Joe Moss

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1930–2023)}}

{{Infobox gridiron football person

| name = Joe Moss

| image = Joe Moss.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Moss as a senior at Maryland

| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|4|19}}

| birth_place = Elkins, West Virginia, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|1|31|1930|4|19}}

| death_place =

| team =

| number = 72

| status =

| position1 = Offensive tackle

| height_ft =

| height_in =

| weight_lb =

| college = Maryland

| NFLDraftedYear = 1952

| NFLDraftedRound = 14

| NFLDraftedPick = 169
(by the Los Angeles Rams)

| NFLDraftedTeam =

| coaching_years1 = 1956–1960

| coaching_team1 = Maryland (asst.)

| coaching_years2 = 1961–1968

| coaching_team2 = Air Force (asst. HC)

| coaching_years3 = 1969–1972

| coaching_team3 = Philadelphia Eagles (DL)

| coaching_years4 = 1973–1974

| coaching_team4 = Toronto Argonauts (DC)

| coaching_years5 = 1974

| coaching_team5 = Toronto Argonauts

| coaching_years6 = 1975–1976

| coaching_team6 = Toronto Argonauts (DC)

| coaching_years7 = 1977

| coaching_team7 = Saskatchewan Roughriders (DB)

| coaching_years8 = 1978–1980

| coaching_team8 = Ottawa Rough Riders (DL)

| coaching_years9 = 1981

| coaching_team9 = Ottawa Rough Riders (OL)

| coaching_years10 = 1982

| coaching_team10 = Ottawa Gee-Gees

| coaching_years11 = 1983–1984

| coaching_team11 = Toronto Argonauts (DC)

| coaching_years12 = 1985–1986

| coaching_team12 = Ottawa Rough Riders

| coaching_years13 = 1987–1989

| coaching_team13 = Toronto Argonauts (DL)

| coaching_years14 = 1990–1993

| coaching_team14 = Hamilton Tiger-Cats (DL)

| coaching_years15 = 1994–1995

| coaching_team15 = Toronto Argonauts (DL)

| coaching_years16 = 1996

| coaching_team16 = Ottawa Rough Riders (DC)

| coaching_years17 = 1997

| coaching_team17 = Hamilton Tiger-Cats (DL)

| coaching_years18 = 1998–1999

| coaching_team18 = New Jersey Red Dogs (asst.)

| coaching_years19 = 2001

| coaching_team19 = Toronto Phantoms (DL/OL/ST)

| playing_years1 = 1952

| playing_team1 = Washington Redskins

| career_highlights = *1982 Quebec University Football League Coach of the Year

Grey Cup Champion (1983)

| NFL = MOS593260

| DatabaseFootball = MOSSJOE01

}}

Joseph Charles Moss (April 19, 1930 – January 31, 2023) was an American gridiron football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Maryland and professional football in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins. Moss served as head coach for the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Biography

A native of Elkins, West Virginia, Moss played college football at the University of Maryland and was drafted in the fourteenth round of the 1952 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He was traded to the Washington Redskins on July 11, 1952, for Nick Bolkovac and a sixth-round draft pick.[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/448650012.html?dids=448650012:448650012&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jul+12%2C+1952&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Rams+Trade+Joe+Moss+for+Two+Redskin+Players&pqatl=google Rams Trade Joe Moss for Two Redskin Players] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020075650/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/448650012.html?dids=448650012:448650012&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&date=Jul+12,+1952&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Rams+Trade+Joe+Moss+for+Two+Redskin+Players&pqatl=google |date=2012-10-20 }}, Los Angeles Times, July 12, 1952.

After playing one season in the National Football League with the Washington Redskins, Moss joined the United States Air Force and was stationed at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C., where he played for the base football team.Ray Schmidt, [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv05/CFHSNv05n4i.pdf Real Airmen], College Football Historical Society Newsletter, Volume V, Number I, page 16, November 1991. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120815001416/http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv05/CFHSNv05n4i.pdf Archived version]. After graduating from University of Maryland as a cadet in the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force Reserves on February 1, 1953.[https://newspaperarchive.com/washington-dc-washington-evening-star-feb-01-1953-p-39/ "83 at Maryland U. To Get Air Force Commissions Today"], The Sunday Star, Washington, DC, 101st year, number 32, February 1, 1953, page A-39.

In 1956, Moss became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Maryland.[http://content.ancestry.com/browse/view.aspx?dbid=7235&iid=NEWS-MD-FR_PO.1956_01_26_0008&desc=%22Joe+Moss%22+&veil=1&o_xid=18704&o_lid=18704&offerid=0%3a7797%3a0 Joe Moss Appointed Aide At College Park]{{Dead link|date=February 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}, The Frederick Post, January 26, 1956. From 1961 to 1968, Moss was Ben Martin's chief assistant at the United States Air Force Academy.[http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=2708124 Coach Moss Aids Toronto], Our Sports Central, April 25, 2001. From 1969 to 1972 he was the defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles.[http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/coachesalltime.asp All-Time Eagles Coaches] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125001440/http://philadelphiaeagles.com/team/coachesalltime.asp |date=2009-01-25}}, Philadelphia Eagles, retrieved December 28, 2010. In 1973, Moss became the defensive coordinator for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Moss was promoted to head coach during the 1974 season after the Argos got off to a 3–4 start. Toronto would go 3–5–1 under Moss and he was replaced as head coach by Russ Jackson, but remained as defensive coordinator.

After one season as the Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive backs coach, Moss became head coach of the Ottawa Gee-Gees football team for one year, 1982. Moss won the Ontario-Quebec University Football League coach of the year award in 1982.[https://www.ubishops.ca/gaiters/qufl/awards.html Récipiendaires de prix de la LFUQ / QUFL Trophy Winners] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212185359/http://www.ubishops.ca/gaiters/qufl/awards.html |date=2012-02-12 }}, Quebec University Football League, retrieved December 28, 2010. Moss returned to the Argonauts as defensive coordinator in 1983 and helped coach the team to victory in the 71st Grey Cup.

On December 18, 1984, Moss was named head coach of the Ottawa Rough Riders. Moss coached the Riders to a 7–9 record and a playoff berth in his first season as head coach. He was fired during his second season after losing ten of eleven games.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=01QNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RG4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5896,9151174&dq=joe+moss+fired Elsewhere...], Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 30, 1986. He recorded a 10–19 mark during his tenure at the helm of the Rough Riders.

After his firing, Moss served as an assistant with the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL, and the New Jersey Red Dogs and Toronto Phantoms of the Arena Football League. He has also scouted for the Tiger-Cats.[http://ca.geocities.com/mcmastermaraudersmacfootball/scoreboard.htm http://ca.geocities.com/mcmastermaraudersmacfootball/scoreboard.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120707142640/http://ca.geocities.com/mcmastermaraudersmacfootball/scoreboard.htm |date=2012-07-07}}

Moss retired from the air force reserves as a lieutenant colonel.[https://www.newspapers.com/image/512236256/ "Dillon needs time to adjust to CFL"], StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, August 22, 1986, page B8 Sports. He died on January 31, 2023, at the age of 92.{{cite web |title=Joseph Charles Moss |url=https://www.saulsfh.com/obituary/Joseph-Charles-Moss |website=Sauls Funeral Home |access-date=7 February 2023}}