama Category:Buffalo Bills players Category:Chattanooga Mocs basketball players Category:Chattanooga Mocs football players Category:Cincinnati Bengals players Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Moorestown Township, New Jersey Category:People from Tallapoosa County, Alabama Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Players of American football from Alabama Category:San Francisco 49ers players

da:Terrell Owens pdc:Terrell Owens de:Terrell Owens es:Terrell Owens fr:Terrell Owens it:Terrell Owens fi:Terrell Owens

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Donovan McNabb
Width	250px
Currentteam	Minnesota Vikings
Currentnumber	5
Currentpositionplain	Quarterback
Birth date	November 25, 1976
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois
Heightft	6
Heightin	2
Weight	240
College	Syracuse
Draftyear	1999
Draftround	1
Draftpick	2
Debutyear	1999
Debutteam	Philadelphia Eagles
Pastteams	Philadelphia Eagles (–) Washington Redskins () Minnesota Vikings (–present)
Status	Active
Highlights	6× Pro Bowl selection (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009) 1× All-Pro selection (2004) NFC Offensive Player of the Year (2004) Super Bowl XXXIX Appearance Philadelphia Eagles 75th Anniversary Team Ranked 100 on NFL Network's NFL's Top 100 Players of 2011 3× Big East Offensive Player of the Year (1996-1998) Syracuse All-Century Football Team NFC's Player of the Month 9/05 Big East's Offensive Player of the Decade for the 1990s Big East Rookie of the Year 2008 Pudding Pie Award winner FedEx Air Player of the Week (Week 1 of 2008 season)
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	TD–INT
Statvalue1	230-115
Statlabel2	Passing yards
Statvalue2	36,250
Statlabel3	Passer rating
Statvalue3	85.7
Statlabel4	Rushing attempts
Statvalue4	602
Statlabel5	Rushing yards
Statvalue5	3,400
Statlabel6	Rushing touchdowns
Statvalue6	28
Nfl	MCN017517
Pfr	McNaDo00 }}

Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins. In college, McNabb played football and basketball for Syracuse University. The Eagles selected him as the second overall pick of the 1999 NFL Draft.

McNabb led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC East division championships (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004), five NFC Championship Games (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2008), and one Super Bowl (Super Bowl XXXIX, in which the Eagles were defeated by the New England Patriots). Perhaps his most memorable play has become known as "4th and 26", which took place against the Green Bay Packers in the final minutes of a 2003 NFC Divisional playoff game.

He is the Eagles' all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.

Early years

McNabb was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and he attended Mt. Carmel High School where, as a sophomore he was a teammate of future NFL Players Simeon Rice and Matt Cushing, as they helped Mount Carmel win the 1991 State Championship over Wheaton Central. As a senior, he led the team to a Chicago Prep Bowl championship. McNabb also excelled in track and field during his high school years, and played on the school basketball team with Antoine Walker.

College career

Though McNabb was approached by recruiters from numerous colleges, only two schools—Syracuse University and the University of Nebraska—offered him scholarships to play as quarterback. He initially leaned toward attending Nebraska, as he relished the idea of being coached by Tom Osborne. Eventually, however, he decided to attend Syracuse, principally because he wanted to prove he was a competent "pocket passer", but also for academic reasons.

After redshirting in 1994, his first year at Syracuse, McNabb went on to start every game during his college career, compiling a 35–14 record. As a freshman, he completed the longest touchdown pass in Syracuse's history—a 96-yard throw against West Virginia University—in a game where he accounted for 354 total yards of offense; he was named the Big East Conference's rookie of the year at the end of the season. McNabb amassed 2,892 yards of total offense in his junior season to set a school record. As a senior, he led Syracuse to a berth in the Orange Bowl against Florida as he completed 157 of 251 passes (62.5%) for 2,134 yards; he also pushed the eventual champions, the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers, to the limit in a very close game. His 22 touchdown passes tied the school's single season record, set by former Eagle Don McPherson in 1987. McNabb also rushed 135 times for 438 yards and 8 touchdowns. He ranked sixth in the nation with a 158.9 passing efficiency rating and 22nd in total offense, with 233.8 yards per game. He tied a school record with 4 touchdown passes against Cincinnati, and scored 5 touchdowns against Miami (3 rushing and 2 passing).

McNabb was named the Big East's offensive player of the decade for the 1990s, and Big East Offensive Player of the Year an unprecedented three times from 1996–98, as well as the first-team all-conference vote earner in each of his four seasons. Later, he was named to the Syracuse All-Century Football team. He also spent two years as a reserve on the school's nationally ranked basketball team, including the 1996 squad that lost to Kentucky in the National Championship game.

McNabb was also a walk-on for two seasons for the Syracuse basketball team under legendary head coach Jim Boeheim.

;Big East records 1st - touchdown passes (77) 2nd - touchdowns responsible for (96) behind Pat White 5th - passing yards (8,389) 3rd - total offensive yards (9,950) behind Matt Grothe and Pat White 1st - total offensive plays (1,403)

;Syracuse University records

1st - total yards per game (221.1)

1st - passing efficiency (155.1)

1st - yards per attempt (9.1)

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

1999: Rookie season

McNabb was drafted second overall by the Eagles, behind first pick Tim Couch, in the 1999 NFL Draft, a choice which was famously booed by Philadelphia fans present at the draft, most of whom were pushing for their team to draft University of Texas running back Ricky Williams. McNabb was the second of five quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks of a quarterback-rich class that was at that point considered the best quarterback draft since the famous Class of 1983. However, only McNabb and Daunte Culpepper would go on to have successful careers in the NFL (Tim Couch struggled with the Cleveland Browns and officially retired in 2007 after being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars in a failed comeback bid while Akili Smith and Cade McNown were out of the NFL by 2002.) and by 2006 only McNabb was still with the team that originally drafted him.

McNabb saw his first NFL regular season action in the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 19-5 home loss on September 19. He made his first career start at home against Washington on November 14, completing 8 of 21 passes for 60 yards in a 35-28 win. He also had nine carries for 49 rushing yards and led the team to a pair of successful two-point conversions (one rush and one pass). He was the first Eagles rookie to start at quarterback since Brad Goebel, and the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start since John Reaves in 1972. With the win, McNabb became the first Eagles rookie quarterback to win his first NFL start since Mike Boryla (December 1, 1974 against Green Bay) and the first Eagle quarterback to win his first start since Ty Detmer (October 13, 1996 against New York Giants).

McNabb threw the first touchdown pass of his career (six yards to tight end Chad Lewis) vs. Indianapolis in a 44-17 home loss on November 21, 1999. McNabb went on to start six of the Eagles' final seven contests (missing the December 19 home game against New England, a 24-9 victory, due to injury).

2000–03: McNabb becomes a star

In his first full season as a NFL starter in 2000, McNabb finished second in the Associated Press MVP voting (24-11) to St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk, who set the NFL record for most touchdowns scored in a season. McNabb made his prime time debut on ESPN against Atlanta at home on October 1, with his first 300-yard passing game in a 38-10 victory and the Eagles' first 300-yard passer since Bobby Hoying against the Cincinnati Bengals at home on November 30, 1997. McNabb's 55 pass attempts at Pittsburgh in a come-from-behind 26-23 overtime victory on November 12 were a career high and the fourth-highest total in team history. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 90.7% of the offense in a 23–20 victory at Washington on November 26. His 125 rushing yards were the most by an NFL quarterback since the Chicago Bears' Bobby Douglass (127 on December 17, 1972) and was the sixth-best rushing effort by a quarterback since 1940 when the T formation was introduced. He threw for a career-high 390 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 35-24 victory at Cleveland on December 10 en route to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. McNabb led the Eagles to their first playoff appearance since 1996, where they defeated the favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21–3 before losing to the New York Giants 20–10.

McNabb was selected as a first alternate to the NFC Pro Bowl squad in 2000 (behind Daunte Culpepper, Jeff Garcia, and Kurt Warner). When Warner was unable to participate due to injury, McNabb took his spot and led the NFC on a touchdown scoring drive in his first series. He accounted for 74.6% of the team's total net yards in 2000. Only Carolina's Steve Beuerlein (75.3%) and San Francisco's Garcia (75.1%) had a higher percentage. His 629 rushing yards in 2000 were the highest among NFL quarterbacks and, at the time, the fourth-highest total ever (968 by Bobby Douglass in 1972; 942 by Randall Cunningham in 1990; and 674 by Steve McNair in 1997. Michael Vick has since eclipsed that total three times). His six rushing touchdowns in 2000 were the most by an Eagles quarterback since Randall Cunningham, who also had six in 1988. McNabb broke the club's single season record for most attempts (569) and completions (330) in 2000, marks previously set by Cunningham (560 and 301 respectively) in 1988. He was named 2000 NFL Player of the Year by CBS Radio and the Terry (Bradshaw) Awards on Fox Sports and was named to the All-Madden team.

McNabb led the Eagles in fourth-quarter comebacks in two wins vs. the Giants in 2001. At the Meadowlands on October 22, his 18-yard pass to James Thrash with 1:52 remaining gave the Eagles a 10-9 victory. He wiped out a 21-14 deficit on December 30, engineering two fourth-quarter scores as the Eagles clinched the NFC East title with a 24-21 over archrival New York Giants. His eight career playoff touchdowns trails only Ron Jaworski (9). He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Week after the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Chicago on January 19, 2002, completing 26-of-40 for 262 yards and two touchdowns passing and adding 37 yards and a touchdown on the ground, which was also the final touchdown at the old Soldier Field. He became only the fourth quarterback in Eagles history to pass for 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons - Sonny Jurgensen (1961–62), Ron Jaworski (1980–81), and Randall Cunningham (1988–90) were the others. McNabb's Eagles advanced to the NFC championship game for the first time since 1980, losing to the heavily favored St. Louis Rams.

McNabb earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl (was originally elected as an alternate) following the 2001 season after combining for 3,715 yards of total offense and establishing career highs in touchdown passes (25) and quarterback rating (84.3). Including playoffs, he threw touchdown passes in 15 of 18 games and two-or-more in 12 of those games. He was named by his teammates as the club's offensive MVP in 2000 and 2001. During the off-season, McNabb signed a new contract with the Eagles worth $115 million over 12 years, with a $20.5 million signing bonus.

In week 11 of the 2002 season, McNabb suffered a broken ankle. On the third play of the game against the Arizona Cardinals, he was sacked by the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson and LeVar Woods. He fumbled the ball, fell to the ground, and held his right leg. He went to the locker room to have his ankle taped, but returned for the Eagles' second drive. His injury was reported to be a sprained ankle, but X-rays after the game revealed that McNabb had broken his fibula in three places. During the game, however, he was 20-of-25 passing, with 255 yards and four touchdowns. McNabb was out for the last six weeks of the regular season. A dominant defense helped A. J. Feeley and Koy Detmer go a combined 5-1 to finish the season. McNabb returned to face the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs, but he recovered slowly. The Eagles defeated the Falcons 20–6, but were upset at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27–10 in the NFC championship game.

In late September 2003, McNabb was the subject of very controversial comments made by Rush Limbaugh, who worked as a commentator for ESPN at the time, stating that McNabb was overrated and that, "I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well". The comments came after the Eagles began the season 0–2, losing to defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and eventual champion New England, both losses coming in their newly opened stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. There had been much discussion about the merit of these comments, which resulted in Limbaugh's resignation from ESPN. Football writer Allen Barra argued that Limbaugh's comments were in line with McNabb's statistical performance at the time.

Despite the slow beginning in the 2003 season, McNabb again led his team to the NFC Championship game. Although the slow start hindered his overall statistics for 2003, McNabb had the highest quarterback rating (97.5) in the NFL for the second half of the season and also completed over 62% of his passes for over eight yards per attempt. With Philadelphia's 14–3 home loss to the underdog Carolina Panthers in the 2003 NFC championship game, McNabb became the first NFL quarterback since Danny White of the Dallas Cowboys (1980–1982) to lead a team to three consecutive defeats in conference title games, prompting some observers to conclude that McNabb "chokes" in big games (his cumulative passer rating in the three conference championship games was 50.5 - a figure that is approximately 10 points lower than what the worst quarterback in the league earns over the course of a typical year). McNabb was knocked out of the NFC title game after being hit on the ground by Panthers' linebacker Will Witherspoon after he had been tripped up on a broken play.

McNabb's defenders, however, argue that Philadelphia had the worst contingent of wide receivers in the NFL throughout McNabb's tenure with the team up to that point, and perhaps in modern professional football history. In 2003, for example, Philadelphia's wide receivers caught only five touchdown passes - tying the record for fewest in a season since the regular-season schedule was lengthened to its present 16 games in 1978 and that, by going the entire months of September and October without having a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass, the 2003 Eagles became the first NFL team since 1945 not to have gotten a touchdown pass from any of its wide receivers in the first two months of a season.

2004: Super Bowl XXXIX

McNabb finally amassed the kind of numbers that placed him firmly as one of the elite NFL quarterbacks statistically. He averaged 8.26 yards per attempt, completed 64.0 percent of his passes, threw 31 touchdown passes (he also ran for three more), and only eight interceptions. These numbers translated to a passer rating of 104.7. Furthermore, he became the first quarterback in league history to throw over 30 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in a single season. This dramatic improvement coincided with a massive upgrading of the Eagles' receiving corps, namely the arrival of Terrell Owens, who caught 14 touchdowns. As a result, the Eagles won their first seven games of the season for the first time in franchise history, clinched first place in their division with five weeks still to play in the regular season (becoming only the third team in modern NFL history to do this) and won the NFC's Eastern Division by a record-tying seven-game margin in posting a 13-3 record, the franchise's best 16-game season ever.

