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Randy Moss told a great story about Dennis Green’s secret talent
The sudden and surprising death of former Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green at age 67 has brought out some great stories and tributes. But Randy Moss might have told the best one that we’ve heard.
Appearing on ESPN’s “NFL Live” on Friday, Moss — now an ESPN analyst — revisited the history of him with his first NFL head coach and the man who was largely responsible for drafting him. Early in the interview, Moss said that Green had a catch phrase he liked to use, “play to one beat,” which, frankly, without context sounds like typical coachspeak schlock.
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But Moss explained what that phrase really meant when he told a story about one of Green’s hidden talents when asked what Moss’ best memory was of the coach who oversaw his first four seasons in the NFL.
“I would have to say my Monday night against the Green Bay Packers,” Moss said. “I remember him saying throughout the week that he was going to unleash me … he was going to unleash me.”
Moss and Green faced the Packers three times in their tenure together on Monday nights, and though Moss didn’t specify which game he meant, we assume it was this one — a 37-24 Vikings win at Lambeau Field from his brilliant rookie season of 1998.
He continued: “So we were in the locker room, and I remember we were playing some beat on the lockers. Coach Green starts playing it. Everyone knows Coach Green likes to play the drums, too.”
Quick timeout — is this well known? I immediately did an Internet search, as one does in times like these, and came up with this gem, which not shows off Green’s chops on the skins (check out that jazz grip!) and his sense of humor. Wait until the end for that.
So Green likes the drums. How about that? We learned something cool today about a great coach. Moss finished the story:
“So Coach Green starts playing the beat that we were playing in the locker room too,” he said. “Everyone is geeked up, riled up and ready to go out there and destroy the Packers. And we did do what we set out to do.”
Earlier, Moss also called Green a “player’s coach” — another trite phrase we hear all the time and quickly dismiss. But after hearing Moss describe the scene, how can you not think Green was a player’s coach? Better yet: How many form drum circles with their players?
The Vikings went out and stomped their hated rivals in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate. Moss caught 52- and 44-yard touchdown passes and totaled 190 yards on five catches (six targets). He also had a 75-yard catch that was called back on a holding penalty.
“And after the game coached asked me, ‘Was that the biggest game I ever had?’ And I told him yeah,” Moss said. That’s when Moss brought the story full circle.
“Still to this day, one thing that I keep saying in this interview: Play to one beat,” he said. “That’s what he taught us to do.”
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!