After experiencing disciplinary issues and academic problems, GARY MOSS ultimately rebounded to become one of Georgia’s top defensive backs of the 1980s, and a starter in the NFL.
As a senior at White County High School (Cleveland, Ga.) in 1981, the versatile Moss was recognized as a First-Team All-State defensive back for all classifications. He also starred at quarterback and running back for the Warriors, yet nearly signed with Clemson to play wide receiver.
After being redshirted for a season at Georgia, Moss was a standout on special teams in 1983, averaging 24 yards per kickoff return and 14 yards per punt return during the regular season. It was in the 1984 Cotton Bowl against second-ranked Texas when Moss had one of the greatest single-game performances on special teams in UGA football history.
Against the Longhorns, Moss returned six punts/kickoffs for 110 yards, made a special-teams tackle, and recovered a Texas fumble via a Georgia punt with approximately four-and-half minutes remaining in the ballgame, leading to the Bulldogs' epic 10-9 upset victory over the Longhorns. It was said that Moss, pending a Georgia victory, had all but locked up the game's MVP honors until John Lastinger's historic 17-yard game-winning touchdown relinquished the award to the Bulldogs' quarterback.
Moss finished out his collegiate career in 1985 and 1986 as one of Georgia’s most outstanding defensive backs of the 1980s. For his career, he tallied 98 tackles, including five for loss, 20 passes broken up, and 10 interceptions—remarkable totals considering they essentially were recorded in a period of just two seasons. Notably, Moss’ interception total does not include the one he toted back 81 yards for a touchdown against Boston College in the 1986 Hall of Fame Bowl—his final game as a Bulldog.
Originally published in April 2016, and updated April 2020, UGASports caught up with Moss from his home in St. Petersburg, Florida:
UGASports: You were a part of Georgia's infamous 1982 signing class—a class recognized as the top incoming group in the country, yet one in which only a handful of players, including yourself, would ultimately pan out. Were there any other schools you considered attending before signing with Georgia?
Moss: I also considered Tennessee, and I actually almost went to Clemson. When I came out in '82, Clemson had just won a national championship with Homer Jordan [as its quarterback]. The Clemson coach recruiting me hard was Curley Hallman (eventual head coach at Southern Miss and LSU). He and I kind of hit it off for a number of reasons, including he was just a great guy, a real straight-shooter, and my nickname just happens to be "Curley." But, in 1982, Coach Hallman left Clemson to go to Texas A&M to coach under Jackie Sherrill. Danny Ford (Clemson's head coach) came over to my high school to try to keep me interested in Clemson, but Georgia's Coach [Ray] Goff had me already wanting to be a Bulldog by then.
UGASports: You got to Georgia and, frankly, you soon got in some trouble. After redshirting in 1982, you missed some games in 1983 while serving a suspension. Then, you missed the entire 1984 campaign because of academic issues. What was going on at that time?
Moss: Yeah, when I first got to UGA, I was a simple country boy from Cleveland, Georgia, and decided to run with some wild guys. If I had to do it all over again, I would have tried to keep my nose clean from the very beginning. I tell you, Coach [Vince] Dooley (head coach at the time) is such a wonderful guy, and the reason why I was able to stay on with the team after the suspension. When I got in trouble, he sat me down and I was completely honest with him [for any wrong-doings], but I knew other guys who had been in a similar situation as me, who lied to Coach Dooley and they would get kicked off the team. As far as the academic thing, that was during the Jan Kemp ordeal (if you're unfamiliar with such ordeal, Google it). The program suddenly became really hard on academics which, looking back on it, was a good thing because it made me work harder in school.
UGASports: Your fumble recovery against Texas in the 1984 Cotton Bowl is arguably one of the top 25 plays in UGA football history. What makes it even more so memorable is the fact that Texas actually thought Georgia wasn’t going to punt, but run a fake punt, and did not have its normal punt returner in place, but a guy who had never fielded a punt while at Texas. What do you recall regarding that historic play?
