Let's be honest. Many Minnesota Vikings fans started rooting for the team in the late 1990s or early 2000s. One big reason for the influx of fans to the team was the dominance of young wide receiver Randy Moss.
The superhuman ability of Moss to make contested catches and make opposing defenses look silly was a huge reason the Vikings became must-see TV during that era. The excitement he brought to every game when he took the field.
It was shocking that Moss was still available when Minnesota selected him with the No. 21 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and a recent revelation makes that situation even more unbelievable to fans of the purple and gold.
Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer urged the Dallas Cowboys to pick wide receiver Randy Moss during the 1998 NFL Draft.
During a recent appearance on The Pivot, former Dallas Cowboys defensive back Darren Woodson talked about how his defensive coordinator would show him tape of other defensive prospects coming out in the draft.
At that time, his coordinator was Mike Zimmer, a coach who would eventually become the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Heading into the 1998 NFL Draft, Zimmer had an offensive player that he showed Woodson.
That player was future Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss.
In that draft, the Cowboys used the No. 8 overall pick on defensive end Greg Ellis. Although Ellis made the Pro Bowl and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2007, the Cowboys probably wish they had listened to Zimmer.
Could you imagine that Cowboys offense with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, and that big, powerful offensive line with a Superfreak like Randy Moss lining up to catch passes? What defense could stop that?
However, if Dallas had drafted Moss, one of the best games of his career would never have happened. Vikings fans remember the game from Thanksgiving 1998, when Minnesota played the Cowboys, and Moss had an amazing day. where he caught three passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns. The image of him on the sideline looking back at the camera is iconic.
Let's be thankful that Randy Moss did not end up with the Dallas Cowboys. The fact that he did end up with the Minnesota Vikings is a complete blessing, and fans wouldn't want it any other way.