Washington Redskins rookie tight end Thaddeus Moss is carrying extra motivation into the start of his NFL career.
Moss, whose father is Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss, was not selected in the 2020 NFL Draft in April. Instead, the Redskins signed Moss as an undrafted free agent out of LSU moments after the draft concluded.
“It was definitely a slap in the face, I put a lot of work in,” Moss said of going undrafted. “Years of football, we went undefeated, I won a national championship. I played my best ball in our biggest game. So I definitely felt like it was a slap in the face not getting drafted, having picked kickers and punters and special teams. Just seeing guys getting picked over me, I definitely felt a type of way about it.
“But, it’s no difference. I’ve always had to prove myself my whole life. Having the last name that I have, I’ve always had to prove everybody wrong, or just prove myself right my whole life, and this is no difference.”
Moss reiterated his displeasure for being undrafted when he revealed why he chose Washington as his NFL destination.
“Well, Washington was the first team that contacted me. So … that was what I was going to stick with,” Moss said, who added that he also heard from the New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals. “Disappointed in being undrafted, absolutely. It was kind of a slap in the face to me. As soon as the draft was over, they were the first ones to contact me.”
Moss set school records for receptions (47) and receiving yards (570) by a tight end during LSU’s unbeaten run to the national championship. He scored two touchdowns in the title-clinching, 42-25 victory against Clemson on Jan. 13.
Moss began his collegiate career at North Carolina State but transferred to LSU after catching six passes as a 2016 freshman. He sat out the 2017 season and missed the 2018 campaign with a foot injury.
The 6-foot-3, 249-pound Moss did not work out at the NFL Scouting Combine after a physical revealed a Jones fracture in his right foot that required surgery.
Randy Moss was the No. 21 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and went on to catch 982 passes for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns with five NFL teams from 1998-2012. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
