Tom Brady wasn’t the only one having an emotional night on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium.
While joining Brady on stage as part of the quarterback’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame, receiver Randy Moss received a standing ovation from the more than 60,000 fans in attendance.
“I think that a lot of football fans were just wondering what they were gonna get,” Moss said, referring to the start of the connection between him and Brady.
Unlike most cornerbacks lined up against him during his own Hall of Fame career, Moss was stopped in his tracks by raucous applause, a standing ovation that lasted almost a minute.
“Y’all know it’s always good to feel this,” Moss remarked with a tear streaming from his right eye. “I thank y’all.”
The celebration came with Moss presenting on a panel with Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brady and NBC’s Mike Tirico, who served as host.
Moss was traded from Oakland to New England in 2007, immediately forming one of the best quarterback-receiver duos in football history.
In his first year, Moss posted a ridiculous 98 catches for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns — the latter still a single-season record — helping lead the Patriots to an 18-1 record and Super Bowl 2008.
Having Moss as a target unlocked an extra gear in Brady, allowing the quarterback to win his first MVP by throwing for an NFL-best 4,806 yards and 50 touchdowns on a 68.9 percent completion rate.
Moss followed that up with two straight seasons north of 1,000 yards and with 11-plus touchdowns before he was sent back to the Minnesota Vikings in 2010, when his production declined.
The six-time Pro Bowl receiver was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
As for Brady, he received a red jacket and had his No. 12 retired by the organization.
The Patriots will finish mandatory minicamp June 13 before starting training camp in late July.