McNabb's finest moment of the season and of his career came that year in a week 13 game with fellow Super Bowl contenders the Green Bay Packers. After starting the game completing his first 14 passes (an NFL record), he led the Eagles to a 47-17 blowout victory. McNabb passed for an Eagles record 464 yards and 5 touchdowns, which all came in the first half. In 2010, it was ranked #1 by Eagles fans as the 'game of the decade.'

In the playoffs, McNabb led the Eagles to their second Super Bowl trip ever, with victories over the Minnesota Vikings 27-14 and Atlanta Falcons 27-10. Owens was not in the lineup during the two playoff victories, and was recovering from a broken ankle. McNabb became only the third African-American quarterback to start in a Super Bowl after Doug Williams in the 1987 season and Steve McNair in 1999.

McNabb led his team against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX. McNabb struggled at times, throwing three crucial interceptions. Two of these were thrown in New England territory, and one of those two was inside the twenty-yard line. The final interception was during a last-gasp Hail Mary at the end of the game. He was also sacked four times. Controversy surrounded the end of the game, as center Hank Fraley claimed that McNabb was seriously ill. Wide receiver Freddie Mitchell claimed that he had to call a few plays due to McNabb's illness. However, in an interview with NBC, McNabb said he was not sick and did not throw up. He just said he was tired. Some reports claim that McNabb had the wind knocked out of him by an earlier hit while others assert that he was unduly fatigued (interestingly, McNabb also suffered from a bout of nausea at the conclusion of a 2002 regular-season game played at Alltel Stadium, where Super Bowl XXXIX was contested). An article written by a staff member of the Philadelphia Inquirer refuted allegations of McNabb throwing up during the Super Bowl and even labeled the alleged incident "a myth". Both head coach Andy Reid and McNabb have denied any physical problems that led to the puzzlingly slow pace of play, but they did not address mental problems. McNabb finished the game with 30 completions for 357 yards, the third highest total for both categories in Super Bowl history, and three touchdowns. The Eagles lost 24–21.

2005–07: Injuries and criticism

McNabb's 2005 season began with turmoil and ended on the injured reserve list. Terrell Owens had called out McNabb repeatedly since the Super Bowl XXXIX loss and refused to speak with McNabb. Despite not speaking with his main target and all the distractions that came with the Owens controversy, McNabb managed to be named the NFC's Player of the Month for September. That month, McNabb threw for 964 yards, eight touchdowns and only two interceptions in three games, leading the Eagles to a 2-1 record. McNabb carried that momentum into October as he went 33-for-48 (68.8 completion percentage), threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns en route to leading the Eagles to a memorable come-from-behind victory at an unfriendly Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs. McNabb could not keep the momentum rolling, however, as the Eagles lost four straight games. Over that span, McNabb posted a quarterback rating higher than 72 only once, on November 6, at the Washington Redskins. After playing with a sports hernia and sore thumb, McNabb's season was finally over after a disastrous effort at home on November 14 on Monday night against the rival Dallas Cowboys. McNabb was intercepted by Roy Williams towards the end of the game, and tried to tackle the defender when Scott Shanle came in and tackled McNabb to the ground. McNabb had injured his groin on the play and was placed on the injured reserve list later that week. Mike McMahon replaced him at quarterback, and went 2–5 as a starter, with the Eagles finishing the season with a 6–10 record overall. Though low for his standards, McNabb put up respectable numbers in 2005. In nine games, he threw for 2,507 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. To go along with that, he completed 59.1% (211-357) of his passes. Prior to his season-ending injury, McNabb was on pace to throw for 4,457 yards, which would have easily eclipsed his career high of 3,875, set in 2004.

McNabb and the Eagles began the 2006 season at 5-4 heading into a week 11 game with Tennessee Titans on November 19. At that point, McNabb had been having an up-and-down season. His weekly passing ratings ranged from a lofty 113 all the way down to 65. Overall, the team was struggling. During the game, McNabb tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in his right knee while jumping out of bounds, ending his season, the third time in five years McNabb had gone down with six or more games remaining in the regular season. Eagles officials stated that his rehabilitation would likely last eight to twelve months, which completely ended his 2006 season and even raised questions as to whether he would be ready to begin playing by the beginning of the 2007 season. In the meantime, veteran backup quarterback Jeff Garcia took McNabb's place as the Eagles' starting quarterback. Garcia had success, leading the Eagles from 5-5 after the Tennessee game to 10-6 and winners of the NFC East Division. The Eagles went on to win their home playoff game in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the New York Giants, 23-20, with Garcia under center. However, in the following divisional round they were beaten by the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome, 27-24.

Having played nearly up to full speed in the preseason games, it was decided that McNabb would return to the field several months short of the full year-long recovery expected of an ACL injury. In the season-opener at Green Bay, the Eagles and McNabb suffered a 16-13 loss. McNabb had his share of problems, completing less than half of his passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. The Eagles lost their first home game of the season to the rival Washington Redskins, 20-12, though his numbers improved. As week 3 approached, skeptics had already wondered whether McNabb still had his skill that propelled him to success in the past. The Eagles defeated the Detroit Lions in a 56-21 win in week 3. McNabb completed 21 out of his 26 attempted passes for 381 yards. Four of those passes went for touchdowns (three of them went to Kevin Curtis). His brilliant performance against the Lions was highlighted by his first perfect (158.3) quarterback rating game. However, week 4 did not prove to be as good as the Eagles thought it would be. The Eagles endured yet another loss, this time to the New York Giants. The Giants' defense, led by defensive end Osi Umenyiora, sacked McNabb a record-tying 12 times. McNabb completed 15 out of 31 attempted passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns. In the week 6 game against the Jets, McNabb completed 22 out of 36 attempted passes for 278 yards total. McNabb also had a touchdown pass to Curtis, plus one interception. With the help of placekicker David Akers, the Eagles went on to win, 16–9. McNabb had stated before the Dallas Cowboys game that the NFC East title went through Philadelphia, so Dallas responded with a 38-17 win on ''Sunday Night Football''. Against the Redskins, McNabb completed a high percentage of passes and ended with a quarterback rating of 138.5 in a tough win. In the week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins, McNabb sprained his ankle and injured his right (throwing side) thumb. As a result, McNabb had been ruled out for the game against the New England Patriots, and was replaced by A. J. Feeley, who, although gave a valiant effort through two games, came up short. Feeley threw seven interceptions in two games (four coming in the opening and closing drives of both games). During a win against the Cowboys, sideline reporter Pam Oliver reported during the game that McNabb indicated that he did not expect to be back in Philadelphia for the 2008 season. McNabb later indicated that this was not true, and stated that although he believed rookie Kevin Kolb's time would come, he would be an Eagle the next season.

2008: Rebirth

At the conclusion of the 2007 season, McNabb faced criticism for asking for "playmakers" on his yardbarker blog. He did, however, deny he was taking a shot at anyone in particular, saying "We were 8–8. There is room for improvement."

McNabb caused another mild stir in camp when he suggested that the Eagles should not have lost a game to any of their NFC East opponents the previous season. He felt that they were just a few plays away from being a playoff team. He even went on to say, "I still put us at the top of the NFC." In week 1 of the 2008 NFL season, McNabb threw for 361 yards (the most of any quarterback that week) and three touchdowns which included a 90-yard toss to Hank Baskett at the end of the second quarter. This performance led to him receiving the FedEx Air Player of the Week award. In week 3 against the Steelers, McNabb threw his 176th career touchdown, passing Ron Jaworski and becoming the Eagles' all-time touchdown pass leader.

McNabb set a career-high with 58 passing attempts (completing 28), and tied a career-high with three interceptions in the NFL's first tie game in six years, when the Eagles played the Cincinnati Bengals. McNabb later admitted that he was not aware that an NFL game could end in a tie after the 13–13 game.

After the tie, McNabb struggled in a game against the Baltimore Ravens, going 8-of-18 for 54 yards with two interceptions, a fumble and being sacked twice. In the second half, Andy Reid decided to go with Kevin Kolb, who was in his second year in the league. This was McNabb's first time being benched for something other than injury or a meaningless game. In the game, Kolb threw an interception that was returned 108 yards for a touchdown by safety Ed Reed, breaking the record he previously held for longest interception returned for a touchdown.

In the next game against the Arizona Cardinals on primetime on Thanksgiving, McNabb was able to come back, completing 27-of-39 passes for 260 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, defeating the Cardinals 48–20.

On December 7, McNabb went 19-for-30 with 191 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 20 yards in a 20–14 win over the New York Giants.

Despite his up-and-down season, McNabb helped the Eagles reach the playoffs for the seventh time in his nine seasons as a starter. He also set a career-high with 3,916 yards passing and led the Eagles to a franchise-record 416 points. The Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 44–6 in the final week of the regular season to clinch the final playoff berth in the NFC. In the wild card round, McNabb threw for 300 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown to Brian Westbrook, to lead Philadelphia to a 26–14 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

On January 11, 2009, McNabb led the Eagles past the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Eagles won 23–11 (it was the first ever NFL game to finish with the score of 23-11) and advanced to the NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals, whom they had beaten earlier in the season. In the game, McNabb was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct when, after being tackled into the Giants' sideline after a lengthy run, he picked up the Giants' coaching phone in jest.

On January 18, McNabb and his Eagles were defeated by the Arizona Cardinals 32–25 in the NFC Conference Championship, ending their season. McNabb threw for 375 yards on 47 attempts, with three touchdowns, and one interception off a deflected pass, most of this in the second half after his Eagles only managed 6 points to the Cardinals' 24 in the first half. McNabb also ran for 31 yards on two carries. Despite his excellent second-half performance, McNabb was criticized by the television broadcast commentators and other media sources for accuracy problems during downs and series of consequence.

2009

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Eagles picked Missouri Tigers star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin to add to McNabb's receiving corps, with Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson.

In the season-opener, McNabb led the Eagles to a 38-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. McNabb completed 10 of his 18 passes for a total of 79 yards and two touchdowns. However, Andy Reid said the following Monday that McNabb broke a rib while rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Eagles were hopeful McNabb would start in the week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints, however he was kept on the sidelines in both week 2 and week 3. Kevin Kolb replaced him, and the Eagles lost to the Saints, but beat the Chiefs the next week. Following the Eagles bye week in week 4, McNabb returned in the week 5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completing 16 of his 21 attempts for 264 yards and three touchdowns and being responsible for 210 of the 219 yards that the Eagles offense managed in total in the first half.

McNabb reached 200 career touchdowns and 30,000 career yards passed in a win against the Washington Redskins on October 26, 2009 with a 45-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson.

In week 11, McNabb returned to his hometown of Chicago for a ''Sunday Night Football'' matchup against the Chicago Bears. McNabb went 23-for-32, throwing for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as he led a fourth quarter comeback to win the game 24-20 and keep the Eagles playoff hopes alive as they improved their record to 6-4.

Again, in week 12, the Eagles faced the Washington Redskins as McNabb led yet another fourth quarter comeback, improving the Eagles to 7-4 with a 27-24 win. McNabb passed 21-for-35 with 260 yards and a touchdown.

In week 13, McNabb led the Eagles to a 34-7 rout of the Atlanta Falcons, passing for 238 yards and TD and helped reintroduce Michael Vick to the league, allowing him to score a passing and rushing TD. The following week, McNabb led the Eagles to another close victory over the New York Giants, passing for 2 TDs and 275 yards in a shootout, leading the Eagles on top 45-38.

In week 15, McNabb secured a playoff bid for the Eagles with a victory over San Francisco, throwing for 306 yards, but also threw two poor passes for interceptions, which raised questions about his accuracy and decision-making.

In week 16, McNabb was able to win yet another close game against the Denver Broncos led by the return of former Eagle Brian Dawkins, throwing for 322 yards and 3 touchdowns, in which he put on a strong first half performance and put on a significant lead over Denver, but struggled the second half as Denver was able to tie the game at 27-27. However, McNabb was able to execute a final game-winning drive, finished off with sideline pass and impressive catch by Jeremy Maclin to set up the game winning field goal, winning the game 30-27 for Philadelphia and improving their record to 11-4.

In the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles were presented with a golden opportunity to improve their record to 12-4, clinch the NFC East, secure the 2nd seed, and earn a first round bye. However, starting Center Jamaal Jackson went down with a season-ending torn ACL. McNabb found it difficult to adjust to Jackson's replacement Nick Cole and it showed, as he fumbled a snap to take the Eagles out of a scoring drive. He also overthrew DeSean Jackson on a fly pattern that would have given Philadelphia an early touchdown. The Eagles would lose the season finale in a humiliating blowout of 24-0 to Dallas, ending their 6 game winning streak, giving the division to Dallas and falling to the 6th seed, with a record of 11-5. McNabb was criticized for missing crucial opportunities and was speculated to be on the hot seat in next week's rematch with Dallas in the wild-card round of the post-season.

However, the wild-card rematch with Dallas would prove to be just as disastrous, if not worse. McNabb struggled early on and was unable to get the offense into a rhythm until it was too late. His lone score came in the second half off a meaningless touchdown to DeSean Jackson. Philadelphia would fall 34-14 to Dallas, marking the first time McNabb had ever lost a first-round playoff game. Despite there being many factors in Philadelphia's loss, such as the horrible play of the defense, lack of sufficient protection along the offensive line, and costly turnovers by Michael Vick and Leonard Weaver, McNabb was heavily criticized for the loss for failure to rally the team early and holding onto the ball for too long. Despite having had arguably one of his best seasons statistically in 2009, McNabb began to face criticism and speculation about his future with the Eagles. Many also criticized a scene of him emerging from the Cowboys stadium tunnel, dancing and playing air-guitar and concluded that he was not a serious leader and contender and called for his replacement by the seemingly more serious Kevin Kolb.

