A Look at Randy Moss's Career: Is He Worthy of Going to the Hall of Fame?

In one of the more surprising moves this offseason, wide receiver Randy Moss has decided to retire. According to his agent Joel Segal, despite receiving offers from several teams, he has opted to end his career after 13 seasons. Known for his exceptional skills as a wide receiver and his multiple acts of controversy, is Moss worthy of going to the Hall of Fame?

Despite retiring at the age of 34, Moss has had an exceptionally successful playing career. He is ranked 8th all-time with 954 catches, 5th all-time with 14,858 receiving yards, and tied for 2nd all-time (with Terrell Owens) with 153 receiving touchdowns, only behind Jerry Rice's 197.

Over his career, he has earned plenty of accolades. In his rookie season, Moss was the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, was a Pro Bowl selection and an All-Pro selection in 1998. He went on to earn seven total Pro Bowl selections and five total All-Pro selections during his career and was also a part of two of the NFL's greatest teams in history, the 1998 Minnesota Vikings, and the 2007 New England Patriots, not to win a Super Bowl.

As for some of his other notable records, Moss holds the quite astonishing record of having the most touchdown receptions in a season with 23 in his inaugural 2007 season with the Patriots. Also in 2003, Moss became the only player to have 1,600 receiving yards and 16 receiving touchdowns in a season. Another mark which displays how he was one of the most dominant receivers in NFL history was when he surpassed Rice's record of 61 games by becoming the fastest player to reach 5,000 career receiving yards in only 59 games.

Since the beginning of his college playing career, Moss has been involved in controversy. From being denied playing football at Notre Dame following a racially-charged fight in high school to marijuana use, Moss's capers weren't just off the field. During a 2005 NFC wildcard playoff game, Moss mocked the Green Bay Packers fans by pretending to moon them.

Also during the latter stages of his career, opposing players and coaches have claimed Moss has at times chosen to put a lack of effort into the game and give up on plays. During his time with the Oakland Raiders, his second stint with the Vikings, and the Tennessee Titans, Moss put up drastically lower numbers supposedly due to attitude and effort.

Even as a malcontent for much of his career, Moss's career statistics will mostly overshadow his behavior and allow him to be a first ballot Hall of Fame inductee. He is one of the few players in the history of football to have a reputation as one of the most dangerous and feared offensive players in the game. As a tall, fast, and smart player, he was able to beat cornerbacks and safeties down the field for one of his patented long-ball catches. With the size of a tight end and the speed of one of the quickest players in the league, Moss's dominance in the league led to the growing use of Cover 2 defenses by NFL defenses.

Although many will remember Moss for his off-the-field liabilities and personal controversies, there is no doubt denying his dominance on the field when he put effort into the game. Looking at numbers alone, even after 13 seasons, Moss is listed in the top 10 of almost every offensive category associated with wide receivers. Unlike recent baseball stars such as Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro who have recently been eligible for the MLB Hall of Fame, Moss has had no history of cheating or using upper-hand tactics to achieve the numbers that have made him one of the most dreaded players in history.

Sure, Moss has had his fair share of conflicts with teams, coaches, players, fans, media, and others involved in the world of football, but he is without a doubt one of the greatest receivers in NFL history and deserves to be a first ballot Hall of Fame football player. Even when considering his legacy of antics, Moss's dominance over the past 13 years is unparalleled to any other player over the history of the NFL.

Sources:

Randy Moss, Yahoo! Sports

Agent: Randy Moss retiring from NFL, Yahoo! Sports