Randy Moss sends a message with his Hall of Fame necktie

Former Minnesota Vikings great Randy Moss’ Hall of Fame speech was an emotional one. He often mentioned his hometown of Rand, West Virginia, and the spirit of unity and togetherness. At one point, he held back tears, saying:

“Believe me when I tell you all, where I come from, I knew I had to carry you all. From the bottom of my heart, I know a lot of people are out there struggling... I cannot forget my small, unincorporated hometown, Rand, West Virginia... Where nobody even checked on us. Did not care what was going on. We stuck together.”

Moss used the stage to send a very clear message to thirteen particular families, as well. The necktie he wore bore thirteen names representing black men and women, most of whom were killed by police, including Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, and Freddie Gray.

He did not mention any of the names during his induction speech. However, when asked about the tie on NFL Network after the ceremony, Moss replied:

“You ask me about my tie. We all know what’s going on. You see the names on my tie. Being able to use a big platform like the Hall of Fame, what I wanted to be able to express with my tie is to let these families know that they’re not alone.”