Washington Redskins

2010

In the press conference following the Eagles' loss to Dallas, and even up to April 1, Andy Reid stated that McNabb would remain the starting quarterback in Philadelphia for the 2010 season. However, on April 4, the Eagles traded McNabb to the Washington Redskins in return for a second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and a conditional third- or fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

In the first week of the 2010 season, McNabb and head coach Mike Shanahan led the Redskins to victory over the Dallas Cowboys. In week 2, McNabb nearly engineered a victory over the Houston Texans, passing for 426 yards (second most of his career), but came up just short of a victory when the Texans prevailed 30-27 in overtime. In week 4, on October 3, McNabb played against the Eagles for the first time, returning with the Redskins to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Although McNabb posted only pedestrian statistics, the Redskins won 17-12. During pre-game introductions, McNabb received a standing ovation from Eagles fans, then hugged former coach Andy Reid at their post-game handshake.

In week 5, McNabb struggled for the first three quarters, but rallied the Redskins to a 16-13 overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field. He was 26-49 for 357 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In week 6, McNabb was 29-45 for 246 yards. He threw one touchdown and was intercepted twice, with the second interception coming on fourth down in the last minute of the fourth quarter against the visiting Indianapolis Colts. The Redskins fell to the Colts 27-24. McNabb's passer rating was 67.5.

In week 8, the Redskins played against the Detroit Lions. When the Redskins were losing 30-25 in the fourth quarter with 3:12 left, Shanahan benched McNabb for the two-minute drill in favor of backup quarterback Rex Grossman. On his first play Grossman fumbled the ball, which was recovered for a touchdown by Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, sealing the Lions' victory of 37-25. Shanahan stated in a press conference that McNabb would remain the Redskins' starting quarterback. On November 15, 2010 McNabb signed a five-year extension worth $78 million ($3.5 million guaranteed) with a chance to make it $88 million by completing incentives. If McNabb is not cut by the completion of the 2010 season the Redskins will owe Mcnabb a $10 million bonus. The same day his Redskins suffered an embarrassing 59-28 defeat by his former team, the Eagles, at home on Monday Night Football. On December 17, 2010, head coach Mike Shanahan relegated McNabb to the 3rd quarterback position for the rest of this season, stating that he wanted to evaluate backup Rex Grossman in game play. McNabb had his worst year of his career since 1999, going down about 10-15 in passing rating from the last 7 years. McNabb also went down in touchdowns, up in interceptions, and down in passing yards and completion percentage. Redskins head coach, Mike Shanahan, stated that there is no guarantee that McNabb will have a starting position in the 2011-2012 NFL season.

Minnesota Vikings

2011

On July 27, 2011 the Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings came to an agreement on terms for a trade. After reconstructing his contract, McNabb was traded to Minnesota in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2013. McNabb had been rumored as a possible addition to the Vikings for the past three years, in part due to his relationship with then-coach Brad Childress, the former Eagles Offensive Coordinator. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe agreed to give McNabb his no. 5 jersey, in exchange for a $5,000 donation to Kick for a Cure, McNabb to promote Kluwe's band "Tripping Icarus" during a press conference, and an ice cream cone.

NFL year-by-year statistics

PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI PHI WAS

!Year	!Team	!Games	!Games Started	!Attempts	!Completions	!Completion %	!Yards	!Yards/Attempt	!Touchdowns	!Interceptions	!Rating
1999	|	12	6	216	106	49.1	948	4.9	8	7	60.1
2000	|	16	16	569	330	58.0	3,365	5.91	21	13	77.8
2001	|	16	16	493	285	57.8	3,233	6.56	25	12	84.3
2002	|	10	10	361	211	58.4	2,289	6.34	17	6	86.0
2003	|	16	16	478	275	57.5	3,216	6.73	16	11	79.6
2004	|	15	15	469	300	64.0	3,875	8.26	31	8	104.7
2005	|	9	9	357	211	59.1	2,507	7.00	16	9	85.0
2006	|	10	10	316	180	57.0	2,647	8.36	18	6	95.5
2007	|	14	14	473	291	61.5	3,324	7.00	19	7	89.9
2008	|	16	16	571	345	60.4	3,916	6.90	23	11	86.4
2009	|	14	14	443	267	60.3	3,553	8.00	22	10	92.9
2010	|	12	12	437	253	57.9	3,377	7.2	14	15	77.1
Totals	|	154	148	5,054	2,977	58.9	35,139	7.0	225	111	85.8
Playoffs	|	12	12	419	249	59.4	2,630	6.26	18	12	80.1

McNabb has totaled 3,341 yards on 587 carries and 28 touchdowns rushing in his career, along with 362 yards on 63 attempts and three touchdowns in the playoffs.

McNabb holds the record for most consecutive pass attempts completed with 24 over two games in 2004 against the New York Giants (his final 10 passes on November 28, 2004) and Green Bay Packers (his first 14 passes on December 5, 2004). Mark Brunell and David Carr hold the record for most consecutive completed passes in a single game with 22. McNabb also completed 25 consecutive passes against the San Diego Chargers on October 23, 2005, but this record is not counted by the NFL as it included a spiking of the ball to stop the clock at the end of the half. The 2005 game was also noteworthy for Coach Reid calling for McNabb to have 25 pass attempts in a row, without interruption by a running play.

Through the 2010-11 NFL season, McNabb ranks fourth best all-time in career interception percentage (2.20%) among NFL quarterbacks. Among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts, only Aaron Rodgers (1.99%), Neil O'Donnell (2.11%), and Tom Brady (2.19%) have a lower career interception percentage than McNabb.

NFL records

Most consecutive pass completions, 24; vs New York Giants, Nov. 28, 2004; vs Green Bay Packers, Dec. 5, 2004

Second-best touchdown-to-interception ratio of all time, (209-96, 2.18) behind Tom Brady (217-92, 2.36)

First NFL Quarterback ever to throw for more than 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions (2004)

One of five quarterbacks of all time to have over 30,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards (alongside Steve Young, Fran Tarkenton, Steve McNair, and John Elway)

Currently the third-highest winning percentage among active quarterbacks (83-45-1, .647) behind Peyton Manning (119-59-0, .669) and Tom Brady (88-25-0, .779)

20th most passing attempts by a quarterback of all time

Eagles records

Most Career Attempts (4,303)

Most Pass Completions (2534)

Most Passing Yards (29,320)

Most Passing Touchdowns (203)

Most Single-Season Completions (345, 2008 season)

Most Single-Season Yards (3,916, 2008 season)

Most NFC Championship Appearances (5)

Personal

McNabb and his college sweetheart, Raquel Ann Sarah "Roxie" Nurse, were married in June 2003. They have four children: daughter Alexis, who was born in 2004, twins Sariah and Donovan Jr. who were born in 2008 and Devin James who was born in 2009. The family splits its time between homes in Moorestown Township, New Jersey, an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, and Chandler, Arizona.

In 2002, McNabb, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in speech communication from Syracuse University, was named to the institution's Board of Trustees; he is one of the youngest trustees to have served there. It is stated on his website that he plans to use his speech communication degree when his playing days are over to become a broadcaster.

McNabb's parents, Sam and Wilma McNabb, have gained fame appearing as themselves in a series of Campbell's Chunky Soup commercials. Actress Marcella Lowery has played McNabb's mother on occasion. Wilma is also a vice president of the NFL Mothers' Association, the executive director of the Donovan McNabb Foundation, and runs McNabb Unlimited, which oversees Donovan's endorsements.

McNabb also played basketball at Syracuse University as a reserve guard. In the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament national championship game against the University of Kentucky Wildcats, McNabb played against his former high school teammate Antoine Walker.

See also

List of NFL Quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards

List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating

List of 300-Yard Passing Games by NFL Quarterbacks

References

External links

Yardbarker Blog

Minnesota Vikings bio

Category:1976 births Category:African American basketball players Category:African American players of American football Category:American football quarterbacks Category:Living people Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:Parade High School All-Americans (football) Category:Players of American football from Illinois Category:People from Chandler, Arizona Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Moorestown Township, New Jersey Category:People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Philadelphia Eagles players Category:Players of American football from New Jersey Category:Syracuse Orange football players Category:Syracuse Orange men's basketball players Category:Washington Redskins players

da:Donovan McNabb de:Donovan McNabb es:Donovan McNabb fr:Donovan McNabb ja:ドノバン・マクナブ pt:Donovan McNabb simple:Donovan McNabb fi:Donovan McNabb

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Erin Andrews
birthname	Erin Jill Andrews
birth date	May 04, 1978
birth place	Lewiston, Maine
education	University of Florida
occupation	ESPN Broadcaster/''Good Morning America'' Correspondent
url	http://erinandrews.com }}

Erin Jill Andrews (born May 4, 1978) is an American sportscaster, known for her beauty. In 2007 and 2008, she was voted "America's Sexiest Sportscaster" by ''Playboy'' magazine.

Biography

Andrews was born in Lewiston, Maine to Stephen and Paula Andrews. She moved to Tampa, Florida as a young girl when her father, a six-time Emmy Award-winner, began working as an investigative journalist for WFLA-TV. After attending Bloomingdale High School near Tampa, Andrews graduated in 2000 from the University of Florida with a degree in telecommunications. While there, she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. Andrews was also a member of the Dazzlers, the Gator basketball dance team, from 1997–2000. She also has a younger sister Kendra Andrews, who is a professional dancer. Her sister appeared in the movie ''Step Up 3D'' and made an appearance on an episode of the TV show ''House'' titled "After Hours".

Sportscasting career

In 2000, Andrews began work as a freelance reporter with FSN Florida. In 2001 she moved on to the Sunshine Network, serving as a Tampa Bay Lightning reporter, and in 2002 she served as a studio host and part-time reporter for Turner Sports, covering the Atlanta Braves and college football for TBS and the Atlanta Thrashers and Hawks for Turner South.

In May 2004, she became a reporter for ESPN's National Hockey League coverage. Since then, she has served as sideline reporter for their college football Saturday telecast as well as their ''Saturday Primetime'' and Big Ten college basketball coverage. In 2005, her job expanded to include Major League Baseball sideline reporting. She also reports on Great Outdoor Games, men's college baseball, and the College World Series.

On July 8, 2009, Andrews was struck on the chin by a foul ball hit by Alex Cora of the New York Mets. She was rushed to the hospital, but she only suffered bruises.

It was announced that starting in late 2010, Andrews will host ESPN's ''College Gameday'' from 9:00am to 10:00am on Saturdays on ESPNU and be a ''Good Morning America'' correspondent.

Invasion of privacy incident

On July 16, 2009, a video posted on the site "NSFW POA" hinted that a naked blonde woman videotaped through a hotel peephole was a popular sports personality. In the video, the woman was seen curling her hair unclothed in front of the mirror. The next day, Andrews authorized her attorney to issue a statement via PRN news writer verifying that she was the woman in the video, and that the video was made without her knowledge or consent. The video was removed from sites that had posted it and an investigation was launched. This incident was also heavily reported in the international media.

On September 11, 2009, Andrews appeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' in what Andrews called her "first and last interview" about the situation. Andrews described the situation as a "nightmare", and stated that at the time she discovered the video she believed her career would end.

On October 2, 2009, the FBI announced the arrest of a Chicago, Illinois area suspect. Michael David Barrett, a 47 year old divorced father, was charged with interstate stalking for taking the videos, posting the videos online and trying to sell them to celebrity Web site TMZ.com. FBI agents matched information in the e-mail to Barrett. On December 15, 2009, Barrett pleaded guilty to the interstate stalking charge. He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.

In July 2010, ''USA Today'' reported that Erin Andrews has sued Radisson, Marriott, and the stalker.

Andrews became an advocate for tougher anti-stalking laws after the incident. Andrews is working with US Senator Amy Klobuchar to enact a new federal anti-stalking law.

Death threats

In April 2010, it was revealed that Andrews had been receiving email death threats since September 2009. The FBI was notified and security around her was tightened. It has been reported that the e-mails were sent to ''The Dan Patrick Show''.

''Dancing with the Stars''

On March 1, 2010, Andrews was announced as a celebrity contestant on ''Dancing with the Stars'' for its tenth season. The season premiered on Monday, March 22, 2010. Her partner was Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Andrews was one of three contestants to make it to the finals, where she placed third.

CMT tornado benefit

On May 12, 2011, Andrews co-hosted a televised benefit concert to raise funds for the Red Cross' Disaster Relief Fund to help those affected by the April 2011 storms in Alabama and other states in the Southeast.

External links

References

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:American television sports announcers Category:College football announcers Category:College basketball announcers in the United States Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:National Basketball Association broadcasters Category:National Hockey League broadcasters Category:People from Lewiston, Maine Category:People from Tampa, Florida Category:University of Florida alumni Category:Women sports announcers Category:Participants in American reality television series

et:Erin Andrews es:Erin Andrews fr:Erin Andrews lv:Erina Endrūsa pt:Erin Andrews fi:Erin Andrews

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Snoop Dogg
Birth name	Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.
Birth date	October 20, 1971
Origin	Long Beach, California, United States
Occupation	Rapper
Religion	Islam
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1992–present
Label	Death Row (1992-1997)No Limit (1998-2001)Priority (1998-present), Star Trak (2004-2005) Geffen (2004-2008), Doggystyle (1999-present)
Associated acts	Tha Dogg Pound, Tha Eastsidaz, 213, Dr. Dre, Warren G, Nate Dogg, 2Pac, Pharell, R. Kelly, Ice Cube, Akon, 50 Cent, Brandy Norwood, Eminem, Katy Perry, The-Dream, Wiz Khalifa
Website
Background	solo_singer }}

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school. Shortly after graduation, he was arrested for cocaine possession and spent six months in Wayside County Jail. His music career began in 1992 after his release when he was discovered by Dr. Dre. He collaborated on several tracks on Dre's solo debut, ''The Chronic'' and on the titular theme song to the film ''Deep Cover''.

