Moss made teams pay for passing on him in NFL draft

The ball was flying down the field often for Minnesota during that drizzly night in Green Bay, and Randy Moss kept going over and past the defense to get it. Five games into his NFL career, Moss was a star. He was a revolutionary, too. There was no moment that better defined his arrival as the league’s premier deep threat than that breakout prime-time performance against the two-time reigning NFC champion and bitter rival Packers.

“Seeing Randall Cunningham smile, seeing him energetic,” Moss said, reflecting on his five-catch, 190-yard, two-TD connection with Cunningham that carried the Vikings to a 37-24 victory. “It was just a great feeling.”

Twenty years later, with Moss set to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend after being elected in his first year of eligibility, the swift, sleek wide receiver has finally understood the depth of his impact on the game and the privilege of opportunity to serve as a celebrant of the sport. “I came into the league with, I guess, my head not really screwed on my shoulders properly,” he said recently. Over time, the “homebody-type guy” from tiny Rand, W. Va., who ranks second in NFL history in TD receptions (156) and fourth in receiving yards (15,292), learned how to soften some of the edges he’s carried since he was a kid.

“I’ve been able to open myself up and meet more people, be able to travel the world,” said Moss, in his third season as an ESPN analyst. “Football here in America is a very powerful sport, and just being in that gold jacket, hopefully I can just be able to continue to reach people.”

Moss will become the 14th Vikings inductee, joining exteammates Cris Carter, Chris Doleman, Randall McDaniel and John Randle. He’ll be the 27th receiver in Canton.

Moss landed at Marshall University after off-the-field trouble kept him out of Florida State and Notre Dame, and he took the Thundering Herd to what was then the NCAA Division I-AA national championship. Several NFL teams remained wary of his past, but Vikings coach Dennis Green didn’t flinch when Moss was still on the board in the 1998 draft with the 21st overall pick. Moss never forgot the teams that passed on him, with especially punishing performances vs. Dallas, Detroit and Green Bay. “I just carried a certain chip on my shoulder,” Moss said.

The Vikings finished 15-1 in 1998, missing the Super Bowl by a field goal.

Moss never escaped his reputation as a moody player whose behavior and effort were often questioned. That led to his first departure from Minnesota, via trade to Oakland in 2005. The Raiders dealt him to New England in 2007, when the Patriots became the first 16-0 team before losing in the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.

After a rocky 2010 for Moss — traded by the Patriots, released by the Vikings — he took a year off. He returned in 2012 to reach one more Super Bowl with the 49ers.

His helmet on a swivel, eyes darting, with hands clenched into fists and legs ready to uncoil, Texans inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney pounced into action.

It all led to another trademark tackle for the Texans’ $51 million man. It was a snapshot of why the Texans invested $21 million guaranteed into McKinney as the man who anchors the middle of their defense and operates as an extra coach on the field as their designated signal-caller.

The Texans felt comfortable trusting McKinney, giving him a five-year extension worth $51.16 million this offseason.

“Really good player, good teammate, kind of has everything we’re looking for in a player,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “He fills his role very well. He loves football, has a passion for what he’s doing. Has really good leadership qualities, glad to have him.

“He’s a fun guy. He’s a good guy, easy to talk to, easy to get along with. He shows up every day in a great mood. Has a lot of fun with everybody, from his teammates to the trainers to the coaches, a good guy to have in the locker room.”

The Texans rewarded the former second-round draft pick from Mississippi State with a first-year payout of $10.163 million through his $3.75 million signing bonus, $5.25 million roster bonus and a $1.63 million base salary.

“It’s an honor just to be able to play under OB,” McKinney, 25, said of O’Brien. “They gave me a chance. From college, it took me a long time to understand the defense, but it’s unbelievable for them to give me the opportunity to be able to play.

“I get a chance to take care of my family like I always wanted. That was my dream coming to the NFL as a young guy, just to be able to take care of my family.”

Now, McKinney’s financial future is assured. The Texans have him locked in and have outstanding stability at a pivotal position. They cut former Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Cushing after the season. McKinney has emerged as a young leader for the defense.

A good teammate

From his vantage point at safety, Kareem Jackson enjoys watching McKinney.

“It’s a lot of fun; you get a chance to kind of see him live and in color,” Jackson said. “B-Mac is doing some great things out there. I think we all know he’s a hell of a player. So, to be able to see him each and every play, kind of go in there, fill those A gaps and do his thing, it’s exciting.”

Behind the scenes, McKinney has a big sense of humor. On his social media channels, McKinney posts videos of him ribbing teammates and playing pranks.

“He’s a lot of fun,” Jackson said. “He jokes, he laughs, pretty much all the regular stuff that we do. I enjoy being around him; he brings a different type of attitude each and every day.”

As much as the Texans enjoy McKinney’s infectious personality, that doubles what it’s like for the Texans to have McKinney on the field.

At 6-4 and 258 pounds, McKinney has rare size and speed and plays the game with an aggressive nature. McKinney defines the prototype of a modern inside linebacker. He’s run the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds and recorded a 40½-inch vertical leap.

He led the Texans with 95 tackles last season, also recording three sacks and a career-high 10 tackles for loss with one forced fumble.

McKinney has a device inside his helmet to get the calls from defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, relaying the strategy for each play to his teammates.

“He’s a natural leader because you have to make all the calls, make the adjustments,” O’Brien said. “So, you have to communicate to the front and communicate to the back end. You have to be vocal, you have to know what you’re doing. He has all of those traits.”

For his career, McKinney has 282 career tackles, nine sacks, 25 tackles for loss, 21 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and three passes defended in 46 games and 43 starts.

Yet Pro Bowl recognition has eluded him.

“Coaches have been able to say I could be a Pro Bowl player, but my job really is to make sure I get the defense going and be a Pro Bowler on this team,” McKinney said.

Respected around NFL

He qualifies as one of, if not the most, underrated athletes on the Texans. It’s a distinction between how he’s perceived by fans and by his teammates. In NFL circles, McKinney is well-respected. Multiple personnel directors and scouts regularly praise McKinney as one of the best Texans players regardless of position.

“Whether he’s underrated or not, he just got a huge deal,” Jackson said. “So, stuff like that kind of speaks for itself. He’s a huge part of our defense and he does a lot for us. He gets us lined up. He’s our middle guy, so he’s a big-time player for us.

“I think his play kind of speaks for itself. Him just signing that huge deal, it’s just a testament to the work he’s put in. Being a young guy, he came in and he’s been productive and that’s what it’s all about.”