New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Ep 181: Randy Moss on Cowboys Revenge Game, Edelnut Origins, Wideout Woes & an All Dog NFL Team

Aired: March 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss, widely considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, for an entertaining and insightful conversation. Jason and Travis Kelce dig into Moss’s journey from humble West Virginia roots to football legend, his stories from the league, legendary games—including his famous Cowboys revenge—teammate dynamics, the origin of Julian Edelman’s “Edelnut” nickname, and even create an “All Dog NFL Team” by matching football positions with dog breeds.

The show keeps its familiar, hilarious, sibling-banter tone while delivering inside-the-league perspective, nostalgia, motivation, and playful debates for football fans.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introductions & Fan Mentions [01:03–10:00]

• Podcast “New Heights” Setup: Jason and Travis, with their classic back-and-forth, introduce the show and tease the arrival of Randy Moss.

• Fan Mentions & NFL Combine Talk:

  • The brothers joke about unflattering NFL Combine rookie photos, including their own before/after shots.
  • They poke fun at their younger appearances and the NFL's tendency toward awkward rookie pics.
  • "It's like the NFL purposely tries to get the most unflattering pictures of rookies." – Travis [04:30]

• Social Media & Jason’s Rise:

  • Travis praises Jason for his old-man-on-TikTok vibe:
    • "Everything he posts, it just kind of feels like either a grandpa decided to record a video and maybe did it on accident, or a toddler took his mom's phone…" — Randy Moss [06:57]
  • Jason admits feeling dumb on TikTok, but Travis notes, "Not feeling dumb is, like, one of your superpowers." [08:28]

2. Randy Moss Joins: Crossover Sports & West Virginia Roots [11:21–18:13]

• Moss on Humble Beginnings & Staying Grounded:
  • Moss credits his authenticity and grounded outlook to his upbringing in unincorporated West Virginia.
• Sports Crossover:
  • He discusses the benefit of being a multi-sport athlete and how basketball skills—like using body positioning in the red zone—helped his football career.
  • "[In the red zone] it's all about boxing out, body placement, going up and get the rebound. So that's where I put the game of basketball into my game." — Randy Moss [13:13]
• Jason & Travis agree: Playing multiple sports as a kid is vital in developing overall athleticism.

3. West Virginia Vibes & Giving Back [18:13–20:55]

• The “West Virginia Realness”:
  • "If you come from humble beginnings, I think that's what really keeps a person grounded." — Randy Moss [18:13]
  • Moss shares how he still gives back to kids in his hometown and brought his Hall of Fame jacket home for inspiration.

4. The Edelnut Origins & Moss’s Rookie Mentoring [20:00–23:49]

• Naming Julian Edelman:
  • Moss explains how he coined the nickname "Edelnut" for Edelman, citing locker room antics and a moment where Edelman cursed loudly as Moss was on the phone with his religious mother.
  • "It was one of those crazy moments that I would hear later from my mom: 'Randy, who was that in the background swearing?'" — Randy Moss [21:40]
• Mentoring Younger Players:
  • Moss relished teaching young teammates, like Edelman, about the game, emphasizing the importance of vets passing knowledge down.
  • "I just saw, you know, his speed, his swiftness, but at the same time, ... his willingness to want to learn the game." — Moss [23:02]

5. Choosing Football over Basketball & Confidence Building [24:08–32:53]

• Turning Point Story:
  • Moss shares a hilarious and humble tale of being dominated at Nike’s prestigious high school basketball camp by future NBA stars, including Kevin Garnett, leading to his decision: "Football is what I'm gonna play." [27:24]
• Florida State & Marshall Days:
  • Moss describes the setback of serving jail time and rebounding to dominate at Marshall University—emphasizing perseverance and using setbacks as fuel.
  • "I just took that as another opportunity to go reach my goal." — Moss [32:53]

