Games with Names - Best of Dudes on Randy Moss

Episode Date: November 27, 2025

We've got a bonus mini-episode for you this week! Randy Moss is one of the greatest NFL Players of All-Time! Gronk and Julian Edelman discuss what made Randy so great and they spill some their favorite memories while playing with him in New England.Support the show: http://www.gameswithnames.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's episode of Next Chapter, I, T.D. Jake, sit down with Denzel Washington, a two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon for a conversation about change, identity, and the moment everything shifted. I mean, I don't take any credit for it. It's nothing I did as special, you know, did knock down a few pegs and recognize it. I just didn't put me first. I just put God first and he's carried me. Whether you're rebuilding, reimagining, or just trying to hold it together, this one will speak to you.

Listen to the next chapter podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. New episodes drop weekly. Don't miss one of them. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanko Wally. And I'm Hurricane DeBolu. On our new podcast Health Stuff, we demystify your burning health questions. You'll hear us being completely honest about our own health. My residency colon was like a cry for help, honestly.

And you'll hear candid advice and personal stories from experts who want to make health care more human. I feel like they never felt like I truly belonged in medicine. We want to make health less confusing and maybe even a little fun. Find Health Stuff on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Robert Smith, and this is Jacob Goldstein, and we used to host a show called Planet Money. And now we're back making this new podcast called Business History about the best ideas and people and businesses in history. And some of the worst people, horrible ideas and destructive companies in the history of business. First episode, how Southwest Airlines use cheap seats and free whiskey to fight its way into the airline is.

The most Texas story ever. Listen to business history on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA, and I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mail Room. And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like most guys, I haven't been to the doctor in way too long.

I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Every week, we're breaking down the world of men's health from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility. We'll talk science without the jargon, real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. So check out the mailroom on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood,

a Cuban musician with a dream, and one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time? You get Desi Arnest. On the podcast star in Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you on a journey to Desi's life, how he redefined American television and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like hours on screen.

Listen to starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And we're going to start with a former player, a guy that everyone knows, a Hall of Fame are out there. Guy that we played with. A guy that we play with on New England. On New England.

About two years for you. Two years for me. A quarter season for myself, my rookie year. One and a quarter for me. But everyone knows who he is. Randy freaking Moss. Please pull the pitcher out. Randy Moss was an absolute dominant force on the football field.

I didn't want to put him in the category right away. You can't. I don't want to describe the category yet. We're not starting the clock yet either, are we? But the guy had personality. Everyone loves him to this day. He's a great TV. He's awesome on TV.

TV analyst now. Awesome on TV. He's mossing people still to this day. You got a much. What is segment? You got Mossed. And, you know who this is, Rob? You know what the shot's from?

No, what's the shot from? This shot is from when he was leaving the player's parking lot, I believe. I think on a Tuesday after he got fined for mooning Green Bay. Remember he got fined for Mooning Green Bay? And this is like right immediately after when some reporter came up to him and said, Randy, what do you think about getting fining? And he said, straight cash, homie. That's what Randy is.

And that quote is still used to this day. Straight cash, homie. cash, homie. Whenever I pay anyone in cash, I always say straight cash, homie. Always. Every single time. That's going to live on forever. How many years ago is that? That was a long time ago. 20? No, it wasn't 20. I was in high school, man, when that happened. He was on the Minnesota Vikings, right? Yeah, he was on the Vikings at that time. So that was like, what, 05? Maybe 05? I think we need to start this. 20 years ago. Do we start the clock now? Rob's got a little

research that he's done. Now, Rob, Rob, how did you get this research? I just typed in the player's name on co-pilot and what type of, you know, football player they are or a person they are, and it just popped up. And, you know, you got to work smarter, not harder, Jules. You got to work smarter. That's what's all about? It is.

So let's, what did a co-pilot say? And this will also help out my reading skills. See, dudes on dudes, I mean, we're not the smartest dudes, Julian. No. But we're also not the biggest idiots. I mean, we have common sense. Yeah. And we're here, you know, doing this show as well to help us out in life as well.

I would say we're idiots. I would say we're idiots. We're not dumb. Yes, yes. We are idiots in a good way, though. Yeah. We're not like IQ going to like knock you off the charts.

But, you know, like we're also not going to spend, you know, like all your money. If you have like $2, you're going to spend 50. That's like common sense. Yeah, exactly. There you go. You hit it right on the nose. And our reading skills, I wouldn't say are, you know. No, my reading skills are terrible.