Snoop's debut album ''Doggystyle'', was released in 1993 under Death Row Records making a debut at No.1 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B; charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, ''Doggystyle'' quickly became certified 4x platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film ''Murder Was The Case'', starring himself. In early 1996, Snoop Dogg was cleared of charges over his bodyguard's 1993 murder of Philip Woldemariam. His second album, late 1996's ''Tha Doggfather'', also debuted at No.1 on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" as the lead single. The album sold only half as well, being certified double platinum in 1997.

''Tha Doggfather'' was his last release for Death Row before he signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums. ''Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told'' in 1998, ''No Limit Top Dogg'' in 1999 (making it his last album of the 90s), and ''Tha Last Meal'' in 2000, which was his last No Limit Records album. Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released his album ''Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss''. Then he signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums ''R&G; (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece'', ''Tha Blue Carpet Treatment'', and ''Ego Trippin'''. ''Malice 'n Wonderland'' (2009) and ''Doggumentary'' (2011), his most recent release, were on Priority.

In addition to music, Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows: ''Doggy Fizzle Televizzle'', ''Snoop Dogg's Father Hood'' and ''Dogg After Dark''. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. He has run into many legal troubles, some of which caused him to be legally banned from the UK and Australia, although the UK ban was later reversed after a long legal battle. He is the cousin of Nate Dogg, Daz Dillinger, RBX and Lil' ½ Dead and the cousin of R&B; singers Brandy and Ray J. Starting September 2009, Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.

Life and career

Early life

Named after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Sr. (December 10, 1948 – November 9, 1985, Los Angeles), Calvin Broadus was born October 20, 1971 at the Los Altos Hospital in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons of Beverly Broadus (née Tate; born April 27, 1951, McComb, Mississippi). His father, Vernall Varnado (born December 13, 1949, Magnolia, Mississippi), was a Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier who was said to be frequently absent from his life. Broadus' parents nicknamed him "Snoopy" as a child because of his appearance, but usually addressed him as Calvin at home. His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975. At an early age, Broadus began singing in Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church and playing piano; when he was in sixth grade, he began rapping. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and was convicted for cocaine possession, serving six months at the Wayside County Jail.

As a teenager, Snoop Dogg frequently ran into trouble with the law. Snoop Dogg was a member of the Rollin' 20 Crips gang in the Eastside of Long Beach, although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang. Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine. Snoop Dogg's conviction caused him to be frequently in and out of prison for the first three years after he graduated from high school. Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil' ½ Dead and friend Warren G, recorded home made tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue's "Hold On" had made it to a mixtape which was heard by influential producer Dr. Dre, who phoned to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A member The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks and chorus.

1992–93: ''Doggystyle''

When he began recording, Broadus took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg. Dr. Dre began working with Snoop Dogg, first on the theme song of the 1992 film ''Deep Cover'', and then on Dr. Dre's debut solo album ''The Chronic'' with the other members of his former starting group, Tha Dogg Pound. The huge success of Snoop Dogg's debut ''Doggystyle'' was partially because of this intense exposure.

To fuel the ascendance of West Coast G-funk hip hop, the singles "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" and "Gin and Juice" reached the top ten most-played songs in the United States, and the album stayed on the Billboard charts for several months. Gangsta rap became the center of arguments for censorship and labeling, with Snoop Dogg often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians. ''Doggystyle'', much like ''The Chronic'', featured a host of rappers signed to or affiliated with the Death Row label including Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and others. ''Rolling Stone'' music critic Touré asserted that Snoop had a relatively soft vocal delivery compared to other rappers: "Snoop's vocal style is part of what distinguishes him: where many rappers scream, figuratively and literally, he speaks softly."

A short film about Snoop Dogg's murder trial called ''Murder Was The Case'', was released in 1994, along with an accompanying soundtrack. On July 6, 1995, Doggy Style Records, Inc., a record label founded by Snoop Dogg, was registered with the California Secretary of State as business entity number C1923139.

1996–97: ''Tha Doggfather''

After Snoop Dogg was acquitted of murder charges on February 20, 1996, he and the mother of his son and their kennel of 20 pit bulls moved into a home in the hills of Claremont, California and by August 1996 Doggy Style Records, a subsidiary of Death Row Records, signed The Gap Band's Charlie Wilson as one of the record label's first artists.

However, by the time Snoop Dogg's second album, ''Tha Doggfather'', was released in November 1996, the price of living (or sometimes just imitating) the gangsta life had become very evident. Among the many notable hip hop industry deaths and convictions were the death of Snoop Dogg's friend and labelmate 2Pac and the racketeering indictment of Death Row co-founder Suge Knight. Dr. Dre had left Death Row earlier in 1996 because of a contract dispute, so Snoop Dogg co-produced ''Tha Doggfather'' with Daz Dillinger and DJ Pooh.

This album featured a distinct change of style as compared to ''Doggystyle'', and the leadoff single, "Snoop's Upside Ya Head", featured a collaboration with Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson. While the album sold reasonably well, it was not as successful as its predecessor. However, ''Tha Doggfather'' had a somewhat softer approach to the G-funk style. The immediate aftermath of Dr. Dre's withdrawal from Death Row Records, realizing that he was subject to an iron-clad time-based contract (i.e., that Death Row practically owned anything he produced for a number of years), Snoop Dogg refused to produce any more tracks for Suge Knight, other than the insulting "Fuck Death Row", until his contract expired. In an interview with Neil Strauss in 1998, Snoop Dogg stated that though he had been given lavish gifts by his former label they had withheld royalty payments to the artist.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that after ''Tha Doggfather'', Snoop Dogg began "moving away from his gangsta roots toward a calmer lyrical aesthetic": for instance, Snoop participated in the 1997 Lollapalooza concert tour, which featured mainly alternative rock music. Troy J. Augusto of ''Variety'' noticed that Snoop's set at Lollapalooza attracted "much dancing, and, strangely, even a small mosh pit" in the audience.

1998–2000: ''No Limit'', ''Top Dogg'' and ''Tha Last Meal''

Snoop signed with Master P's No Limit Records (distributed by Priority/EMI Records) in 1998 and debuted on the label with ''Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told'' that year. His other albums from No Limit were ''No Limit Top Dogg'' in 1999 (selling over 1,503,865 copies) and ''Tha Last Meal'' in 2000 (selling over 1,000,000). In 2001, his autobiography, ''Tha Doggfather'', was published.

2002: ''Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$''

In 2002 he released the album ''Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$'', on Priority/Capitol/EMI Records, selling over 1,300,000 copies. The album featured the hit singles "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful", featuring guest vocals by Pharrell. By this stage in his career, Snoop Dogg had left behind his "gangster" image and embraced a "pimp" image.

2004–05: ''R&G; (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece''

In 2004, Snoop signed to Geffen Records/Star Trak Entertainment both of which are distributed through Interscope Records; Star Trak is headed by producer duo The Neptunes, which produced several tracks for Snoop's 2004 release ''R&G; (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece''. "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), the first single released from the album, was a hit and became Snoop Dogg's first single to reach number one. His third release was "Signs", featuring Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson, which entered the UK chart at #2. This was his highest entry ever in the UK chart. The album sold 1,724,000 copies in the U.S. alone, and most of its singles were heavily played on radio and television. Snoop Dogg joined Warren G and Nate Dogg to form the group 213 and released album ''The Hard Way'' in 2004. Debuting at No.4 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and No.1 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums, it included single "Groupie Luv". Together with fellow rappers Lil' Jon, Xzibit and David Banner, Snoop Dogg appeared in the music video for Korn's "Twisted Transistor".

2006: ''Tha Blue Carpet Treatment''

Snoop Dogg's appeared on two tracks from Ice Cube's 2006 album ''Laugh Now, Cry Later'', including the single "Go to Church", and on several tracks on Tha Dogg Pound's ''Cali Iz Active'' the same year. Also, his latest song, "Real Talk", was leaked over the Internet in the summer of 2006 and a video was later released on the Internet. "Real Talk" was a dedication to former Crips leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams and a diss to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California. Two other singles on which Snoop made a guest performance were "Keep Bouncing" by Too $hort (also with will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas) and "Gangsta Walk" by Coolio.

Snoop's 2006 album, ''Tha Blue Carpet Treatment'', debuted on the Billboard 200 at No.5 and has sold over 850,000 copies. The album and the second single "That's That Shit" featuring R. Kelly were well received by critics. In the album, he collaborated in a video with E-40 and other West Coast rappers for his single "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)".

2007–08: ''Ego Trippin'''

In July 2007, Snoop Dogg also made history by becoming the first artist to release a track as a ringtone prior to its release as a single, which was "It's the D.O.G." On July 7, 2007, Snoop Dogg performed at the Live Earth concert, Hamburg. Snoop Dogg has ventured into singing for Bollywood with his first ever rap for an Indian movie ''Singh Is Kinng''; the title of the song is also "Singh is Kinng". He also appears in the movie as himself. The album featuring the song was released on June 8, 2008 on Junglee Music Records. He released his ninth studio album, ''Ego Trippin''' (selling 400,000 copies in the U.S.), along with the first single, "Sexual Eruption". The single peaked at No.7 on the Billboard 100, featuring Snoop using autotune. The album featured production from QDT (Quik-Dogg-Teddy).

2009–10: ''Malice n Wonderland'' and ''More Malice''

Snoop was appointed an executive position at Priority Records. His tenth studio album, ''Malice n Wonderland'', was released on December 8, 2009. The first single from the album, "Gangsta Luv", featuring The-Dream, peaked at No.35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at No.23 on the Billboard 200, selling 61,000 copies its first week, making it his lowest charting album. His third single, "I Wanna Rock", peaked at No.41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Snoop features on the latest Gorillaz album, ''Plastic Beach''. The fourth single from ''Malice n Wonderland'', titled "Pronto", featuring Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009. Snoop re-released the album under the name ''More Malice''.

2011–12: ''Doggumentary''

Snoop collaborated with Katy Perry on the first single from her second mainstream album, "California Gurls", which was released on May 11, 2010. Snoop can also be heard on the track "Flashing" by Dr. Dre and on Curren$y's song "Seat Change". He was also featured on a new single from Australian singer Jessica Mauboy, titled "Get 'em Girls" (released September 2010). Snoop's latest effort was backing American recording artist, Emii, on her second single entitled "Mr. Romeo" (released October 26, 2010 as a follow-up to "Magic"). Snoop also collaborated with American comedy troupe The Lonely Island in their song "Turtleneck & Chain", in their 2011 album ''Turtleneck & Chain''.

Snoop Dogg's newest studio album is ''Doggumentary'', The album was renamed to ''Doggumentary'' and was released during March 2011. Snoop was featured on Gorillaz' latest album ''Plastic Beach'' on a track called: "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" with the The Hypnotic Brass, he also completed another track with them entitled "Sumthing Like This Night" which does not appear on ''Plastic Beach'', yet does appear on ''Doggumentary''. He also appears on the latest Tech N9ne album ''All 6's and 7's'' (released June 7, 2011) on a track called "Pornographic" which also features E-40 and Krizz Kaliko.

2012–present: ''Reincarnated''

On February 4, 2012, Snoop Dogg announced a new documentary alongside his new upcoming studio album entitled ''Reincarnated''. Snoop Dogg is set to headline the Osheaga Festival in Montreal, Canada this summer.

Other ventures

Media appearances

Snoop Dogg has appeared on television and in films throughout his career. In 1998, Snoop had a cameo appearance in the film ''Half Baked'' as the "Scavenger Smoker". In 2000, Snoop (as "Michael J. Corleone") directed ''Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle'', a pornographic film produced by Hustler. The film, combining hip hop with x-rated material, was a huge success and won "Top Selling Release of the Year" at the 2002 AVN Awards. Snoop then directed ''Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp'' in 2002 (using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").

In 2001, Snoop lent his voice to the animated show ''King of the Hill'', in which he played a white pimp named Alabaster Jones. He played a lead character in the movie ''The Wash'' with Dr. Dre. He portrayed a drug dealer in a wheelchair in the film ''Training Day'', featuring Denzel Washington. In 2001, Snoop starred in the horror film ''Bones'', with him playing a murdered mobster who returns from the dead to exact his revenge against those who murdered him.

In 2002, Snoop hosted, starred in, and produced his own MTV sketch comedy show entitled Doggy Fizzle Televizzle. Snoop was filmed for a brief cameo appearance in the television movie ''It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie'' (2002), but his performance was omitted from the final cut of the movie. On November 8, 2004, Snoop Dogg was starred in the episode "Two of a Kind" of NBC's series ''Las Vegas''.

In 2004, Snoop appeared on the Showtime series ''The L Word'' as the character "Slim Daddy". He also notably played the drug dealer-turned-informant character of Huggy Bear, in the 2004 remake film of the 1970s TV-series of the same name, ''Starsky & Hutch''. He appeared as himself in the episode "MILF Money" of ''Weeds'', and made an appearance on the TV shows ''Entourage'' and ''Monk'', for which he recorded a version of the theme, in July 2007.

Snoop founded his own production company, Snoopadelic Films, in 2005. Their debut film was ''Boss'n Up'', a film inspired by Snoop Dogg's album ''R&G;'', starring Lil Jon and Trina.

In December 2007, his reality show ''Snoop Dogg's Father Hood'' premiered on the E! channel. Snoop Dogg joined the NBA's Entertainment League. On March 30, 2008 he appeared at WrestleMania XXIV as a ''Master of Ceremonies'' for a tag team match between Maria and Ashley Massaro as they took on Beth Phoenix and Melina.

