Background and career
Santana Terrell Moss (born June 1, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors. Moss was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2001 NFL draft, where he spent four seasons with the team, before playing for the Washington Redskins for 10 seasons. Moss was selected as an All-Pro in 2005.
Moss was born in Miami, Florida. He attended Miami Carol City Senior High, and played high school football for the Carol City Chiefs. He led the team with 25 receptions for 600 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior and amassed 450 yards on 12 kickoff returns with one return touchdown that year. Moss earned third-team all-state football honors following his senior season.
Moss attended the University of Miami, and joined the Miami Hurricanes in 1997 as a walk-on, before being awarded a scholarship after the season's third game. He went on to break the Hurricanes' record (previously held by Michael Irvin) for most receiving yards (with 2,546 yards). He finished his 2000 senior season with 1,604 all-purpose yards, received first-team All-Big East Conference honors, and was recognized a consensus first-team All-American. Moss also became the first player to earn Big East Offensive Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year honors in the same season. Moss is an important figure in Miami Hurricanes football history, generally considered (along with Irvin) to be one of the most accomplished wide receivers in the university's history. He graduated as the school's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,546), punt return yards (1,196), and all-purpose yards (4,394). Moss was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U, which premiered December 12, 2009, on ESPN. He was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
Moss was also a standout track athlete for the Miami Carol City Senior High track team. He was a two-time state champion in the triple jump and won state title in the long jump during junior season. He set a school record in the triple jump with leap of 14.81 meters. He also ran track for the Miami Hurricanes track and field team, and was named the "Most Outstanding Field Performer" for the 2000 Big East Outdoor Track and Field championships. He won the triple jump at the 2000 Big East Championships, with a personal-best mark of 15.50 meters. Personal bests
Moss was a first round (16th overall) pick in the 2001 NFL draft by the New York Jets out of the University of Miami. In the 2001 season, he made his NFL debut in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins. Moss made his first career catch in Week 12 against the New England Patriots. In the 2002 season, Moss made his first career start in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. Moss played a total of 51 games with the New York Jets and finished with 2,416 receiving yards, 19 touchdowns, 127 rushing yards, and 1,799 return yards.
Following the 2004 season, Moss was acquired by the Washington Redskins in a trade with the New York Jets for Laveranues Coles. Moss signed a six-year contract with the Redskins on May 4, 2005.