6. NFL Surfaces, Veterans Stadium Stories & Draft Day Drama [36:02–43:12]

• Playing on AstroTurf & Old Stadiums:
  • Moss reminisces about the brutal "carpet" surfaces of his era, complete with turf burns—"I've seen a man on game day ... have his whole arm stripped from here all the way down to his wrist, and it was like Velcro, man, and it was pure white." — Moss [37:00]
• Veterans Stadium Wall:
  • Moss shares Philly's locker-room wall traditions and wonders if the wall with all NFL legends' signatures survived demolition.
• Draft Day & Cowboys Pump-Fake:
  • Moss was convinced he'd be a Dallas Cowboy, primed by Jerry Jones and even a limo visit to Deion Sanders' house, only to be passed over and land with the Vikings.
  • "There was no way that I was leaving Dallas ... I was believing I was going to be a Dallas Cowboy. So that is crazy." — Moss [45:30]
• Broke His Ankle on Draft Night:
  • He broke his ankle playing basketball the night he was drafted, so rookie trading cards show him in an air cast. [42:30]

7. Thanksgiving Cowboys Revenge Game [43:14–47:27]

• Legendary Game Motivation:
  • Moss talks about using the spotlight to simply say "Hi Mom" on Thanksgiving, then torching Dallas with 3 catches for 163 yards and 3 TDs.
  • "That game right there, I know it was just three balls thrown my way, but I was in the zone that day and I was going to not let anything stop me." — Moss [45:06]
• Would He Have Done It Against Deion Sanders?
  • Moss is unequivocal—he still would have balled out, saying the moment was bigger than any one matchup.

8. Rival Corners, DBs & Athlete Study [47:27–50:20]

• Most Challenging DB:
  • "[Darrel] Revis was a gnat. ... The way he knew how you stepped, how he knew body language ... you talk about doing homework, that was him." — Moss [47:36]
• Other Legendary Matchups:
  • The group dives into how studying opponents, using basketball backgrounds, and body control separate greats from the good.

9. Welcome to the NFL Moments—And Surrealism with NFL Legends [50:20–52:00]

• Surreal Experiences:
  • Moss recalls walking past Reggie White on a Monday Night in Lambeau, feeling the weight of sharing a field with legends he watched as a kid.
  • "I remember walking back to the huddle and I walk right past Reggie White and just … could feel the aura." — Moss [51:02]

10. Patriots Years, Tom Brady, and Chemistry [52:00–60:23]

• How Moss Joined the Patriots:
  • He literally snuck into the team hotel to recruit Tom Brady:
    • "I walk in and was like, look dude, I'ma cut straight to it: I want to play with you. Whatever you can do to get me up here, do it." — Moss [53:04]
• Wiring with Brady:
  • Moss wanted to learn every check, every signal—“Everything that Brady knew, I wanted to know.”
• Travis Relates to Chemistry with Mahomes:
  • "That’s what happens when you golf together and ... play drinking games together, man." — Travis, on growing chemistry with Mahomes [58:05]

11. QB-Receiver Dynamic & the Art of the Connection [55:18–60:23]

• Quarterback vs. Wideout Drama:
  • Moss says it’s always 50-50 blame—both positions screw up and succeed together.
• On Travis & Patrick Mahomes:
  • Moss genuinely lauds the chemistry: “That should be studied seriously. And I really mean that.” [57:40]

Notable Quote:
"He just knows ... If I break off my route different or even just run a completely different route than what's called ... that ball is going to be there on time." — Travis [57:54–59:48]

12. Locker Room Brotherhood & What Legends Miss Most [63:27–64:37]

• Jason on Retirement:
  • "What I didn't know I was gonna miss was the locker room. Everybody tells you you're gonna miss it, but ... there ain’t anything else that replicates this." [63:53]
• Travis on Big Game Moments:
  • "Those moments of rising to the occasion in the heat of the battle ... that's a feeling that I know I'll never get again." [65:11]

13. Defining Career Moments [66:07–69:37]

• Randy’s Best Memory:
  • "The 23 touchdowns [in a season] ... for me, of all the hard work that I put in." [66:07]
• Jason’s Turning Point:
  • "The response I had to almost getting cut ... I studied my technique, got better with my leverage, and came back ... we happened to win a Super Bowl on top of it." [68:16–68:28]
• Travis’s Pinnacle:
  • "The coolest moment was being on the mountaintop with Jason ... playing in the Super Bowl against the Eagles." [68:51]