On May 8 and May 9, 2008, Snoop appeared as himself on the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'', with a new opening theme recorded by the artist presented for both episodes. In the episodes, Snoop performs at the bachelorette party for character Adriana Cramer, and credits Bo Buchanan with helping him get his start in show business. On February 24, 2010, Snoop Dogg reprised his role, performing his song "I Wanna Rock" from his new album, ''Malice n Wonderland'', as well as once again performing a special remixed, vocal rendition of the show's opening theme. In recent interviews he has explained that, as a child, ''One Life to Live'' was one of his favorite shows, and he still regards the show fondly. He has also stated that he has always been a particular fan of Robert S. Woods, who has portrayed the character of Bo Buchanan since 1979.

In 2009, Snoop Dogg appeared in Sacha Baron Cohen's film ''Brüno'' as himself performing a rap addition to the song "Dove Of Peace". On October 19, 2009, Snoop Dogg was the guest host of ''WWE Raw''.

In July 2009, Snoop revealed his desire to appear in the popular soap opera Coronation Street while touring in the UK. However ITV bosses were said to be less keen.

In 2010, Snoop Dogg appeared in an episode of I Get That a Lot on CBS as a parking-lot attendant.

In June 2010, Snoop created a music video for True Blood accompanying a song he wrote for one of the main characters of the show entitled "Oh Sookie."

In March 2011, Snoop participated in Comedy Central's Roast of Donald Trump with other comedians and media personalities.

January 2, 2012, appeared on the The Price Is Right and raised $72,000 for his charity, Snoop Youth Football League.

Endorsements

St. Ides

Snoop Dogg 40 Oz Malt liquor

Adidas Originals

Boost Mobile cell phone

Chrysler 300

Colt 45 Blast

Metro PCS Samsung Galaxy 4G

Orbit Gum

AOL commercial with Jerry Stiller

Cal Worthington's Ford dealership in Long Beach, California

"Snoop Doggs" – foot-long hot dogs manufactured in Massachusetts, a joint venture with Platinum One Media

"Snoop Dogg Board Company (SDBC)" – skateboards and Luggage fabrication company (with Pentagon Distribution)

"Snooperbowl" and "Snoop Youth Football league"

"Chronic Candy" – candy that tastes like marijuana (from Switzerland and is currently banned in some cities of US)

''Love Don't Live Here No More, Doggy Tales Vol.1'' – love novel (co-written by David E. Talbert, published by Atria and Snoopadelic Films) ISBN 0-7432-7363-X ''Tha Doggfather : The Times, Trials, And Hardcore Truths Of Snoop Dogg'' – autobiography (published by William Morrow) Hardcover ISBN 0-688-17158-3, Paperback ISBN 0-06-107607-4

''Fear & Respect'' (project cancelled as of March 1, 2006) – PlayStation 2 video game (developed by Midway Games)

"Doggy Biscuitz" – shoe brand (in partnership with Pony International)

"Snoop Dogg Clothing" – streetwear (distributed at Macy's)

"WRFF" – unique design scooters (in cooperation with Salton, Inc.) "Hip Hop Gaming League" – a celebrity online gaming competition (hosted by Global Gaming League) "Snoop Dogg figures" (Vital Toys, SOTA Toys)

"Snoop Dogg Boxing" – mobile phone game (Sony Pictures Mobile)

"Snoop Dogg Pet Accessory Line" (in conjunction with Jakks Pacific) Snoop Dogg is a celebrity voice of a TomTom GPS navigation system. He stated on George Lopez's talk show Lopez Tonight that he is tired of hearing directions from the same woman. In August 2008, Snoop Dogg announced the launch of a new streetwear line called Rich & Infamous, via a partnership with Robert Thorne Co. The line was unveiled during the Magic Tradeshow in Las Vegas. "Hack is Wack" – Promoting Norton AntiVirus. "Coffee Cup With A Cause" with 7 Eleven. "Serious Pimp" clothing line. "iFizzle" iPhone Application. "Vybe Mobile" "Pepsi Max" – Zero Calories

Style and rap skills

Kool Moe Dee ranks Snoop at No.33 in his book ''There's a God on the Mic'', and says he has "an ultra-smooth, laidback delivery", and "flavor-filled melodic rhyming". Peter Shapiro describes Snoop's delivery as a "molasses drawl" and Allmusic notes his "drawled, laconic rhyming" style. Kool Moe Dee refers to Snoop's use of vocabulary, saying he "keeps it real simple...he simplifies it and he's effective in his simplicity".

Snoop is known to freestyle some of his lyrics on the spot for some songs – in the book ''How to Rap'', Lady of Rage says, "Snoop Dogg, when I worked with him earlier in his career, that's how created his stuff... he would freestyle, he wasn't a writer then, he was a freestyler," and The D.O.C. states, "Snoop's [rap] was a one take willy, but his shit was all freestyle. He hadn't written nothing down. He just came in and started busting. The song was "Tha Shiznit"—that was all freestyle. He started busting and when we got to the break, Dre cut the machine off, did the chorus and told Snoop to come back in. He did that throughout the record. That's when Snoop was in the zone then."

Peter Shapiro says that Snoop debuted on "Deep Cover" with a "shockingly original flow – which sounded like a Slick Rick born in South Carolina instead of South London" and adds that he "showed where his style came from by covering Slick Rick's 'La Di Da Di'". as well as 'linking with rhythm' in his compound rhymes, using alliteration, and employing a "sparse" flow with good use of pauses.

Snoop re-popularized the use of ''-izzle speak'', particularly in the pop and hip-hop music industry.

Personal life

Broadus's father left the family when Broadus was three months old. Snoop married his high school sweetheart, Shante Taylor, on June 12, 1997. On May 21, 2004, he filed for divorce from Shante, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple renewed their wedding vows on January 12, 2008. R&B; singers Brandy and Ray J are his first cousins. In 2002, the rapper announced he was giving up marijuana, one of his image trademarks, for good. According to his IMDb biography, Snoop is a fan of the thrash metal band Metallica and performed their song "Sad But True" on the band's 2003 MTV Icon Special which is available on YouTube. A DNA test read by George Lopez on ''Lopez Tonight'' revealed Snoop Dogg to be of 0% East Asian, 23% Native American, 6% European, and 71% African descent.

Snoop is an avid fan of hometown teams Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Snoop is also an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. and is often seen wearing Pittsburgh Steelers apparel. Snoop has mentioned that his love for the Steelers began in the 1970s during the team's dynasty years while watching the team with his grandfather growing up in L.A. In the 2005 offseason, Snoop mentioned that he wanted to be an NFL head coach, "probably for the Steelers". The following year, he was in attendance for the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XL and later in Super Bowl XLIII. He is also a fan of the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, often wearing a No.5 jersey, and has been seen at Raiders training camps. He did his own free style rap based on his similarities with Tony Romo. He is also a fan of the USC Trojans Football team. He has also shown affection for the New England Patriots, as he has been seen performing at the Gillette Stadium and picked the Patriots as the favorite to win Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles. On August 6, 2009, Snoop visited the training camp of the Baltimore Ravens at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He was invited by Ray Lewis the day after his concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

A certified football coach, Snoop Dogg has been head coach for his son's youth football teams and the John A. Rowland High School team.

Snoop Dogg is an avid hockey fan; he sported a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey (with the name and number 'GIN AND JUICE' 94 on the back) and a jersey of the now-defunct Springfield (MA) Indians of the American Hockey League in his 1994 music video, "Gin And Juice". On the E! show, ''Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood'', Snoop Dogg and his family received lessons on playing hockey from the Anaheim Ducks, then returning to the Honda Center to cheer on the Ducks against the Vancouver Canucks in the episode ''Snow in da Hood''.

In 2009, it was revealed that Snoop Dogg was a member of the Nation of Islam. On March 1, 2009, he made an appearance at the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day holiday, where he praised minister Louis Farrakhan. Snoop claimed to be a member of the Nation of Islam, but he declined to give the date on which he joined. He also donated $1,000 to the organization.

Snoop claimed in a 2006 interview with ''Rolling Stone'' magazine that unlike other hip hop artists who've superficially adopted the pimp persona, he was an actual professional pimp in 2003 and 2004, saying "That shit was my natural calling and once I got involved with it, it became fun. It was like shootin' layups for me. I was makin' 'em every time." He goes on to say that upon the advice of some of the other pimps he knew, he eventually gave up pimping to spend more time with his family.

Legal issues

Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine.

While recording ''Doggystyle'' in August 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested in connection with the death of Phillip Woldermarian, a member of a rival gang who was shot and killed by Snoop's bodyguard, McKinley Lee; Snoop was charged with murder along with Lee as he was driving the vehicle from which the shooting had commenced. Snoop and Lee were defended by Johnnie Cochran. Both Snoop and Lee were acquitted; Lee was acquitted on grounds of self-defense, but Snoop Dogg remained entangled in the legal battles around the case for three years.

In July 1993, Snoop was stopped for a traffic violation and a firearm was found by police while conducting a search of his car. In February 1997, he pleaded guilty to possession of a handgun and was ordered to record three public service announcements, pay a $1,000 fine, and serve three years' probation.

In May 1998, Snoop Dogg was fined and arrested for a misdemeanor of marijuana possession.

In October 2001, Snoop Dogg was arrested again for a misdemeanor of marijuana possession. In 2002 he pleaded no contest and was fined a total of $398.30 and received a suspended 30-day jail sentence.

Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and The Game were sued for assaulting a fan on stage at a May 2005 concert at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington. The accuser, Richard Monroe, Jr., claimed he was beaten by the artists' entourage while mounting the stage. He alleged that he reacted to an "open invite" to come on stage. Before he could, Snoop’s bodyguards grabbed him and he was beaten unconscious by crewmembers, including the rapper and producer Soopafly; Snoop and The Game were included in the suit for not intervening. The lawsuit focuses on a pecuniary claim of $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The concerned parties appeared in court in April 2009.

On April 26, 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of his entourage were arrested after being turned away from British Airways' first class lounge at Heathrow Airport. Snoop and his party were not allowed to enter the lounge because some of the entourage were flying first class, other members in economy class. After the group was escorted outside, they vandalized a duty-free shop by throwing whiskey bottles. Seven police officers were injured in the midst of the disturbance. After a night in jail, Snoop and the other men were released on bail on April 27, but he was unable to perform at the Premier Foods People's Concert in Johannesburg on the same day. As part of his bail conditions, he had to return to the police station in May. The group has been banned by British Airways for "the foreseeable future." When Snoop Dogg appeared at a London police station on May 11, he was cautioned for affray under Section 4 of the Public Order Act for use of threatening words or behavior. On May 15, the Home Office decided that Snoop Dogg should be denied entry to the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future due to the incident at Heathrow as well as his previous convictions in the United States for drugs and firearms offenses. Snoop Dogg's visa card was rejected by local authorities on March 24, 2007 because of the Heathrow incident. A concert at London's Wembley Arena on March 27 went ahead with Diddy (with whom he toured Europe) and the rest of the show. However the decision affected four more British performances in Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow and Budapest (due to rescheduling). As of March 2010, Snoop Dogg has been allowed back into the UK.

On September 27, 2006, Snoop Dogg was detained at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California by airport security, after airport screeners found a collapsible police baton in Snoop's carry-on bag. The baton was confiscated but Snoop was allowed to board the flight. He has been charged with various weapons violations stemming from this incident. Donald Etra, Snoop's lawyer, told deputies the baton was a prop for a musical sketch. Snoop was sentenced to three years' probation and 160 hours of community service starting on September 20, 2007.

Snoop Dogg was arrested again on October 26, 2006 at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California while parked in a passenger loading zone. Approached by airport security for a traffic infraction, he was found in possession of marijuana and a firearm, according to a police statement. He was transported to Burbank Police Department Jail, booked, and released on $35,000 bond. He faced firearm and drug possession charges on December 12 at Burbank Superior Court.

He was again arrested on November 29, 2006, after performing on ''The Tonight Show'', for possession of marijuana and a firearm.

Snoop was arrested again on March 12, 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden after performing in a concert with P. Diddy in Stockholm's Globe Arena after he and a female companion reportedly "reeked" of marijuana. They were released four hours later after providing a urine sample. The results on urine determined whether charges would be pressed. However the rapper denied all charges.

On April 26, 2007, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship banned him from entering the country on character grounds, citing his prior criminal convictions. He had been scheduled to appear at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards on April 29, 2007. Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship lifted the ban in September 2008 and had granted him visa to tour Australia. DIAC said "In making this decision, the department weighed his criminal convictions against his previous behaviour while in Australia, recent conduct – including charity work – and any likely risk to the Australian community ... We took into account all relevant factors and, on balance, the department decided to grant the visa."

Snoop Dogg's many legal issues forced San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to withdraw his plan to issue a proclamation to the rapper.

Snoop Dogg was banned from Parkpop, a festival in the Netherlands on June 27, 2010, where he was scheduled to perform. The mayor and law enforcement officials asked organizers of the festival to find an artist more “open and friendly” to play the event.

Snoop Dogg was arrested again on January 7, 2012 for possession of Marijuana charge after Border control agents discovered a small amount of marijuana on his tour bus. Snoop Dogg was stopped at the same Sierra Blanca, Texas, checkpoint on Saturday where country singer Willie Nelson was arrested for marijuana possession in 2010. The agents conducted a routine inspection of his tour bus at the U.S.– Mexico border checkpoint, east of El Paso, Texas and thought they smelled marijuana. Snoop Dogg was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia, released and given a court date of Friday, January 20, 2012.

