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Y! MyWebMoss hopes his ultimate arena is NFL
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Receiver Terry Moss #12 of the New York Dragons looks for some yardage against the Tampa Bay Storm during the game on April 18, 2008 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida.Instead of helmet, Terry Moss wore a whistle last season as an Ohio Dominican University graduate assistant. He came to a realization.
"At first I thought I was done with football," the former Wayne High School and Ball State receiver said. "I was just going to get into coaching. When I got into coaching, I realized that I could do this later."
Moss had encouragement from Ohio Dominican linebackers coach Steve Bellisari, the one-time Ohio State (and Dayton Warbirds) quarterback now with the New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League.
"Arena wasn't really in my mind," said Moss, a speedy 5-foot-9, 189-pounder who was waived as a free agent by the Detroit Lions a year ago. "The more I was out there running routes with Bellisari, the more I realized how much I missed it."
After some AFL tryouts, Moss was picked up by the New York Dragons. He made his debut in Week 6 and scored. Limited to special teams duty much of the season, Moss (150 yards receiving, two touchdowns, 429 kick return yards) is back in the offensive mix.
The Dragons (8-8) play at Dallas (12-14) in a playoff game at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 27, on ESPN.
With New York's leading receiver Jason Willis out for the season, Moss' playing time could increase. "There's definitely going to be a chance for me to step up," Moss said. "I've definitely got some big shoes to fill, but I'm confident I can do it."
Moss dueled fellow Wayne graduate Robert Redd (1,523 yards, 16 TDs) when New York played Cleveland this season. Moss scored and imitated Randy Moss' "open the curtains" celebration.
"He scored right back and did it back and pointed to our bench," Terry Moss said. "That's the last time I talked to him. (But) we won that game."
"It's fun to be able to play at this level of competition against a Wayne alum," said Redd, whose Cleveland team plays host to Orlando at 7 p.m. Monday (ESPN2). "I think mine held a little bit more weight because that was my second touchdown of the day."
Moss likes living near fast-paced New York City, though he said he'll be back in Dayton after the season doing some coaching and/or substitute teaching.
"I'm still young," said Moss, 23. "I still live life right now. I'm happy playing (in the AFL), but the main goal is definitely to get to the NFL in anyway possible."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951 or mgokavi@DaytonDailyNews.com.