Everyone knows. So this is going to help my reading skills. It's going to help my creativity doing this show as well. And that's why I wanted to do it. I feel like it's going to help us out on Fox, you know, just being able to talk. So we're building muscles. And we're also going to invest in Navidia because we're going to use their AI. Let's go.

So here we go. Or no. We got Randy Moss, right? Yeah, Randy Moss. What is Randy Moss? Randy Moss was a dynamic and explosive wide receiver known for his exceptional speed, leaping ability, and playmaking skills. His deep threat capability made him a constant challenge for defenders as he could stretch

to field and make sense. spectacular catches. Moss was renowned. Renowned, right? Yeah, yeah. Renowned for his ability to make acrobatic catches and score touchdowns, earning him a reputation as one of the most talented and dangerous receivers in the NFL. Over his career, he was selected to multiple Pro Bowls and was a key figure in the 2007 New England Patriots record setting offense. He was. He was. Start the clock. Start the clock. We got 10 minutes, which each player that we will be talking about. First of it, that's pretty damn good by co-pilot. Yeah, co-pilot. I mean, that's, and Rob, I think you knocked it out the park. I was a co-pilot reading that. No, I think you were the actual

pilot. Yeah, I was. I was the actual pilot reading it. I had no co-pilot. You were there, but you weren't there. I was co-pilot by just sitting there. You were the passenger. I was a passenger. Yes, you were. I was a passenger, but who, no, who was the ride. It was freaking good. It was freaky. Yeah. Which was also Randy's nickname.

It was Randy's nickname. It was the freak. Randy went to, what do you go? He went to Marshall. There's so many crazy stories about he committed to Florida State. Then he went to Notre Dame. Did you ever hear those? I never heard any of those stories.

But he ended up at Marshall University. Where is Marshall anyways? West Virginia. It's in West Virginia. Yeah. And you know he's from Rand West Virginia? Like Randy Moss is from Rand West Virginia. He used to say that all the time in practice.

Hey, Randu, Randu, remember you would always say that? Like him and like, who else was from there? White chocolate was from there. Oh, who's white chocolate? I eat white chocolate. Who's white chocolate? Jason Williams. Oh, yeah.

They were teammates, right? They were teammates in high school. Dude, he always loves to fish too. That was the one thing you always knew about Moss. In the off season, you were never. He was like a farm boy. Yeah. Yeah.

He loved outdoors. You love fishing? I don't, you know, I was traumatized at a young age. My brother made me hold like two catfish when I was like six years old and he told me they could sting you and they had big old tentacles. And it fucking traumatized me. So not a big fisher. I was like the kid wakeboarding. My brother was like the fisher.

You fish? No, I always got seasick every time we took that boat out. Yeah. You know, and like a mile off of shore. I was always throwing up and like really dizzy. Z. So I never became a big fisherman. I mean, I had a pond behind my house growing up, so I'd get like those sunny fish. Like, that was cool, but never really a big fisherman.

I eat fish, though. I like salmon. What's your favorite fish? Black and salmon. Black and salmon? Yeah, with some good spices on it. I like a halibut. Nice light fish.

Yeah. All right. Back to Randy. Back to Randy. It was what? Hall of Fame. What year was at? He went to the Hall of Fame, football Hall of Fame, that is.

What is it? Like 2018. 2018. 2018, it was? We won in a Super Bowl He was a 21st overall pick And he had a lot of the There was a lot of like turbulence

In his early career You know, in college and stuff Which I always thought made Randy You know, misunderstood You know, he kind of What would you say when he was in the locker room Like he was always a very caring dude But he always had his guard up

He always had his guard up But like on the low He would always give you love Like for me when I was a rookie receiver i used to have to go out and buy all the receivers like lunch whenever we would have a way trips remember before the travel the rookie goes and grabs you know something from bar louis or you go somewhere you know jimmy johns or something and you get the order and randy would always make me do it but i was a seventh rounder so i didn't i wasn't paid by any means and guys would be giving

you crazy orders randy would always throw me like three 400 bucks he'd pay for it make me go get it so like he was always he was just always quite like he would kind of get on me in front of people but then when there was no one around he'd always love me up and like you know like he I think he was just putting that on there to make me you know make me accountable yeah for the for the you know quarter career you know quarter year I play with randy I thought he was a great teammate man and like you said I feel like he was misunderstood in the public eye a little bit he didn't really care about you know the glam and all that he like he just he just rubbed it off his shoulders like like it was nothing like it was water man but he cared about being a good guy and he

never thought he was too big for anyone else i mean randy was the best wide receiver in the game at the time maybe of all time and he cared about you know being relatable to the young bucks he did he made me feel very warm and welcome what do you do to the new england patriots when i was there what he did to make you feel warm and welcome so moss always loved you know kicking it back having a conversation with myself when I was a rookie. I was struggling. I was in the playbook like crazy, struggling a little bit, but he just loved how I played the game. And he always imitated me because I was big, I was goofy, you know, and he liked that kind of stuff. He loved it. And every time I had a catch or, you know, I had a touchdown, I'd be like myself, you know, I'd be giggling like this.

