Growing Up In His Father’s Shadow Prepared Thaddeus Moss To Defy Expectations

The camera jostled back-and-forth between the star of the hour and the star of the past.

Thaddeus Moss hauled in a pass and just managed to squeeze his feet into the corner of the endzone to score a four-yard touchdown – his second of the game – to put LSU up 34-25 against Clemson in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Just as Moss’ hands go up in the air in celebration, the camera shifts to the stands. His father, Hall of Famer Randy Moss, clad in a white LSU t-shirt featuring an image of his son, purple hat, and yellow and purple scarf, is high-fiving everyone around him. 

Though this was Thaddeus’ moment, it also belonged to his father. Randy played 14 seasons in the league at wide receiver. He became the second player to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving 10 times and he hauled in 982 career catches for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns. He earned All-Pro honors four times and was selected to six Pro Bowls throughout his career. Randy is now an analyst for ESPN.

Thaddeus however, is still making a name for himself. He graduated Mallard Creek high school in Charlotte, North Carolina as the No. 18 tight end prospect in the 2016 class. He chose to begin his career by staying locally at North Carolina State. He caught just six passes for 49 yards and one touchdown in five games during the 2016 season. Then, Thaddeus decided to transfer to LSU. He missed the 2017 season due to NCAA transfer rules and did not play the entire 2018 season because of a foot injury. 

When Thaddeus finally took the field for the Tigers last season, he caught 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns. His two touchdowns during the national championship game were a single-game career-high and he was also targeted eight times. 

Despite the slow start at college and the injuries, Thaddeus was riding the momentum from his championship game performance when the 2020 NFL Draft rolled around. But unlike his father who was selected No. 21 overall in the 1998 draft, Thaddeus’ name was never called. His injury-riddled history dropped his stock and his 2019 performance was not strong enough for teams to take a chance on.

“Disappointed in being undrafted, absolutely,” Thaddeus said to the media last month. “It was kind of a slap in the face to me.”

Though discouraging, the draft provided an important distinction for anyone who was still unsure: Thaddeus is not his father.

“I wouldn’t want my last name to do anything for me,” Thaddeus said. “I would rather work for everything for me, and not be given anything…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.”

 By going undrafted, Thaddeus got his wish. A dozen tight ends were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft and he was not one of them. Three teams called Thaddeus’ agent following the draft to make an offer. The Washington Redskins were the first to call and so, Thaddeus signed with them as an undrafted free agent.

 “It was a no brainer to sign him,” Redskins’ vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith said after the draft, according to John Keim of ESPN.

 Thaddeus has the potential to make an immediate impact on the Redskins offense. Tight end Jordan Reed was released this offseason and Vernon Davis retired. Washington signed Logan Thomas from the Detroit Lions and Richard Rogers from the Philadelphia Eagles but both remain short-term solutions. Former fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Jeremy Sprinkle remains on the team. But in 43 games he has caught just 33 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns.

 As Thaddeus aims to earn a spot on the Redskins roster, he plans to let his talent speak for itself. Though ranked the No. 9 tight end in the 2019 draft class according to The Athletic, his experience with the NFL has already taught him that previous success and last names do not grant him special access.

 “I’m just tired of the comparisons,” Thaddeus said. “You know everybody keeps mentioning my father, mentioning his last name but, just the identity that I want to make is my own identity. I look forward to getting out there and making a name for myself. You know and, just working for everything.”

 Though going undrafted was not part of the plan, Thaddeus is no stranger to setbacks. Thaddeus said that his father did not know what to say to him as the draft unfolded and it became clear that his name would not be called. This was uncharted territory for Randy who was drafted early and made an immediate impact at the NFL level. 

 “I went ahead and just told him, like ‘Look, this is no different from what I’ve had to do my whole life,’ Thaddeus said. “The last name Moss, people have always had their eyes on me and always doubted me and always wanted to see what I can do, and always had expectations. This is no different.”

 His father’s shadow has not necessarily made Thaddeus more athletic or talented but it has made him mentally stronger. Unlike his father who had high expectations when he was drafted, the expectations for undrafted free agents is lower. Thaddeus understands that he has to work for a starting role with the Redskins and in turn, earn respect at the professional level.

 “A lot of people think that I was handed a lot of things or that I was given a lot of things but that’s actually the opposite,” Thaddeus said. 

 Thaddeus might be a starting tight end for the Redskins in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, but he also might not be. Regardless, he knows that the advice from his father will remain the same as it has always been.

 “He was the defensive coordinator of my high school team my junior year of high school,” Thaddeus said. “So we would ride, after practices or after games, we would ride home together. You know and I would hear it from him. The critique I get on television is not going to be worse than the critique I got from him being in the house or being in the car together.”