Discography

''Doggystyle'' (1993)

''Tha Doggfather'' (1996)

''Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told'' (1998)

''No Limit Top Dogg'' (1999)

''Tha Last Meal'' (2000)

''Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss'' (2002)

''R&G; (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece'' (2004)

''Tha Blue Carpet Treatment'' (2006)

''Ego Trippin''' (2008)

''Malice n Wonderland'' (2009)

''Doggumentary'' (2011)

''Reincarnated'' (2012)

Filmography

1994: ''Murder Was the Case'' (Platinum)

1998: ''Caught Up''

1998: ''Half Baked'' (cameo appearance)

1998: ''Da Game of Life''

1998: ''Hot Boyz''

1998: ''Ride''

1999: ''Whiteboyz''

1999: ''Urban Menace''

2000: ''Tha Eastsidaz''

2000: ''Up in Smoke Tour''

2001: ''Baby Boy''

2001: ''Training Day''

2001: ''King of the Hill'' (voice)

2001: ''Bones''

2001: ''The Wash''

2003: ''Malibu's Most Wanted''

2003: ''Old School''

2004: ''Starsky & Hutch''

2004: ''Soul Plane''

2004: ''Volcano High''

2005: ''Boss'n Up''

2005: ''Racing Stripes'' (voice)

2006: ''The Tenants''

2006: ''''Weeds'''': Himself

2006: ''Hood of Horror''

2007: ''Arthur and the Invisibles'' (voice)

2007: ''Monk''

* During the opening credits, he covered the title song by Randy Newman "It's a Jungle out There".

2007: ''The Boondocks''

2008: ''Singh Is Kinng'' (as Himself)

2008: ''Snoop Dogg's Father Hood'' (as Himself)

2009: ''Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder'' (voice)

2009: ''Dogg After Dark'': Himself

2009: ''Xavier: Renegade Angel'' (voice)

2009: ''Brüno'' (cameo appearance)

2009: ''Falling Up''

2010: ''Down for Life''

2010: ''One Life to Live'' as Calvin Broadus

2010: ''Straight Outta L.A.'' (as Himself)

2010: ''Freaknik: The Musical''

2010: ''Malice n Wonderland'' as Malice

2010: ''Big Time Christmas'' as Himself

2011: ''90210 (TV series)'' as Himself

2011: ''Roast of Donald Trump''

Awards

Snoop Dogg was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Further reading

References

External links

Snoop Dogg at Geffen Records

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:African American film actors Category:American rappers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:African American rappers Category:American cannabis activists Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American music industry executives Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:American record producers Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Crips Category:Death Row Records artists Category:G-funk Category:Hip hop activists Category:Hip hop singers Category:Hip hop record producers Category:Members of the Nation of Islam Category:No Limit Records artists Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People acquitted of murder Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Long Beach, California Category:People self-identifying as substance abusers Category:Priority Records artists Category:Pseudonymous rappers Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:West Coast hip hop musicians

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Name	Randy Moss
Width	275
Number	18, 81, 84
Position	Wide receiver
Birth date	February 13, 1977
Birth place	Rand, West Virginia
Heightft	6
Heightin	4
Weight	210
College	Marshall
Draftyear	1998
Draftround	1
Draftpick	21
Debutyear	1998
Debutteam	Minnesota Vikings
Finalyear	2010
Finalteam	Tennessee Titans
Pastteams	Minnesota Vikings (–) Oakland Raiders (–) New England Patriots (–) Minnesota Vikings () Tennessee Titans ()
Highlights	Rated #65 NFL Player of all-time by NFL.com as of 2009 season AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1998) PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year (1998) NFL Alumni Wide Receiver of the Year (1998) 7× Pro Bowl selection (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2009) 5× All-Pro selection (1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007) Pro Bowl MVP (2000) PFWA Comeback Player of the Year (2007) New England Patriots All-2000s Team NFL 2000s All-Decade Team 2× First-team All-American (1996, 1997) Fred Biletnikoff Award (1997) Paul Warfield Trophy (1997) Parade All-American (1994) List of NFL records
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Receptions
Statvalue1	954
Statlabel2	Receiving yards
Statvalue2	14,858
Statlabel3	Receiving touchdowns
Statvalue3	153
Nfl	MOS699912 }}

Randy Gene Moss (born February 13, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University for the Thundering Herd in Huntington, West Virginia.

Moss played the first seven years of his career in Minnesota before a trade in 2005 brought him to the Oakland Raiders. On April 29, 2007, Moss was traded to the New England Patriots for a fourth-round draft pick. On October 6, 2010, Moss returned to the Vikings in a trade from the Patriots. However, his stint in Minnesota was short-lived, as he was waived by the team less than a month later, and claimed by the Tennessee Titans.

Moss holds the NFL single season touchdown reception record (23, set in 2007), and the NFL single-season touchdown reception record for a rookie (17, in 1998).

Early years

Moss grew up in Rand, West Virginia and attended high school at the now defunct DuPont High in Belle, West Virginia, where he lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track. On the football field, Moss led the DuPont Panthers to back-to-back state championships in 1992 and 1993. He was a star at wide receiver, but also played defensive back, returned kickoffs and punts, and was the team's kicker and punter. In 1994, he was honored as the West Virginia Football Player of the Year. Parade Magazine named him to their annual All-American high school football team in 1995 and in 2009 named him one of the 50 greatest high school football players of all time.

In addition to playing football at DuPont, Moss was twice named West Virginia Player of the Year in basketball (1993 & 1994), where he was a teammate of future NBA player Jason Williams.

As a sophomore in 1992, he ran for the track team and was the West Virginia state champion in the 100 and 200 meters with times of 10.94 and 21.95, respectively. This was the only year he competed on the track team. He also played center field for the baseball team.

On March 23, 1995, Moss backed a friend in a hallway fight against a white student who had allegedly used racist comments towards Randy's friend. Moss was initially charged with a felony for kicking the student, but it was later reduced to a misdemeanor. On August 1, 1995, Moss pled guilty to two counts of misdemeanor battery and was sentenced to 30 days behind bars at the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston, West Virginia. He served 3 days in jail starting that night and would be required to serve the remaining 27 days within the following 18 months, after he completed his freshman year in college. Moss was expelled from DuPont and completed his education at Cabell Alternative School.

College career

Moss' dream was to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but he also considered going to Ohio State, where his half-brother, Eric, had played offensive tackle. Former Notre Dame head coach Lou Holtz said "Randy Moss was the best high school football player I've ever seen." Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden said "He was as good as Deion Sanders. Deion's my measuring stick for athletic ability, and this kid was just a bigger Deion."

After originally signing a letter of intent to play college football with Notre Dame in 1995, Moss took part in a racially charged fight at his high school that left one person hospitalized. Notre Dame subsequently denied his enrollment application, but this did not stop another high-profile college football program from giving him a chance. Notre Dame officials suggested he attend Florida State due to the reputation of its coach, Bobby Bowden, for handling troubled players. However, because of his signed letter of intent at Notre Dame, the NCAA considered him a transfer student, which made him ineligible to play for the Seminoles in the 1995 football season.

Freshman (redshirt) (1995)

He was red-shirted in his freshman season. While at Florida State, Moss ran a 4.25 40-yard dash, with only Deion Sanders being faster (4.23).

Freshman (1996)

In 1996, while serving his 30-day jail sentence in a work-release program from 1995, Moss tested positive for smoking marijuana, thus violating his probation, and was dismissed from Florida State. He served an additional 60 days in jail for the probation violation.

Ultimately, Moss transferred to Marshall University, about an hour's drive from his home. Because Marshall was then a Division I-AA school, NCAA rules allowed him to transfer there without losing any further eligibility. In 1996, he set the NCAA Division I-AA records for most games with a touchdown catch in a season (14), most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (13), most touchdown passes caught in a season (28 – tying Jerry Rice's 1984 record), and most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season (1709 on 78 catches), a record which still stands. Moss was also the leading kickoff returner in Division I-AA on the season, with 612 total yards and a 34.0 yard average. Marshall went undefeated and won the Division I-AA title in its last season before moving to Division I-A.

Sophomore (1997)

In the 1997 season, Marshall's first in Division I-A, Moss and future New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington were the centerpiece of an explosive offense that led the Thundering Herd to the Mid-American Conference title. Moss caught 26 touchdown passes that season, at the time a Division I-A record, and was a first-team All-American.

The first game of the season saw Moss pick up right where he left off in 1996. Facing Army, Moss caught 5 balls for 186 yards and two touchdowns. One touchdown went for 79 yards in which Pennington lobbed the ball down the left sideline. Moss leaped over an Army defender to snag the ball out of the air at the 40 yard line while the safety crashed into his teammate knocking both men down. Moss galloped the last 50 yards untouched for the score. The other touchdown reception was his career long of 90 yards that came on a short screen pass on third down. Moss caught the ball on the right side of the field at his own 8 yard line, ran past 3 defenders in the middle of the field at the 15 yard line, hurdled two defenders coming from both sides of the left hash marks at the 25 yard line, then raced past the last defender at the 50 yard line before finally seeing daylight down the left sideline.

A week later, Moss posted his third career 200+ yard receiving game against Kent State. Two weeks after that was his fourth and final 200+ yard game in college, recording 13 catches for 205 yards and a Marshall single-game record of 5 touchdown receptions against Ball State.

In the 1997 Ford Motor City Bowl against Ole Miss, Moss added his 26th touchdown of the season on Marshall's first offensive play from scrimmage. He streaked down the right sideline and caught an 80 yard touchdown pass from Pennington to tie the score at 7–7. NCAA rules at the time did not allow for statistics from bowl games to be combined with regular season stats, so the touchdown did not officially increase his season touchdown record. The two teams traded the lead several times in the fourth quarter before Ole Miss running back Deuce McAllister scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with :31 seconds to play giving them a 34–31 lead. Trying to pull out a last-second win, Pennington connected with Moss on a 40 yard pass on the final play of the game, but he was stripped of the ball as time expired. Moss finished the game with 6 receptions for 173 yards.

Moss finished his career at Marshall having scored at least one touchdown in all 28 games that he played. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation's leading wide receiver, and was a finalist for the 1997 Heisman Trophy (finishing fourth in the balloting, behind Ryan Leaf, Peyton Manning, and Charles Woodson, who won the award).

College statistics

Includes stats from the 1997 Motor City Bowl against Mississippi

Professional career

1998 NFL Draft

During the 1998 NFL Draft, Moss, who was projected as a high first-round pick, was taken by the Minnesota Vikings with the 21st overall pick after a number of NFL clubs—even those in need of a WR—were concerned with Moss' well-documented legal problems. Before the draft Moss was quoted as saying teams that pass on him "will regret it once they see what kind of a player I am and what kind of guy I really am." The team most often cited for passing on Moss is the Dallas Cowboys. Moss grew up a Cowboys fan and wanted to play for the Cowboys. The Cowboys wanted Moss, but because of many off-field incidents of their own, team owner and GM Jerry Jones did not feel the team could draft Moss. Moss felt that the Cowboys lied to him, because they told him they would draft him. On draft day, Dallas went so far as to have a scout in Charleston, West Virginia, the same town where Moss and his mother were watching the draft. Dallas star receiver Michael Irvin even called to apologize to Moss, because Irvin's own off-field problems were a main reason Moss was not drafted by Dallas. After the draft, Moss made a point of beating the Cowboys any time he faced them.

After the draft, Moss signed a 4 year, $4.5 million dollar contract that included an additional $4 million dollars in bonuses and incentives. As part of the deal, he received a $2 million dollar signing bonus. Moss originally wore #18 in training camp (a number he would eventually shed for Oakland) but switched to the more conventional #84 before the preseason began.

Minnesota Vikings

1998 season

In 1998, Moss helped the Vikings to become the number one-ranked offense, scoring a then-NFL record 556 points.

The Vikings opened the season with a 31–7 rout against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Moss' first NFL game would also be his first multi-touchdown game as he recorded 4 receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. His first NFL reception came on the third play of the game on an 11 yard pass from Brad Johnson. His first touchdown was a 48 yard acrobatic grab over defensive back Floyd Young late in the first quarter, in which Moss juggled the ball 3 times before securing it for the score. He added a 31 yard touchdown reception on the Vikings first possession of the second quarter to give the Vikings a 21–0 lead.

His first Monday Night Football game came in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. He had 5 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns, including touchdown grabs of 52 yards and 44 yards, and two other receptions of 46 yards and 41 yards. He also had a 75 yard touchdown catch on the Vikings first possession of the game that was nullified due to an offensive holding penalty.

They finished with a 15–1 record and were poised to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. However, the Atlanta Falcons stunned the Vikings by winning the NFC Championship Game 30–27 in overtime.

At the end of the 1998 regular season, Moss was named a Pro Bowl starter and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year for his rookie-record 17 touchdown receptions and the third highest receiving yardage (1,313) total.

1999 season

In 1999, Moss had another impressive season, catching 80 passes for 1,413 yards and 11 touchdowns. He went on to record five receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings 27–10 NFC wildcard playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys. Minnesota lost in the divisional round to the St. Louis Rams 49–37, despite Moss catching nine passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Moss was fined $40,000, which was later reduced to $25,000, during that game due to squirting an NFL referee with a water bottle. There was a stipulation that he would have to pay the difference in addition to any other fine if he had another run-in with the league.

Moss earned his second straight Pro Bowl appearance, and turned in a record breaking performance. He had 9 receptions for a Pro Bowl record 212 yards and was given the games Most Valuable Player award.

2000 season

The 2000 season featured second year quarterback Daunte Culpepper leading the team. Culpepper had been the teams first round draft pick in 1999; a pick which required a trade up. He had been selected largely due to his extremely strong arm, which the team believed was perfectly suited for Moss's deep routes. The decision proved correct. Culpepper was a rookie sensation, the Vikings started 7-0, and Moss was a leading MVP candidate. For the second time in three seasons, Moss punished the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, including a spectacular 2nd half touchdown in which Moss caught the ball with his entire body out of bounds, aside from his toes. The play would be the feature shot in NFL commercials for years to come. Moss finished the season with a career high 1,437 yards and league leading 15 touchdown catches. In doing so, he became the youngest and faster player to ever catch over 3,000 yards and 45 touchdowns, earning him his 3rd consecutive trip to the pro bowl, and 2nd selection to the All Pro team. The Vikings would make it to the NFC Championship game, only to be blown out 41–0 by the New York Giants.

