Randy Moss: ‘I'm having a great time'

SANTA CLARA -- Veteran wide receiver Randy Moss, who accumulated Hall-of-Fame credentials in his first 13 NFL seasons, has been a role player through five games with the 49ers.Moss ranks fourth on the team with nine catches for 99 yards and one touchdown while playing approximately one-third of the team's offensive snaps as the 49ers enter Sunday's game against the New York Giants.Is Moss disgruntled?Quite the contrary, he told CSNBayArea.com on Thursday.
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The 49ers have an offensive approach -- a balance of run and pass -- unlike anything Moss has experienced in his career. And that's the reason he said he is thoroughly enjoying the experience of playing for coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman."Coach G-Ro, Greg Roman, and his staff have shown me a different side to an offense," Moss said. "And that's the thing about being a student of the game. You think you know so much but each level or each year that you grow, you're still learning. I think if I stop learning, then I'll stop having the love and the passion to go out and play the game. So, right now, I'm having a great time."Moss participated in a 20-minute interview Thursday with CSNBayArea.com for an upcoming story about his hometown of Rand, W.V. Moss sat down for the interview wearing a West Virginia State Police hat. The state of West Virginia was jolted six weeks ago by the shooting deaths of two state troopers during a routine traffic stop.Moss remains active in his home community and home state. In the summer of 2011, during his year away from the NFL, Moss coached a middle school football team. He approached the task with such diligence that his friend, Donnie "Blue" Jones, began referring to Moss as "Black Belichick."Moss played three full seasons for the New England Patriots' Bill Belichick, including a record-setting 2007 season when he caught 23 touchdown passes."One thing I still hold to my heart before I even went to New England, I thought I knew a lot about football," Moss said. "Coach Belichick taught me a lot about football. And then when I came here to the 49ers, I'm still learning. And that's a good thing."Moss' career began with seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. His first four seasons were in coach Dennis Green's West Coast Offense."I learned a certain way in Minnesota," Moss said. "Then, I went to New England, and learned a different way there. And then coming here, it was just like re-energizing my thought process of how I thought that it was."I learned from coach Dennis Green and his staff. Then going to New England, and learning from Coach Belichick and his staff. Now, I'm here learning from coach (Jim) Harbaugh and his staff. It's like the three different levels I've been on. I'm still learning and still having fun."Moss explained how his understanding of the sport has grown with every good experience he has encountered during his career."For us to be able to come out and put a running package in and then throw the ball," he said. "And New England was for you to put a run package in and then spread it out. And coach Dennis Green was basically the West Coast Offense simplified for them to put whatever out there and run whatever the play's called."On Monday, Harbaugh raved about Moss' contributions on and off the field. Harbaugh said Moss regularly communicates his insights with the coaching staff."If not daily, it's weekly, most days," Harbaugh said. "Randy's got an enthusiastic suggestion for what we can do or try. The neat thing about it is, it's never a self-centered thing. It's never how to get him more balls. It's how it would help the team or help the group or the unit."Said Moss, "There are a lot of things I've learned on the field throughout my 14 years in this league. Like I said, I'm having a great time. I really am."