49ers' Randy Moss discusses being the 'greatest' to life after football
NEW ORLEANS -- For a player who almost always shuns reporters, Randy Moss appeared to enjoy his mandated hour in the spotlight at Super Bowl Media Day. He engaged every question and was not shy to voice strong opinions. Twice, he labeled himself “the greatest receiver of all time,” but his tone was happy, not hostile.
Here was his A material:
On his place in the echelon of great receivers:
“No disrespect to Jerry Rice because he may be the greatest, but for me to go out and revolutionize the game (with defenses going to much more sophisticated coverages) and still be able to do it, I really think I'm the greatest receiver to ever play the game.”
On his reputation for not being coachable:
“I've always been coachable. There was stuff out there earlier in my career that I'm not coachable, but when it comes to players and coaches, sometimes the coaches have to sit their butts down and listen, too. They expect us to listen. We're out here playing and are putting our lives on the line. I love to be coached by a guy that loves to listen.”
On 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's strong arm, with one throw in his first start dislocating one of Moss' fingers for the first time in his career:
“For him to dislocate my finger and force the trainers to pull it out, I've never had any problem with my fingers. You cannot put the Jugs machine to how hard he throws the ball. He's an incredible talent. Brett Favre broke a couple of fingers, but he was out in the tundra where it was cold. Kap is breaking fingers in 70-degree weather.”
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On why he was a Michael Jackson fan:
“I think it was his sister or brother, one of them said Michael just always wanted to be normal. I'm not putting myself on Michael Jackson's pedestal, but I kind of understood where they were coming from. I always wanted to be able to go to the park and play a game or go shopping or go to the grocery store. I've always wanted to be normal, still to this day. When people see me and they are overwhelmed that they're meeting me for the first time, I just try and let them know and understand that I'm normal.”
On his love for football:
“I don't like anything that comes outside of football. I love the game. I love to play in between the white lines. It's like a kid at school when you're sitting in the classroom, and then the teacher says it's recess and that door opens and all the kids are just running and screaming. That's how I treat the football field. We're clamped up all week, and then once the kickoff comes, it's like you're opening that door. That's when I feel free.”
On what he will do after football:
“If I do any type of coaching it will be on the high-school level. The collegiate level and the professional level takes up a lot of your time. In high school you think you are on the verge of thinking you're something and might not be or you might not be and could be something. That's where I'd be able to impact and give back the most. If I could do any type of coaching, it would be on the high school level, but I just want to love my family and do a little fishing. That's about it.”
On why he has a negative image in some circles:
“It's because I haven't been an ass-kisser and sold my soul to anyone else. I believe in myself. That's the way I've done it.”
On Manti Te'o's situation:
“If I did have an imaginary girlfriend, I never told anybody about it. We all do some things in our life we regret and wish we could have back.”
Why Randy Moss believes he's making an impact despite not being the 49ers' go-to receiver.
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