2001 season

In the offseason, Moss and his agent Danté DiTrapano began negotiating a new contract with the Minnesota Vikings. He was scheduled to earn 3.5 million dollars in 2001. But Moss, who was entering the final year of the rookie contract he signed in 1998, was seeking a long term deal that would make him the highest paid player in the NFL. His agent said, "We want to break the tradition of quarterbacks being the highest-paid players." One option the Vikings had would be to apply the franchise tag after the season ended, but sources stated that Moss would request a trade if that happened because it would still be less than what he could command on the open market.

Just prior to the start of training camp in July, Vikings owner Red McCombs signed Moss to an 8-year, $75 million contract extension. The extension included a $10 million signing bonus and another $8 million in guarantees. It remains as the largest contract, in terms of total dollar value, ever handed to an NFL wide receiver.

Despite finishing the season with 10 touchdowns, Moss failed to make the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

2002 season

After replacing Dennis Green on an interim basis to end the 2001 season, Mike Tice was officially named head coach on January 10, 2002. One of the strategies the Vikings first-year head coach came up with was a formula to get Randy Moss the ball more often. Coach Tice called it the Randy Ratio. It was an effort on the coaches part to throw 40% of the passes to Moss as a way to keep him involved in the offense more than he had been in the 2001 season when he had stretches in games where he was being shut out, and partly to use more game clock by sustaining long drives to give the Vikings defense a chance to rest. An assistant coach would stand on the sidelines during games and track how many times Moss had been thrown to, and then inform Tice of the percentages so that he is always aware of it. In the 2001 season, the Vikings record was 4–1 when Moss had 40% of the passes thrown his direction, and 1–10 in other games.

The strategy was a response to the 'Randy Rules,' as Vikings receiver Chris Walsh called them. The Randy Rules, similar to the Jordan Rules, were a defensive strategy that teams employed when facing the Vikings to try and eliminate or reduce Randy's impact on the game, and to prevent Moss from being matched up one-on-one with defenders because of his ability to burn them deep or outjump them in single coverage. Opposing teams would routinely double cover Moss with techniques such as having a cornerback attempt to jam him at the line of scrimmage, having a corner defend underneath with a safety defending against the deep ball, having a zone defense roll to Moss' side of the field, and assigning "spys" to follow Moss everywhere he went.

Coach Tice discussed the strategy, explaining that Moss would be running more short and intermediate routes and less deep patterns. In training camp, Moss worked specifically on 12 new routes that he had rarely run in his first 4 NFL seasons, such as crossing patterns over the middle of the field and hook routes. Coach Tice said, "When we say Randy Ratio, everybody in the league thinks, 'OK, now they're going to throw the ball down the field to Randy more and more and more.' That's so far from the truth. In fact, we'll probably throw the ball down the field to Randy this year even less."

The Randy Ratio did not last very long, as Tice scrapped the idea midway through the 2002 season. Randy Moss said "I didn't really care much about the Randy Ratio when it was brought up. I just wanted to win." While Moss caught a career high 106 passes, he also had a career low 7 touchdown receptions, and the Vikings struggled to a 6–10 record. Tice suggested after the season that it was a mistake to inform opponents about his offensive gameplan, but that it was a tool "to motivate [Moss] and say he was the guy."

2003 season

Moss' fortunes took a better turn on the football field during the 2003 regular season, where he became the second wide receiver in history (behind Jerry Rice in 1995) to play more than 12 games (he played 16) while averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown per contest. He finished with 111 receptions for 1,632 yards and 17 touchdowns. All three numbers either tied or became a new personal best.

In the offseason, he attended the Vikings strength & conditioning program and added 5 pounds of muscle to his frame.

2004 season

Moss started the season strong catching 8 touchdowns in his first 5 games of the season. However, he sustained a hamstring injury to his right leg against New Orleans in Week 6 that hampered him for the next five weeks. He played in Week 7 against Tennessee, but had no receptions in a game for the first time in his career. He also played the following week against the Giants, but again recorded no receptions and was used mainly as a decoy. The injury eventually sidelined him for 3 straight weeks. He returned to the lineup in Week 12 with a touchdown catch against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Even though he finished the season with 13 touchdowns in 13 games, he posted career lows in receptions (49) and receiving yards (767), becoming the first season in his career that he failed to reach the 1,000 yard mark.

Moss made the Pro Bowl five times in his seven-year career with the Minnesota Vikings (1998–2000, 2002, and 2003).

Oakland Raiders

On March 2, 2005, Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker Napoleon Harris and the Raiders' first (7th overall, which Minnesota parlayed into WR Troy Williamson) and seventh-round picks in the NFL draft. Adding a player of Moss' caliber generated optimism in Oakland, but the Raiders' poor play continued after acquiring him. Nagging injuries limited his production, as well as what some saw as his unwillingness to play.

Moss was excited to get a fresh start in Oakland. "I am very flattered to be here and anxious to be in this situation," Moss said. "I want to get back to being a dangerous player."

New England Patriots

2007 season

There were rumors leading up to the 2007 NFL Draft that the Raiders were eager to part ways with Randy Moss through a trade. First-year Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin went so far as to contact the division rival Denver Broncos to "gauge interest", but the Patriots and Green Bay Packers were the two teams most interested in acquiring Moss. Packers QB Brett Favre, who once said, "There is no one in this league who puts fear in people more than Randy Moss," tried to persuade team management to trade for him, but a deal that both sides could agree to did not get done.

During the first day of the NFL Draft, the Patriots and Raiders discussed the trade several times before reaching an agreement. Bill Belichick spoke with Moss for the first time about the possibility of joining the Patriots at 2:30AM early Sunday Morning. Moss then boarded a plane and arrived in Boston later that morning on April 29 and was required to pass a team administered physical. Once he was cleared by Patriots officials, a trade was completed that sent Randy Moss to New England in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. The draft pick had been acquired by the Patriots the previous day from the San Francisco 49ers, and the Raiders selected John Bowie.

One of the conditions of the trade was that Randy Moss would have to restructure his contract for salary cap reasons. Just hours before the Moss trade was completed, New England quarterback Tom Brady converted $5.28 million of his 2007 base salary into a signing bonus that is spread out over the remaining portion of his contract so that it could free up cap room. This enabled the Patriots to absorb Moss' incoming contract under the salary cap. Moss had two years remaining on his current deal and was scheduled to earn $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008. Once the Patriots had Moss on their roster, he quickly agreed to a new one year contract to replace his old one. The new deal gave him a $500,000 signing bonus, a base salary of $2.5 million, and the ability to earn an additional $1.75 million in incentives.

"I’m still in awe that I’m a part of this organization," Moss said, clearly thrilled to join a team that could contend for the Super Bowl and to work with Coach Belichick. "I think that he’s the kind of coach that can motivate me. He has a proven track record."

In the first week of training camp, during an 11-on-11 passing drill, Moss suffered a hamstring injury to his left leg. As a precaution, the injury prevented Moss from participating in any preseason games and he missed much of the rest of camp.

His first action in a Patriots uniform came in the infamous Spygate game against the New York Jets in Week 1. He quickly quieted critics who claimed that his skills had deteriorated by hauling in 9 receptions for 181 yards, including a 51 yard touchdown pass in which he ran past 3 Jets defenders.

On November 4, 2007, James Black, NFL Editor for Yahoo! Sports wrote, "Every week, in addition to out-leaping at least one defender for a touchdown, [Moss] keeps making incredible one-handed grabs that make you mutter, 'How the heck did he come up with that?'" Two weeks later, he added a career high 4 touchdown receptions in a single game against Buffalo.

On December 29, the Patriots defeated the New York Giants 38–35, finishing their season with a perfect 16–0 record. Moss caught two touchdown passes for a total of 23, breaking the single season record of 22 touchdown receptions previously set by Jerry Rice (in 12 games in the strike-shortened 1987 season). On the same play, Tom Brady broke Peyton Manning's single season record set in 2004 with his 50th touchdown pass. Moss recorded 98 catches for 1,493 yards in 2007, the highest yardage total in Patriots franchise history and the third-highest total number of catches, after teammate Wes Welker's 112 catches that same season and Troy Brown's 101 in 2001. He also earned his sixth Pro Bowl selection. His 2007 season featured touchdowns in 13 of 16 games (including 8 multi-touchdown games), nine 100-yard games, and six touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards.

Super Bowl XLII

Despite his record breaking 2007 season, Moss was relatively quiet in the playoffs going 2 consecutive games without a touchdown for the first time all season. However, in Super Bowl XLII he scored the go ahead touchdown with 2:42 left in the fourth quarter on a 6 yard pass from Tom Brady. However, this was still not enough to enable the heavily favored Patriots to achieve the first 19–0 undefeated season, as Eli Manning drove the Giants down the field and connected with Plaxico Burress for what proved to be the game winner.

2008 season

On February 28, 2008, Moss became a free agent after the Patriots decided not to place the franchise tag on Moss. Although the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers were rumored to have interest in Moss, he decided to return to the Patriots, signing a three-year, $27 million deal on March 3, 2008. The contract included a $12 million dollar signing bonus, and a total of $14.1 million guaranteed.

The first game of the 2008 season saw Brady suffer a torn ACL in his left knee while attempting a pass to Randy Moss. The play occurred in the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs when safety Bernard Pollard dove at Brady's leg while in his throwing motion. Moss described what he saw on the play by saying "any time you see something like that, that looks foul, it looks dirty, it opens your eyes. So, me personally, it looked dirty." Matt Cassel replaced Brady for the rest of the season.

In 2008, Moss hauled in 69 catches for 1,008 yards and 11 touchdowns despite losing quarterback Tom Brady in the first quarter of the season.

2009 season

In the opener of 2009, Moss caught a career-high 12 passes for 141 yards in a comeback 25–24 victory over the Bills. In a snowy Week 6 game against the winless Tennessee Titans, Moss caught three touchdown passes from Tom Brady, two of them in the 2nd quarter as Brady set a record for most touchdown passes in a single quarter with five. This was Moss's 34th multi-touchdown game, and his 8th game with 3 or more touchdowns.

During the Patriots bye week, Belichick stated that Moss "is the smartest receiver he's ever been around." He compared Moss' ability to see the field and anticipate plays to that of Tom Brady, and to Lawrence Taylor who Belichick coached with the New York Giants. He said Moss not only knows what he's doing on a play, but what everybody else on the field is doing as well. "That's what makes them special. They just have a sixth, seventh sense," Belichick said.

In Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins Moss added 6 catches for 147 yards and 1 touchdown. The touchdown reception was the 140th of his career, which moved him into a tie for 2nd place with Terrell Owens and he now only trails Jerry Rice who has 197.

The following week, in a primetime Sunday night matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Moss had 179 yards and two touchdowns, including a 63 yard touchdown in the 2nd quarter that moved him ahead of Terrell Owens for sole possession of 2nd place in career touchdown receptions. In the same game, he became just the 11th player in NFL history with 900+ receptions and the 7th player to reach 14,000+ career receiving yards.

He finished the season with 83 receptions for 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was named to the 2010 Pro Bowl as a replacement for injured teammate Wes Welker.

2010 season

In the week leading up to the Patriots' 2010 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Moss, who was entering the final year of his contract told CBS Sports that he "did not feel wanted" in New England absent a contract extension offer. Moss would go on to catch 5 passes for 59 yards in Week 1. After the game, Moss told reporters that it would be his final season with the Patriots. The ''Boston Herald'' reported weeks later that Moss requested a trade following the game.

Moss had two receptions in Week 2 against the New York Jets, including a 34-yard touchdown. The following week against the Buffalo Bills, Moss had two more catches, both for touchdowns. His final game in New England came in Week 4 on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins; he did not record a catch in the game for the first time in his Patriots career as a touchdown pass attempt off a fake spike bounced off his hands in the end zone.

Return to Minnesota

Two days after the Patriots' game against Miami, Moss was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, in exchange for the Vikings' third-round selection (later used to select Ryan Mallett) in the 2011 NFL Draft. The Patriots also sent a 2012 seventh-round selection to the Vikings as part of the trade.

On November 1, less than four weeks after being traded to Minnesota, Vikings head coach Brad Childress told Vikings players in a team meeting that Moss was going to be waived by the team, one day after he criticized Childress and teammates in a press conference following the Vikings' loss to the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Just before the press conference, Moss reportedly told team owner Zygi Wilf that Childress was unfit to coach in the NFL and should be fired. Wilf reportedly considered firing Childress and keeping Moss, but Moss was officially waived the next day, November 2. Childress was eventually fired on November 22.

Days after the trade, reports surfaced that Moss had told the owner of a local restaurant catering a team meal that Moss would not "feed the food to his dog."

Tennessee Titans

Moss was claimed off waivers by the Tennessee Titans, the only team to submit a claim, on November 3, 2010. Moss played eight games with the Titans, starting four. He made six catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns.

Moss finished the 2010 season setting career lows in receptions (28) and receiving yards (393). The Tennessee Titans stated that they did not plan to re-sign Moss for the 2011 season.

Retirement

On August 1, 2011, Moss' agent, Joel Segal, announced that Randy Moss had decided to retire.

Career statistics

Charity

Moss has participated in, founded, and financed many charitable endeavors since joining the NFL, particularly aimed at helping children. Many times when talking about his charity work, he has said he just looks forward to "seeing smiles." He has donated clothing and food to needy families, given away free backpacks to Boston area school-children, and hosted autograph signings. He has also bussed children to amusement parks, NBA games, and even NFL games in which he has played.