Moss: Actually, it wasn't a very smart play on Texas' part. I don't know why they even had someone besides the punt returner back there [to field the punt]. We were just going to punt the ball—didn't even think about running a fake. And, if Texas hadn't fumbled, they likely would have been national champs (a Texas win over Georgia coupled with a win by Miami, Fla. over Nebraska that night would have propelled the Longhorns to No. 1).
UGASports: That fumble recovery was such an impactful play but you made some other great plays at Georgia, including your interception return for a touchdown in your final game as a Bulldog in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Still, was the fumble recovery versus Texas your greatest moment in a Georgia uniform?
Moss: Yes. Oh, man, it was unreal—like a dream come true! Although I had grown up rooting mostly for Clemson and Georgia Tech, I started liking the Bulldogs around the 10th or 11th grade after going to a football camp. At the camp, Scott Woerner, who had just graduated from UGA, was working out the defensive backs. Right around that time because of how I performed in front of Scott and had played in high school to that point, Coach Dooley offered me a scholarship and Coach Goff started recruiting me. So, to go from playing in front of maybe 400 spectators in high school to being offered a football scholarship from the University of Georgia to recovering that punt at the Cotton Bowl, a dream come true, man. Of course, there were a number of people from White County who really helped my dreams become a reality, like my high school basketball coach, Bobby Parks, and his wife and my third-grade teacher, June. They really helped me along the way.
UGASports: What about your greatest "team" moment while at Georgia?
Moss: I remember winning the SEC and going to the Sugar Bowl as a true freshman (1982 season). We had some big wins over Clemson when I was there, but probably the best was when we beat Auburn on the road my last year in '86. We were supposed to get beaten badly in the first place, and then James Jackson, our starting quarterback, misses the game because of a death in the family. But then our backup quarterback, Wayne Johnson, stepped in, we won [20-16], and then Auburn turned the hoses on our fans!
UGASports: Any other great moments you recall while playing for Georgia?
Moss: There's nothing like putting on that red hat and, say, going to play against your in-state rival, Georgia Tech. I remember Coach Dooley saying to me on occasion—saying this to many players—“You know, there are guys out there who would give their left you-know-what to be where you're at." And, he was so right, because, I'm guessing, there are guys who literally would give that just to put on that red hat.
UGASports: When the NFL strike occurred in 1987, you played for the Atlanta Falcons as a replacement player—and played well. You started all three games the replacement players played in. As one of Atlanta’s starting corners, you ran back kickoffs and punts, and made an interception. What was that process like—being a replacement NFL player?
Moss: My agent called me saying the Falcons would give me $10,000 just to try out. And, if I made the team, they were going to give me a contract for about $5,000-$6,000 for every game I played in. Making it into the NFL was another dream come true for me—amazing—although, you could say, I went a round-about way to get there. The regular players called us scabs, and threw eggs and all kinds of other stuff at us.
UGASports: What's been going on for you professionally in the last 30-plus years?
Moss: After my year in the NFL, I moved back home, got married, and worked at a plant, Cargill, for about 16 years. I later went through a divorce. Now, I'm remarried to an attorney, Daniella Rivera, here in St. Petersburg. I own my own business where we pressure wash, we paint, and we detail cars. I tell you, man, life is good, especially for a kid coming out of little, bitty White County (chuckling).
UGASports: Do you have any children?
Moss: Yes, I have three. My oldest daughter is Tangie Moss. I have a son, Donovan Moss, and there's my baby girl, Tamera. She has autism, so I stay involved with that—autism awareness.
UGASports: After Kirby Smart’s four seasons at Georgia, what do you think of him as the Bulldogs’ head coach?
Moss: Don't get me wrong, I liked Coach Richt, and he did some great things but, simply, it was time for him to go. I like Kirby. I like his attitude; I like what he’s accomplished as a coach; I like that he's a Georgia guy; and he was a great player. You know, when I played, our defensive coordinator, Bill Lewis—a great guy, by the way—would always say, "you got to get your red hat around the ball." Well, when Kirby played about 10-12 years after me, he always was around the ball. Plus, you got to love the fact he played defensive back at Georgia (laughing).