He'd be like, dude, bro, you're always giggling. You always having a good time, gronk. Like, as cool as shit, man. Cool as shit, how you are, man. And I'd be like, It made me feel warm and welcome to be myself on the Patriots. And I'd be like, I always did that on the field after a catch I get up. Like, I don't know. That was just me. I was getting hyped. And Moss was like, man, I like how you do this.

Man, I like like that cool shit how you do that. Like, I'm going to do that after I score a touchdown. I was like, for real? He's like, yeah, yeah, I'm going to do that. So what happened? Game, I think game number two. Buffalo. Vers Buffalo.

He scored like, you know, 40-yarder post right down the middle. Like, you know, like Randy Moss does. because fastest wide receiver I probably ever seen play the game. Freakish, you know, stride. It looked like he was going slow. He looked like, but he was just always passing people. And he was just gliding. It was like a jet ski on water, like on like flat surface, just gliding across the water.

Yes, and it didn't look like he was going 70. No. But he was going 70, maybe 80. On water, which is fast. Yes. So we get to the game, he scores that touchdown, and he starts doing this. Like, yeah, he's being grub. rock in the end zone and I'm 21 years old and this is Randy

fricking moss imitating me after one of his touchdowns I thought it was the coolest thing I actually never even shared that story with anyone I'm not even I'm talking like I never shared that story with a friend a family member it's just kind of known within the team you know within the team and the organization so that's one of the coolest stories of all time you know about Randy Moss that I have personally and he just made me feel welcome to the team and he just made me feel like myself because he just loved how I was and how I played the game. And it was a special moment. That's for sure. He fucked with dudes that worked hard. I remember on Tuesdays he would come in and do these workouts where he would do like side step ups, these like step ups, quick feet.

And so I would jump in with them every once in a while. And he'd do all these medicine ball things where like he'd have like one leg on a medicine ball and do like a push up and, you know, was working your core and so I would always I would always see him do shit and then I would go do it you know I want to do anything Randy did but like if he saw you working he never really busted your balls that's kind of got you know but if you weren't if you were you know if you were talking and you were a guy that wasn't heard or something like any other patriot any of the patriot like guys you know you're going to hear shit you want to know you want to also know why I would say Randy was misunderstood a little bit because he was real yeah and when people are

real people don't like that man because like real things can sound like assholy yeah exactly it sounds assholy like if he didn't want your freaking food he's not going to eat your food like he just didn't want it you know if he didn't like you he didn't like you like it's just real shit and then that's what makes people misunderstood i still can't fathom that Thanksgiving game that he had what was the screenshot of of his well he had three catches like 146 yards was it 163 yards on 163 yards. Oh, and three touchdowns. All his catches were over 50 yards. It was when he was with the Minnesota Vikings. Thanksgiving Day. He ate the turkey after the game as well. Yeah. It was just moss being moss. Well, Randy was so special that we actually had a play named after him. Moss. Yeah. Moss. Hoss. Hoss. Moss. Which was the Moss signal. That was the signal because it was all goes. It was a go on the left. It was a seam on the right. And every time Brady did that, I got to excited because I was always the slack guy going down the field. So Moss, every time I saw that play, I thought of Moss and just felt like I had to turn the

burners on as well. Rob, you had how many, what was your biggest touchdown season? I had 17 touchdowns in 2012, but 18 because one of them counted as a rush. 18 touchdowns? He had 23 touchdowns. How fucking nuts is that? I don't think anyone's ever going to touch that. I don't know with the 18.

I don't think anyone's going to touch it still. No way. Because guys aren't playing as many games. Like they don't play the whole season. Yeah. I mean, that was a freaky year. I think just because Moss was just so dominant, 23 touchdowns.