On June 29, 2005, he launched the Randy Moss Celebrity Charity Invitational Bass Tournament. The tournament was a one day event that paired celebrities and corporate sponsors with pro fishermen to raise money for the Smile Network, which is a foundation that provides financial assistance to children with treatable mouth problems, such as cleft palate. The tournaments motto is "fish for a smile."

In 2008, Moss formed the Links for Learning foundation, which was established to help children in his home state of West Virginia, and to build learning centers for the most needy student populations. In June, he and his former high school teammate Jason Williams hosted the foundations first annual charity golf tournament at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Hurricane, West Virginia.

In March 2009, Moss' foundation made a donation that enabled the Women and Children’s Hospital of Charleston, West Virginia to purchase a Starlight Children's Foundation 'Fun Center' for their patients. The 'Fun Center' is a portable bedside entertainment system equipped with a TV, DVD player, and 22 Nintendo Wii games.

On the morning of November 24, 2009, Moss flew home to West Virginia to personally hand out Thanksgiving dinners to families in the Charleston area. He stayed only a few hours before having to head back to Massachusetts for a Patriots practice later in the day.

Controversy

Marshall plane crash

In a 1997 ''Sports Illustrated'' article, when discussing the 1970 Marshall plane crash, Randy Moss was quoted as saying, "The plane crash was before my time. I don't try to go back in the past and say this football game is for the people in the plane crash. I've seen the burial ground. I went up there and looked at the names. It was a tragedy, but it really wasn't nothing big." Moss claimed that the quote was taken out of context.

Traffic incident

On September 24, 2002 in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, Moss was driving and was preparing to make an illegal turn. A traffic control officer (Amy Zaccardi), noticing what he was about to do, stood in front of his 2002 Lexus car, ordering him to stop. Eyewitness accounts of the event differ at this point, but Moss did not comply with the officer's order, and she was bumped by his vehicle and fell to the ground. Moss was arrested, and a search of his vehicle revealed a joint amounting to less than a gram in his ashtray. Initially charged with felony Suspicion of Assault with a Deadly Weapon and a misdemeanor marijuana possession, Moss spent the night in jail and was released the following morning. Moss pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor traffic violation and was ordered to pay a $1,200 fine and perform 40 hours of community service. While the criminal charges were thus disposed of, the civil lawsuit filed by the traffic control officer brought a substantial penalty fine "in the low to mid six figures". Moss claimed that the joint was not his, and that he had let friends use his car prior to the accident.

Leaving the field during a game

During the last game of the 2004 regular season against the Washington Redskins and with two seconds remaining on the game clock, Moss walked off the field and into the locker room; critics criticized Moss for quitting on his team. Moss stated afterward that he did not think Minnesota, who ended up losing 21–18 to Washington, would recover the onside kick.

Playoff fully clothed mooning incident

On January 9, 2005, the Minnesota Vikings traveled to division rival Green Bay to take on the heavily favored Packers in an NFC wildcard playoff game. Moss finished the game with 4 catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in the 31–17 win. After the second score, Moss trotted to the end zone goalpost and, facing away from the crowd, feigned pulling down his pants to moon the Green Bay fans. TV announcer Joe Buck, calling the game, was incensed, calling it "a disgusting act" on-air. Days later, the NFL fined him $10,000, finding it "unsportsmanlike" and "offensive" during the playoffs. However, then-Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy, the former Vikings defensive coordinator, explained Moss' action by pointing out that Packers fans are infamous for actually mooning the buses of departing opponents after a loss, unlike Moss' fully clothed imitation.

Marijuana use

In April 1996, Randy Moss smoked a joint just prior to turning himself in to jail. He was scheduled to finish the remainder of his 30 day sentence for misdemeanor battery while in high school. During his first week in jail, Moss was given a drug test that came back positive. He was placed in solitary confinement for a week and had 60 days attached to his 27 day sentence. Bobby Bowden revoked his scholarship and Moss was dismissed from Florida State University for the failed drug test.

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported that Moss tested positive in 2001 for marijuana under the NFL's substance abuse program and was subject to additional random drug screening for two years. A first time violation of the NFL's drug policy can result in up to 10 tests per month. Moss has not failed an NFL drug test since, and was rotated out of the program after two years.

In August 2005, during an interview with Bryant Gumbel, Moss admitted that he has smoked marijuana during his NFL career "every blue moon." When asked whether he still used marijuana currently, Moss replied "I might. I might have fun. And, you know, hopefully ... I won't get into any trouble by the NFL by saying that, you know. I have had fun throughout my years and, you know, predominantly in the offseason." The interview drew criticism from the league office, and his agent tried to spin it that his words were taken out of context. In response, Moss said "That was really me talking in the past tense of way back in the beginning of my career and my childhood – especially in high school and college."

Lack of effort

On November 14, 2006, Moss was honored for his success in college as a kick returner by having an award named after him, becoming only one of two black athletes (along with John Mackey) so honored. During the press conference, Moss responded to questions about his dropped passes and lackluster effort in several games, saying "Maybe because I'm unhappy and I'm not too much excited about what's going on, so, my concentration and focus level tend to go down sometimes when I'm in a bad mood." Days later, he reiterated his unhappiness with losing games and being a member of the Raiders on his weekly segment with Fox Sports Radio, saying, "I might want to look forward to moving somewhere else next year to have another start and really feel good about going out here and playing football."

On May 15, 2007, more than two weeks after the trade to New England, Moss was called out by his former Raiders coaches. His former offensive coordinator, Tom Walsh, who was fired from the Raiders after Oakland's 2–14 losing season, said of Moss, "Randy Moss is a player whose skills are diminishing, and he's in denial of those eroding skills...Randy was a great receiver, but he lacked the work ethic and the desire to cultivate any skills that would compensate for what he was losing physically later in his career." Walsh also reported that Moss told him, "'I'm too old to practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but I'm not too old to play on Sunday.'" However, Moss stated the losing seasons on the Oakland Raiders negatively affected his playing and discouraged him during the team's practice: "...Losing sometimes can get contagious, but as a player I can't let that settle in, and I think that's one of the things that bothered me [in Oakland]. I didn't want it to set in and it didn't set in. It was just really nerve-racking that it was hard for me to win."

In 2009, after a 20–10 win over the Carolina Panthers, Panthers cornerback Chris Gamble and safety Chris Harris accused Moss of giving up during the game. Gamble claimed Moss "gives up a lot" and that he "laid it down during the game", while Harris said "[Moss] kind of doesn't run the routes the way they're supposed to be run. If you get a jam on him, he'll ease up. ... If he can't get it going, he gets out of sync." Moss caught 1 pass for 16 yards, fumbled the ball once, and dropped a pass, as well as had a ball thrown at him picked off during the game. In response, Bill Belichick stated, "My response would be that's a lot of conversation coming from a team that just lost another game." Tom Brady noted that Gamble had many plays made on him as well.

Dating violence allegations

On January 15, 2008, Orlando-based radio station WDBO reported that Moss "ha[d] been hit with a temporary injunction for protection against dating violence. According to the affidavit Moss committed a battery upon Rachelle Washington, causing serious injury, and then refused to allow her to seek medical attention. The affidavit out of Broward County reveals Moss cannot come within 500 feet of the victim and cannot use or possess firearms. The next day, in a locker room press conference, Moss claimed the woman was simply looking for money "over an accident," because her lawyer came to his lawyer, threatening a lawsuit, and asking for money to settle before she went public to the media. Moss stated he had known Washington for about eleven years. He also stated in his defense that he has never assaulted a woman in his entire life, and asked that the media and fans "find out the facts" before "rush[ing] to judgment." Moreover, Moss' lawyer, in an e-mail to the ''Boston Globe'' accused the woman's lawyer of "blatant threats and attempts to extort money" from Moss. On March 3, 2008, Rachelle Washington filed papers with the Broward County Circuit Court clerk's office requesting that the restraining order be dissolved and the case closed. No criminal charges were ever filed in the incident.

Personal life

Moss' parents are Maxine Moss and Randy Pratt, although Moss has little contact with his father. He has a sister named Lutisia and a brother Eric, who had a short stint in the NFL as an offensive lineman with the Minnesota Vikings. Moss has four children with his girlfriend, Libby Offutt (two daughters, Sydney and Senali, and two sons, Thaddeus and Montigo).

NCAA records

Division 1-A

Most games with a touchdown reception in a season – 12 (1997 – tied with Larry Fitzgerald in 2003)

Division 1-AA – Regular season

Most games with a touchdown reception in a season – 11 (1996)

Most consecutive games with a touchdown reception in a season – 11 (1996)

Most receiving yards gained by a freshman in a season – 1073 (1996)

Most touchdown receptions caught by a freshman in a season – 19 (1996 – record for all NCAA divisions)

Division 1-AA – Playoffs

Most touchdown receptions in a single game – 4 (vs. Montana, Dec. 21, 1996)

Most yards receiving in a single game – 288 (vs. Delaware, Nov. 30, 1996)

Most touchdown receptions in a tournament – 9 (4 games in 1996)

Most yards receiving in a tournament – 636 (4 games in 1996)

NFL records

Most touchdown receptions in a season – 23 (2007)

Most touchdown receptions by a rookie in a season – 17 (1998)

Most seasons with 17 or more touchdown receptions – 3 (1998, 2003, 2007)

Most seasons with 16 or more touchdown receptions – 3 (1998, 2003, 2007)

Most seasons with 11 or more touchdown receptions – 8 – tied with Jerry Rice

Most seasons with 10 or more touchdown receptions – 9 – tied with Jerry Rice

Most games in a season with at least 2 touchdown receptions – 8 (2007)

Only player to have 1,600 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns in a season (2003)

Most yards receiving in a Pro Bowl game – 212 (2000)

Most touchdowns scored in first 10 games with a new team – 16 (2007)

Most 1,200+ yard receiving seasons to start a career – 6 (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)

Moss has averaged at least one receiving touchdown per game played in four different seasons: 1998 (17 TDs in 16 games), 2003 (17 in 16), 2004 (13 in 13), and 2007 (23 in 16)

At the end of the 2008 season, Moss averaged 12.3 receiving TDs per season

Four 100+ yard games in his first four games with a new team in 2007

Youngest player in NFL history to record his 100th receiving touchdown – (29 years and 235 days)

Youngest player in NFL history to record his 120th receiving touchdown – (30 years, 313 days)

Fastest player to reach 5,000 career receiving yards – 59 games (broke record of 61 games by Jerry Rice)

Highest career yards per catch average for any player with 900+ receptions – 15.6 yards per reception

Youngest player to have 3 touchdown receptions in a game (21 years, 286 days)

Career highlights

4-time All-Pro selection.

Is second on the Minnesota Vikings all-time receiving touchdown list with 92. Cris Carter holds the record with 110 receiving scores.

Caught his 100th touchdown pass in 2006 against San Francisco (on a pass he caught with his legs), the seventh player to do so.

Holds the record for most touchdowns in Minnesota Vikings playoff history with 8.

10 1,000+ yard receiving seasons – 2nd all-time

64 career 100 yard games – 2nd all-time; most recent November 15, 2009

153 touchdown receptions – 2nd all-time

73.6 receiving yards per game – 7th all-time

154 total touchdowns scored – 4th all-time

14,858 receiving yards – 6th all-time

954 career receptions – 10th all-time

Has completed 4 of 8 passes for 106 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception, giving him a 95.8 passer rating.

Only player to catch 90+ touchdown passes, return a punt for a touchdown, and throw 2 touchdown passes.

Has played on the two highest scoring teams (for a single season) in NFL history: 2007 Patriots (589 points) and the 1998 Vikings (556 points)

Had a career-high 12 receptions for 204 yards against the Chicago Bears, at Soldier Field, on November 14, 1999 in a 27–24 overtime win.

Holds the Vikings record for most 100 yard receiving games with 41.

Has two touchdowns or more in 39 different games (including 3 in the postseason); most recent September 26, 2010

Has two touchdown receptions or more in 37 different games – (2nd all-time)

Has three touchdowns touchdown receptions or more in 9 different games – (2nd all-time): at Dallas (Nov. 26, 1998), a 46–36 victory; vs. Chicago (Dec. 6, 1998), a 48–22 victory; at Detroit (Oct. 1, 2000), a 31–24 victory; vs. New York Giants (November 19, 2001) a 28–16 victory; vs. San Francisco (Sep. 28, 2003), a 35–7 victory; at Buffalo (November 18, 2007), a 56–10 victory; at Miami (November 23, 2008), a 48–28 victory; vs. Tennessee (October 18, 2009), a 59–0 victory; vs. Jacksonville (December 27, 2009), a 35–7 victory.

Caught a career high four touchdowns at Buffalo (all in the first half). (Nov. 18, 2007)

Had an interception while playing defense in the last few seconds of the first half of the Patriots' game against the Denver Broncos on October 11, 2009.

Has 4 career two-point conversions

Youngest player in NFL history to record his 120th receiving touchdown. (30 years, 313 days)

Randy Moss Motorsports

On April 29, 2008, Moss announced the formation of Randy Moss Motorsports, an auto racing team intended to begin participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In July 2008, Moss announced that he had bought a 50 percent share in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with the team's #46 entry switching to #81.

References

External links

Randy Moss Motorsports

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:People from Kanawha County, West Virginia Category:Players of American football from West Virginia Category:NASCAR owners Category:Parade High School All-Americans (football) Category:All-American college football players Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:National Football League Offensive Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:American football wide receivers Category:Florida State Seminoles football players Category:Marshall Thundering Herd football players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:Oakland Raiders players Category:New England Patriots players Category:Tennessee Titans players

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