Minnesota Vikings add Randy Moss, Ahmad Rashad to Ring of Honor

June 14 (UPI) -- One of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history will be immortalized this season when the Minnesota Vikings induct Randy Moss into its Ring of Honor.

The franchise announced Wednesday that it would be adding Moss and fellow wide receiver Ahmad Rashad into its 2017 induction class.

Moss joined the Vikings as the No. 21 overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.

He made an impact immediately.

Moss, 40, was in All-Pro after his rookie campaign after hauling in 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns.

In his first seven NFL seasons, he pulled in 587 receptions for 9,316 yards and 92 scores for the Vikings. He played two years for the Oakland Raiders, before joining the New England Patriots in 2007. Moss broke the NFL record with 23 receiving touchdowns in a season in his first year in Foxborough. In 2010, he left the Patriots. He finished his career in 2012 with the San Francisco 49ers. Moss had 982 catches for 15,292 yards and 156 touchdowns during his notorious career. He was a four-time All-Pro, six-time Pro Bowler and led the league in receiving touchdowns five times.

Moss ranks No. 2 all-time in receiving touchdowns and No. 3 all-time in receiving yards.

"Well, I'm kind of speechless," Moss told reporters Wednesday. "First of all, I just want to give honor to God and being able to bless me to play this sport for such a long time. I've always said this, that if you're getting some type of mention, an award or something positive, for what you've accomplished, that means you did something right in life. Like I said, I'm definitely thankful. I love this game and I played, definitely, with a chip on my shoulder throughout my career."

"Some people I rubbed wrong, some people loved it. So, to the people that I rubbed wrong, man, that's just what I love to do. The game of football, I grew up loving it, I've been playing it since I was six-years old. The year that I mooned Green Bay was the first year I actually took off. It took me 28 years to take a season or a game off. So, I think that when I tell you that I wore the game of football on my shoulder, I really wore it on my shoulder, man. I didn't really give myself any breaks, no time off."

Rashad, 67, began his career in 1972 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He joined the Vikings in 1976 and played in Minnesota until retiring after the 1982 season. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and was the first Vikings wide receiver in team history to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, when he did it in 1979 and 1980.

Before Wednesday, the Vikings hadn't inducted a player into its Ring of Honor since 2013.

Moss and Rashad join Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page, Jim Finks, Bud Grant, Paul Krause, Fred Zamberletti, Jim Marshall, Ron Yary, Korey Stringer, Mick Tingelhoff, Carl Eller, Cris Carter, Bill Brown, Jerry Burns, Randall McDaniel, Chuck Foreman, John Randle, Scott Studwell, Chris Doleman, Matt Blair and Joey Browner for the franchise honor.

"It is probably the biggest thing that's ever happened to me," Rashad told reporters Wednesday. "It's the most important thing to ever happen to me and I've won Emmy awards, I've won receiving titles, I've won all those kinds of things, but this is closer to my heart. I always say that, "Once a Viking, always a Viking." You don't ever get out of that and this ownership has shown that it is a wonderful fraternity and that we respect everybody."

"We really are the north and we take that with pride, so looking at this. I don't think anything else in my athletic career could top winning this honor. There's absolutely nothing else and to go in with Randy Moss is just absolutely wonderful. I've always been a big fan of his and sometimes to start to see that you're getting old when Randy tells me he watched me play when he was six. I was only twelve, but it's just funny to see that sort of thing and it's a wonderful feeling. It's great for all of the Minnesota people involved."