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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jordy McElroy

Randy Moss reveals secret meeting with Tom Brady before Patriots trade

Tom Brady and Randy Moss were arguably the greatest quarterback and receiver duo in NFL history. Their time together was incredibly short, but when they shared the field, records were seemingly being broken on a weekly basis.

Moss shared a story few knew about on “ManningCast” during the Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

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The story was about a secret meeting that took place at a hotel when the Patriots were visiting Minnesota for a Monday Night Football game with the Minnesota Vikings.

Moss became intrigued with the idea of potentially joining the Patriots after hearing great things about the organization from his teammate and good friend, Doug Gabriel. So he threw on a hood and trekked up 14 flights of stairs for a secretive face-to-face meeting with Brady.

“We had a wide receiver – shout out to my man Doug Gabriel – got traded from the Raiders to New England,” said Moss, via FOX News’ Ryan Gaydos. “And all I heard about … we were having some bad times in Oakland and all I heard was, ‘Man, you oughta see the facility, you oughta see how we do things here.’ Like, praising the Patriots.

“They had a ‘Monday Night Football’ game in Minnesota. I had the opportunity to meet up with Tom. And sneaking in the hotel where you have all the players. I know how the players get around, getting on the exit stairs and moving around. So, I just put my hood on, came through the lobby, found the exit stairs and walked all the way up. I think it was 14 or 15 flights but I got up there.”

That secret meeting set the wheels in motion for a joining of forces that would create arguably the greatest team in NFL history. The 2007 Patriots became the only team to ever finish an NFL season with a 16-0 record.

Granted, they went on to lose Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants, but the memorable connections between Brady and Moss were absolutely legendary. They made it look easy at times, even against future Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis.

It makes you wonder what would have happened if Gabriel never vouched for the Patriots. Perhaps Moss would have never set up the secret meeting, and this huge part of NFL history might have never existed.

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