Topic: Moss: "I ain't changing"

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Moss not ready to change his ways with new team
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
April 30, 2005

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -- Randy Moss made one thing clear following his first few workouts with the Oakland Raiders: He's going to be the same distanced superstar he was in seven tumultuous seasons in Minnesota.

``Some people call it shy. Some people call it incognito. I call it being me,'' Moss said Saturday between minicamp practices. ``The biggest thing is, I'm coming here to work.''

The extent of Moss' adjustment period with his new team has been mixing up names of several teammates and familiarizing himself with new offensive terminology in Norv Turner's system.

On the field, he sure appears smooth and collected.

``The thing that jumped out at me first was how effortless he does things,'' quarterback Kerry Collins said. ``He's very fluid. He's a big, tall, rangy guy. I knew that, but until you see him in person you don't get an appreciation for it.''

While cornerback Charles Woodson is the official franchise man -- for now, at least -- Moss is undeniably THE new face of this team.

He knows it, too.

Moss has forgotten a few teammates' names, saying it was ``embarrassing,'' but nobody has called him by the wrong name.

``No. I think I'm in the spotlight,'' he said, his hair in tight, criss-crossed cornrows. ``But if they did I wouldn't worry about it.''

Oakland is coming off a 5-11 season, getting just one more victory in Turner's first year than the Raiders managed the previous season under fired coach Bill Callahan. The team is just 9-23 over the past two seasons for the worst two-year record since Al Davis arrived in 1963 to coach and eventually own the Raiders.

Moss is just the kind of player for Davis' preferred vertical passing game. It was their proficient passing attack led by league MVP Rich Gannon that advanced the Raiders to the Super Bowl after the 2002 season, won 48-21 by Tampa Bay.

When asked if anything has surprised him so far wearing the Silver and Black, Moss tested the media ever so slightly.

``The only thing I can really say is the food, that's about it,'' he said. ``Nah, it was really a joke. I'm messing with you. Nah, nothing really surprised me here.''

For the most part, he just wants to be left alone.

Moss spent much of last season limited by a hamstring injury and didn't reach 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in his seven-year career. He finished with 49 catches for 767 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The trade from the Vikings in early March came only days after Oakland re-signed receiver Jerry Porter to a five-year deal, giving the Raiders quite a 1-2 punch in their already deep receiving corps.

Porter fell just short of his first 1,000-yard season last year, leading the Raiders with 64 receptions for 998 yards and nine touchdowns.

``84, here he is!'' Moss said Saturday as Porter made his way into the interview room.

Moss is now wearing No. 18, his old training camp number from his rookie year, since Porter had already established himself with No. 84.

Moss will help out teammates when asked, and during Saturday's early session he provided a few pointers to third-year receiver John Stone. When cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha broke up a pass in the end zone against Moss, the two quickly slapped hands afterward.

``I think Randy exudes that kind of personality,'' Collins said. ``He doesn't walk around like he's better than everyone else. I think he's going to be a good teammate.''

As for Moss' controversial antics of the past, his new teammates are ready to put those things in the past.

Moss was fined $10,000 for pretending to pull down his pants and moon the Green Bay crowd during Minnesota's playoff win and also drew criticism for leaving the field with 2 seconds left in a regular-season loss against Washington.

Other transgressions include bumping a traffic control officer with his car in 2002, verbally abusing corporate sponsors on a team bus in 2001 and squirting an official with a water bottle in 1999, in addition to his infamous ``I play when I want to play'' comments.

``We've all had our moments and he's had his, but I think at the end of the day Randy Moss just wants to be a winner,'' Collins said.

Porter is excited about all the changes, which also include the addition of bruising tailback LaMont Jordan, who received a five-year, $27.5 million contract to finally be a starter after four years behind Curtis Martin with the Jets.

``Nine wins the past two years will do that to you,'' Porter said of the overhaul. ``The sky's the limit.''

Collins knows the Raiders will have no excuse not to win this season with this high-powered, star-studded offense. Oakland opens on the road against two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England in a Thursday night game to kick off the NFL schedule.

``I'm sure it's no coincidence we're on Thursday night, first game of the year,'' Collins said. ``I think it's great. I think as a player in this league, that's what we all enjoy. It's what brings just another level of excitement to what you're doing. There's a lot of talk about the Raiders right now, about Randy being here. You don't have that every year.''

Updated on Saturday, Apr 30, 2005 6:37 pm EDT