ESPN '30 For 30': Randy Moss, 'Rand University'
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Director Marquis Daisy showed ESPN "30 for 30" viewers the fascinating path Randy Moss followed from his hometown of Rand, West Virginia to the NFL.
The film details how Moss almost fell off his path before making his mark.
The future star wide receiver overcame trouble with the law and two blown big-time college opportunities at Notre Dame and Florida State before rebuilding his career at Marshall University, in what was then known as Division 1AA. Moss's struggles and his tremendous success, but at a lesser college program, caused him to drop all the way to 21 in the 1998 NFL draft where he was selected by the Minnesota Vikings.
Daisy, a veteran of HBO sports, grew up as a fan of Moss.
"I was 16 years old and playing NCAA football video games at home with my brothers. My team of choice was always Marshall University.
This supremely gifted athlete, who had the nickname "The Freak," for his dominance over a two-year span at Marshall, became my obsession. Moss's un-human like ability easily propelled him to become my favorite football player," he said.
Sixteen years later, the director, produced the ESPN "30 for 30" film, "Bernie and Ernie," as well as the Grantland short film "Kid Chocolate."He now works full-time as a producer for ESPN Films.
He was trying to accomplish two things with the movie.
1. To take the viewer into Moss's mind.
"He is a very complex and private individual.
He has traditionally been hands-off with the media, for a reason.
Throughout the course of his career, he has kept a very close-knit circle, and through this film, I wanted to give the audience insight into why this is," he said.
2.
Show where the wide receiver came from and how the town shaped him.
" I wanted to make the town of Rand, West Virginia, as big of a character as Moss himself," the director said.
"His unparalleled affection for this place that he calls home, despite a turbulent relationship with the state of West Virginia, is captivating and a big part of who he is today."