Ahmad Rashad facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ahmad Rashad

Rashad in 2009
No. 28, 27
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1949-11-19) November 19, 1949 (age 75) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:	Mount Tahoma (Tacoma, Washington)
College:	Oregon (1968–1971)
NFL Draft:	1972 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
St. Louis Cardinals (1972) Buffalo Bills (1974) Minnesota Vikings (1976)
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-Pro (1979) 4× Pro Bowl (1978–1981) 50 Greatest Vikings Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor Minnesota Vikings 25th Anniversary Team Minnesota Vikings 40th Anniversary Team First-team All-American (1971) 3× First-team All-Pac-8 (1969, 1970, 1971) Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 495 Receiving yards: 6,831 Receiving touchdowns: 44
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

Ahmad Rashad (born Robert Earl Moore; November 19, 1949) is a famous American sportscaster and former professional football player. He was a talented wide receiver in the NFL. In 1972, he was the fourth player chosen in the entire 1972 NFL draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Before 1973, he was known as Bobby Moore.

After high school, he played college football for the Oregon Ducks at the University of Oregon. He started as a wide receiver but later moved to running back. In 1971, he was named an All-American at that position.

After college, Rashad became a professional player. He played for the Cardinals for two seasons. He then played for the Buffalo Bills and later the Minnesota Vikings. With the Vikings, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times between 1978 and 1981.

After retiring from football, Rashad became a well-known television personality. He worked as a sports analyst and host for many years. He hosted popular shows like NBA Inside Stuff and NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad. As of 2021, he joined the digital content team for the New York Knicks, creating videos and hosting events.

Early Life and Name Change

Ahmad Rashad was born Robert Earl Moore in 1949 in Portland, Oregon. His family later moved to Tacoma, Washington, where he played high school football. After graduating from Mount Tahoma High School, he received a scholarship to play football at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He studied elementary education while playing for the Ducks.

In 1972, Moore became a Muslim. He had started learning about Islam while in college. A year later, in 1973, Bobby Moore legally changed his name to Ahmad Rashād. This new name means "admirable one led to truth" in Arabic. He chose his last name from his mentor, Rashad Khalifa, who was a biochemist.

Football Career Highlights

At the University of Oregon, Moore played as a wide receiver and a wingback. In 1969, he was named to the all-conference team. He then switched to running back and became an All-American in 1971. In his last college season (1971), he ran for 1,211 yards and caught 32 passes. He also scored 10 touchdowns. By the time he left Oregon, he held school records for rushing yards, receptions, and total points.

In the 1972 NFL draft, the St. Louis Cardinals picked Moore as the fourth overall player. He was named to the UPI all-rookie team in his first year. After the 1973 season, he was traded to the Buffalo Bills. In Buffalo, he was teammates with O. J. Simpson. He missed the 1975 season because of a knee injury.

Before the 1976 season, Rashad signed with the Seattle Seahawks. However, he was soon traded to the Minnesota Vikings. Even though he initially failed the Vikings' physical exam, quarterback Fran Tarkenton helped him stay on the team. That season, the Vikings reached the Super Bowl, which was their last appearance in the championship game for many years.

During his professional football career, Rashad caught 495 passes for 6,831 yards. He also scored 44 touchdowns. One of his most famous plays happened in December 1980 against the Cleveland Browns. Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer threw a long pass, known as a Hail Mary pass, to Rashad. This amazing catch led to a 28–23 victory and a division title for the Vikings. This play is often called "The Miracle at the Met" or "The Miracle Catch."

In 1992, Rashad was inducted into Oregon's Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on May 9, 2007.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

Broadcasting and Television Career

After his football career, Ahmad Rashad became a successful sports broadcaster. He worked for NBC and ABC. He covered games for the NFL, NBA, and MLB. He was a studio anchor and a reporter during games.

Rashad is perhaps best known for hosting NBA Inside Stuff for 16 seasons. This popular show gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the NBA. He also hosted other shows like Real TV and Caesars Challenge. He often interviewed his good friend, basketball legend Michael Jordan, when he worked at NBC.

In early 2013, he joined the talk show Morning Drive on the Golf Channel. As of May 2021, Rashad works for the New York Knicks. He creates videos for their YouTube channel and hosts events at Madison Square Garden.

Short Basketball Career

Just before NBA Inside Stuff started in 1990, Rashad, who was 40 years old, signed a special two-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. This was a promotional event for his new show. He was allowed to practice with the team and play in an NBA preseason game. The game was against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the new Target Center. Many fans came to support Rashad because of his football career with the Vikings.

Rashad entered the game and, on his first play, he committed a foul. During a timeout, the coach drew up a play for him. Rashad made a 20-foot shot, scoring the first and only points of his NBA career. He later said, "I definitely replayed this one in my head for quite some time. My teammates set me up on the left side, and when everything was on the line, I nailed it."

Although his defense wasn't perfect, the 76ers won the game 102–96. This gave Rashad a perfect record in the NBA, as he made every shot he ever took. After the game, teammates like Charles Barkley and Rick Mahorn praised his performance. Rashad then announced his retirement from basketball.

NBA Career Statistics

Preseason

Personal Life

Ahmad Rashad has been married five times. He has six children. His first son, Geoffrey Simmons, was born in 1967 and was adopted. In 2005, when Geoffrey was 18, he contacted his father, and they met for the first time.

In 1969, Rashad married Deidre Waters, and they had a daughter named Keva in 1970. He also had another son, Sean, with a different woman that same year.

After his first marriage ended, he married Matilda Johnson in 1976. They had two children: a daughter, Maiyisha (born 1976), and a son, Ahmad Jr. (born 1978). They divorced in 1979.

In 1985, Rashad married actress Phylicia Ayers-Allen, who was famous for her role on The Cosby Show. He proposed to her on national television during a Thanksgiving Day football game. They had a daughter together, Condola Phylea Rashād, named after his mother. They divorced in 2001 after almost sixteen years of marriage.

In 2007, Rashad married Nancy Sale Johnson. She had three daughters from a previous marriage. After one of her daughters passed away, the couple adopted her granddaughter, Ava-Monroe Johnson. Rashad and Johnson divorced in 2013.

In 2016, Rashad married Ana Luz Rodriguez-Paz, who is a psychologist.