Randy Moss’ return to ESPN this weekend featured phrases of encouragement from longtime pals, together with Tom Brady, in addition to loads of tears and a touching message from Moss himself.
On Sunday, Feb. 9, the 47-year-old Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame huge receiver made his long-awaited return to ESPN for the newest iteration of Postseason NFL Countdown amid his most cancers analysis.
Throughout this system, Moss broke down in tears after the community performed a touching tribute from a number of of his pals and admirers — together with Brady, Invoice Belichick, Justin Jefferson, Kevin Garnett, Jerry Rice and Micah Parsons, amongst others.
“You already know it is the massive cry child right here, man,” Moss mentioned of himself after the two-minute tribute. “Y’all, I could not do it alone.”
Whereas wiping his tears away with a tissue, and as he was surrounded by colleagues Mike Greenberg, Rex Ryan, Alex Smith and Tedy Bruschi, Moss thanked the NFL, his former teammates and others for his or her phrases of help.
“Hey guys, it has been onerous however I received plenty of love and lots of people imagine in me, man,” he mentioned. “So I am joyful to be right here, man.”
Moss’ colleagues then confirmed that they certainly “broke a promise” and informed him they would not “do this,” referring to the tribute that introduced him to tears. “You mentioned, ‘Greeny, do not do it once more,’ ” Moss mentioned of Greenberg. “Let’s get this present began, man. God bless y’all. God is nice.”
Within the quick clip, Moss’ former teammates and buddies allow them to know they had been pondering of him amid his well being ordeal, with former New England Patriots teammate Brady, 47, telling Moss that “we have all missed you.” The duo performed collectively for 3 NFL seasons from 2007 to 2010.
“You’ve got been a fixture on that present for a very long time and also you had been a fixture on the sector,” Brady continued within the video message. “And for as nice as you had been on the sector in displaying everyone the power and resilience of the way you carried out over the course of your hall-of-fame profession, you’ve got impressed and impressed us greater than something in what you’ve got achieved off the sector, man.”
“You are a brother to me, I like you greater than something on this world and its so nice to have you ever again,” he added.
Moss initially revealed that he was “battling one thing internally” when he shared a video on Instagram in December. Days later, ESPN introduced that he can be stepping away from his function as co-host of Sunday NFL Countdown.
On Dec. 13, Moss introduced in an Instagram Reside that he first acknowledged one thing was incorrect when he seen his urine was discolored. After visiting a physician, Moss mentioned he discovered that he had most cancers. “They discovered it within the bile duct proper between the pancreas and the liver, and that the most cancers was sitting proper outdoors the bile duct,” he mentioned on the time, earlier than confirming {that a} stent had been inserted in his liver throughout his first of many surgical procedures.
He later underwent a Whipple process and confirmed he would additionally endure radiation and chemotherapy, calling it “a making an attempt week, a making an attempt time.”
“By the grace of God, my liver began performing up,” he continued. “I didn’t suppose I might ever be ready like this, as wholesome as I assumed I used to be.”
On Thursday, Feb. 6, Moss appeared through livestream to current the Comeback Participant of the Yr award on the NFL Honors ceremony. “I am sorry I couldn’t be there in individual to affix you all, however I need to ship a particular thanks to all of my medical doctors, my stunning spouse, my kids, my household, my teammates and all the prayer warriors on the market,” Moss mentioned on the time. “We’re Mossing most cancers and I can’t wait to get again on tv with all my guys.”
His newest return to ESPN comes as Dick Vitale celebrated his personal first sport again as a school basketball commentator this weekend, following his newest bout with most cancers and a fall final month.
The Related Press reported that Vitale, 85, earned a standing ovation from the group at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum on Feb. 8, whereas ESPN referred to as it a “nice weekend for the ESPN household” forward of Tremendous Bowl LIX in New Orleans.