Because when you have 23 touchdowns, Moss was only one who can get away from double coverage and then run away from it because he was so fast and freaky. Ain't no one ever going to touch that 23 touchdown record. I mean, I was pretty close that one year when I had 17. And then actually he was at, practice one of my best training camps of all time when we were in west virginia moss came whatever at

that dump place at green borough it's great for football coaches loved it because all you did was focused on football but he couldn't go to the casino though it was fucking bullshit oh good thing we would have lost all our money or won a lot more money and then had it could have retired in training camp but uh moss was there when we were facing the saints in practice and i was dominant man this was a year. I was on fire. Unstoppable. It was actually the year we won the Super Bowl versus Atlanta when I was unstoppable. It was just unfortunate that I got lit up up the middle of that year. But I had like four touchdowns in a row versus Saints in seven on seven. And Moss was right there. And I was like, Moss, I'm coming for you, man. That touchdown record is mine.

You go, Gronk. You got it, boy. You're the only one, Gronk. You're the only one that can beat my touchdown record. Grant. You got this boy. I want to see you do. I go, Moss. I am going to do it, buddy. I'm going to coming for it, 23, no problem. I mean, it was kind of realization at that time. I was dreaming big, but it was just so cool to have Moss right there. Hell yeah. Talking shit to Randy Moss.

I'm going to beat his touchdown record in middle of practice. It was one of the coolest moments I've ever had in practice at Moss. You had a man. And the freakiest catch I've ever seen Moss make that I will still remember for, I will remember for the rest of my life. The Revis? Is the Revis catch? It was the, what, 7.

second game. It was the second game of the season. That was my first start. It was. So when he did the invitation of me, it was actually the first game of the season. I think we played no. This was, was that, that was, I don't think you were there yet. No, I was there. So we played the, we played the, we played Cincinnati my very first game. Yeah. Then we went to the Jets. We lost. Most freakiest catch I've ever seen. We lost the game. Yeah, we lost the game. Brady just tossed it up there. He let the play develop. No one was open. So he toss it up one-on-one coverage. Moss versus Doreau Rivas, the best cornerback in the game. Moss put his hand up in the air and just snagged it, one hand or right in the end zone, about

three yards in. It was freaky because he extended all the way. It wasn't like it was like close to his body. He made that extension. But it was effortless too. It is effortless. It looked like he barely did it. When he was going, he was just like, ooh. And then, oh, and then we played the Buffalo Bills, the third game. And that's when he did the imitation. that imitate or the fan imitating me of no of myself the grand giggles and then we played the Miami Dolphins the fourth game of the season and then after that game he wasn't there he wasn't there anymore it was sad it was you want to know something Jules oh I remember it man I remember it we were we were partying man when he got traded were we it was Monday night

and you know us we're young bucks man we went to Foxwoods the casino and we Welcome. Was it a Monday night game? No, no, it was a Monday night game. It was a Monday night game. So did we have a buy week at? We had, I think we had a bye week or something because we went to Foxwoods Tuesday night because it was industry night at Foxwoods.

And you know us, we're in the industry of partying at that time. We were maniacs. We were maniacs. This is dudes and dudes, bad. We're just having a good conversation, you know? We're just telling our stories. just living up, you know, what we did in the past. And I remember we were together, man, and you were, you were pretty hungover.

I remember. And then I was hungover, too, and we turned on the TV. We didn't know anything, what was going on. And we turned on the TV, ESPN, and Randy Moss, there it was, breaking news, traded to the Minnesota Vikings. And literally, we were, like, heartbroken. We were hungover and heartbroken. It was probably the worst situation you could be in. Yeah.

Yeah. But we always climb out of those holes. That was, but I remember. Talk about the Sunday scleries. Yeah, that was, that was the Tuesday morning scleries right there. You wake up, you don't, oh, fuck, we got practice. Rainy Moss is gone. That was one of the examples of my early times in my career that I was starting to learn that the NFL was a business.

Oh, yeah. Because as a rookie, you don't know that it's a business, you know. You're going to make the team, you think you're playing. forever. You can't trade Randy. No one's trading Randy Moss. You can't trade Randy Moss. She's the greatest of all time. And it was really cool though because he did that press conference. I think the week before like he wants a new deal. He had his headphones around his neck. He kind of went off like the patrons ain't giving me my new contract. And I thought that was really cool because that's the Randy Moss I knew like going off just being a real dude. Yeah. He knows. And I love that shit. I love when

players act up man and i thought it was the coolest thing so it was sad to see him go but it was also sad because that was part of the reason i feel like he went you know bill is takes no shit he does he doesn't but that that's when you're reckon you realize that this is definitely a business all right so some final thoughts randy moss what kind of dude is randy moss then yeah what kind of dude is he i would say so we have a stud at like athleticism football IQ the pedigree we have the Unparalleled, physical ability, one of one, pretty much a mutant. That sounds pretty close. We have a dog who's relentless, motivated, physical and mental toughness.