14. "All Dog NFL Team"—Football Positions as Dog Breeds [81:52–92:33]

Hilarious Segment Creating NFL Team Out of Dogs:

• On Jason:
  • Off-field: Bloodhound, "just not moving unless he smells something and then he's getting after it."
  • On-field: Tibetan Mastiff, "ancient guard dog."
• On Travis:
  • Off-field: Golden Retriever, "all-American...everybody loves them."
  • On-field: Great Pyrenees, "team guy...runs in packs."
• Positions as Breeds:
  • QB: German Shepherd ("leader")
  • TE: Great Pyrenees
  • RB: Husky (sled dog power)
  • WR: Border Collie & Greyhound
  • Defensive Tackle: St. Bernard (“big, slobber, slab of beef”)
  • DE: Doberman
  • LB: Belgian Malinois
  • CB: Vizsla
  • [Rapid-fire debate about dog personalities, athleticism, and "that dog in them."]

15. Lightning Round and Show Wrap [92:33–end]

• Moss on Still Being Able to Play:
  • "I really believe ... I could really still go out there and give a team close to double digit touchdowns. ... If the right call and the right opportunity came ... I could put that 84 back on one more time." [73:03–73:47]
• Moss on the Greatest Play (Impromptu Lateral):
  • Moss describes the famous lateral against Denver: “Anytime I see that play, it’s kind of like 11 guys playing heads-up football.”
• Moss on Locker Room Culture:
  • "To let you guys know what being on this show really means to me ... when I look at you guys and see the things you guys love in your relationship ... I wish I would have had that type of relationship with my brother." [79:12–80:33]
• Emotional Moment: Moss shares his battle with cancer and deep admiration for Jason and Travis’s brotherhood, including seeing them embrace after games.

Notable Quotes

• "If you're talking about my position, [no one has better highlights], but if you’re talking about players that ever played the game, I mean, I think Barry Sanders was a human highlight reel.” — Randy Moss [12:39]
• “It’s all the reps … but at the same time, there’s just a natural understanding of backyard football.” — Travis Kelce on Mahomes connection [58:43]
• “What I miss the most is just being in the locker room with the guys … I purposely go back still to try and get that.” — Jason Kelce [63:53]
• “The satisfaction you get … all the hard work that you put in, it’s finally paying off.” — Travis Kelce on big moments [65:11]
• “That should be studied seriously ... When it comes to quarterback receiver combination, what you guys created, man, I tip my hat to that.” — Randy Moss praising Travis & Mahomes [57:40]

Memorable Moments & Timestamps

• [13:13] — Moss on basketball’s impact on red-zone receiving
• [27:24] — Decision to focus on football after Nike Camp embarrassment
• [42:30] — Broke his ankle playing basketball on draft night
• [45:06] — The emotional high of Moss’s 3-catch, 3-TD Thanksgiving revenge game
• [51:02] — Moss’s surreal “Welcome to the NFL” moment: walking past Reggie White
• [53:04] — Moss sneaking into Patriots’ hotel to recruit Tom Brady
• [66:07] — Each host’s and guest’s most defining NFL moment

Tone & Banter

The episode ebbs and flows between poignant and uproarious, with authentic moments of vulnerability (discussing retirement, brotherhood, loss, and illness), pure football geekery, and locker room humor. Randy Moss fits seamlessly into the New Heights fabric, giving the episode a heartfelt and iconic feel for both NFL diehards and casual listeners.

For those who missed it:
This jam-packed episode is a masterclass in NFL storytelling, behind-the-scenes chemistry, and playful debates—polished by the unfiltered, joyous heart of three generational athletes.

Listen if you want:

• Relive Randy Moss’s greatest plays and mindset
• Hear rare, candid NFL brotherhood talk
• Laugh about building the most “dog” NFL team ever
• Get inspired by stories of perseverance and authenticity

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