Randy Moss Makes Surprise Appearance During NFL Honors amid Cancer Diagnosis: ‘I Want to Send a Special Thank You’

Randy Moss made a surprise appearance at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday amid his ongoing diagnosis with cancer.

The Hall of Famer, who turns 48 on Feb. 13, appeared via livestream to present the Comeback Player of the Year award — and shared a special message to those who have supported him.

“I’m sorry I could not be there in person to join you all, but I want to send a special thank you to all of my doctors, my beautiful wife, my children, my family, my teammates and all of the prayer warriors out there,” Moss said. “We are Mossing cancer and I cannot wait to get back on television with all my guys.”

Wearing a Team Moss beanie and sweatshirt, Moss was in good spirits as he introduced the category.

The former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver turned ESPN analyst opened up about his cancer diagnosis for the first time in December.

In a post to Instagram, he shared that he had undergone surgery and had been hospitalized for nearly a week. “So I did have cancer,” he revealed. “They found it in the bile duct right between the pancreas and the liver, and that the cancer was sitting right outside the bile duct.”

Moss explained he underwent the first of several surgeries on Thanksgiving Day to insert a stent into his liver. He later said that he underwent another surgery, a Whipple procedure that treats tumors and other conditions in the pancreas, small intestine and bile ducts, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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Before announcing that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was this year’s recipient on Thursday, Moss reminded the crowd that he won the award in 2007 when he played with the New England Patriots.

“Twenty-three touchdowns,” he said with a smile, about the record for a wide receiver in a single season, which still stands.

Moss added, “There’s no better story in the National Football League than a one about a player who does big things, overcome adversity and face obstacles, but ultimately find their way back to the mountaintop.”