We got the whiz dude who's intellect, innovative, very clutch. And we got a dude's dude. Positive attitude, locker room guy, calm, cool, collect, glue guy. He's like a glue guy, dude's dude. And let me tell you, every dude that we're going to be talking about. Hit all of them. They hit them all. Their attributes are all five of them.

But we're trying to find the one that exemplifies them the most. And with Randy Moss, I feel like this is a no-brainer. No-brainer. No-brainer. It's already in his nickname. The freak. The freak. I mean, he was, I remember, he's just so fast.

He was so he could jump. He could catch the ball. The intricacies of the game were like that were, you would try to coach to guys like late hands and stacking the receiver. Like those are the things that like we would try to coach. He just did it naturally. That's like how he like he just knew how to judge a ball and high point balls. Like he we literally have segments named after him going up and and just mossing dudes.

And the way he, like the ability he had to just leap when he was running full speed. That's crazy is what made him so great because he can have a defender on him because defenders were just as fast at him. some of them were some of the dbs were don't let randy here he'd like hey man get on the 200 slate all right every remember he used to challenge slate all the time

200 but every once in a while there was a guy that you know it was kind of covering him but what did he do he just leaped right over him like a frog and made the catch and that's what made him so freaky it's so crazy to think like when you're running full speed and you got to track a ball

your eyes are bouncing like that's like some of the first things you see like when from your like offseason training and you jump into like you know start competing against guys the first thing that you always have to dial in is the bouncy eyes my eyes would bounce and I'm going like a guy to go full speed and be able to concentrate and then like effort let's see like a ballerina jump off one leg go back moss a dude over two like that's that's a freak he's a freak I remember Jules like you used to always brag and me moss would do it so I'm doing it so like right after the games like when you landed from a away game he would go right to

the weight room to get his workout in yeah and you big mosh's doing it i'm gonna do it you know like you copied everything he did i hey man but i don't blame you man he's the greatest of all time i would copy him tom anyone who was around i'm copy west i'm copy it's a poppy cat league yeah all right you loved your dudes i loved hanging on your dudes well you become one dude you wanted the dude on You become a creature of the dudes you hang around. That's the truth. You know, you become a dude of the dudes. That's why I'm a podcasting now because I've been hanging out with you, Jules,

and you have your podcast. So I want to podcast. See, now it's just dudes rubbing off on dudes. So we did Randy Moss. All right. Freak of nature. Freak. No doubt about it.

He's a freak, dude. No question. On this week's episode of next chapter, I, T.D. Jake, sit down with Denzel Washington. A two-time Academy Award-winning actor and cultural icon for a conversation about change, identity, and the moment everything shifted. don't take any credit for it. It's nothing I did as special, you know, did knock down a few pegs and recognize it, but I just didn't put me first. I just put God first and he's carried me. Whether you're rebuilding, reimagining, or just trying to hold it together, this one will speak to you. Listen to the next chapter podcast on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you get your podcast, new episodes drop weekly. Don't miss one of them. Hi, I'm Dr. Priyanka Wally. And I'm Hurricane DeBolu. On our new podcast Health Stuff, we demystify your burning health questions. You'll hear us being completely honest about her own health. My residency colon was like a cry for help, honestly. And you'll hear candid advice and personal stories from experts who want to make health care.

more human. I feel like I never felt like I truly belonged in medicine. We want to make health less confusing and maybe even a little fun. Find health stuff on the IHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Robert Smith. And this is Jacob Goldstein. And we used to host a show called Planet Money. And now we're back making this new podcast called Business History about the best ideas and people and businesses in history. And some of the worst people. Horrible. ideas and destructive companies in the history of business. First episode, how Southwest Airlines use cheap seats and free whiskey to fight its way into the airline is.

The most Texas story ever. Listen to business history on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA, and I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mailroom. And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like most guys, I haven't been to the doctor in way too long. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be.

asking, but aren't. Every week we're breaking down the world of men's health from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility. We'll talk science without the jargon and get your real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. So check out the mail room on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get

your favorite shows. What do you get when you mix 1950s Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream and one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time? You get Desi Arness. On the podcast star in Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you in a journey to Desi's life, how he redefined American television and what that meant

for all of us watching from the sidelines waiting for a face like hours on screen. Listen to starring Desi Arnaz and Wilmer Valderrama on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.