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