Catching Some Redemption

• Share

Even the most desperate football coaches understand that God isn't known to wear cleats, that Super Bowl rings and contract extensions are unlikely priorities in his divine order. Yet earlier this year, during the NFL draft, Minnesota Vikings head coach Dennis Green found himself dialing up his minister and praying that his controversial decision to draft a kid named Randy Moss would not be in vain.

No one doubted that Moss, a wide receiver from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., was supremely talented: at 6 ft. 4 in. he was speedy and sure-handed. But 19 NFL teams had passed over Moss in the draft because of a record that included a couple of arrests, a probation violation and a one-month stint in jail.

For Green the small blessings came first. A stunning catch here, a terrific block there. And no off-field antics. Then last week, on Thanksgiving Day, as the Vikings squared off against the Dallas Cowboys (which, having had enough player troubles of their own, snubbed Moss in the draft), the coach stood on the sidelines and witnessed a miracle. There was Moss, the NFL's persona non grata, catching one, two, three touchdown passes to lead the Vikes to a 46-36 victory. Hallelujah!

Of course, these days not much can shock a state that recently elected as its Governor bald-headed former pro wrestler Jesse ("the Body") Ventura, but the Vikings are sure trying. New team owner Red McCombs, coach Green and a squad of bad boys and second-chancers are defying expectations. Start with Moss. Despite his tainted image, he has emerged as perhaps the league's most exciting wide receiver. And Cris Carter, who admitted to abusing cocaine and alcohol early in his career, is bolstering his standing as the all-time best receiver in Viking history.

The Vikings are currently being led by football's happiest reclamation project, Randall Cunningham, who found God--and receivers who can fly like angels. Having been cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, Cunningham was retired, tending to his marble business, when Green signed him last year as a backup to starter Brad Johnson. When Johnson was injured earlier this season, Cunningham stepped in and started throwing--long. The Vikes have now amassed an imposing record of 11 and 1 and seem poised for the Super Bowl.

Still, the Vikings have more to prove than an ability to stomp their opponents. Over the years, they have suffered from a reputation as one of the league's most dysfunctional families. Several Vikings have piled up charges ranging from rape to assault to drunk driving to embezzlement. A provocative new book, Pros and Cons: The Criminals Who Play in the N.F.L. (Warner Books; $24), depicts the Vikings as emblematic of a troubling trend in the league. Authors Jeff Benedict and Don Yaeger estimate that 1 in 5 players has been charged with a serious crime. "NFL teams are recruiting a new breed of criminal players the likes of which should disturb all NFL fans," the authors conclude. "Gone are the good old days of NFL recruits having rap sheets detailing merely drunken brawls and vandalism. In are the days of lethal violence, rape, armed robbery, home invasion, kidnapping and drug dealing."