Nearly two years ago, former Atlanta Falcons All-Pro and University of Utah alum Jamal Anderson went to Salt Lake City to meet Utes running back Zack Moss.
Since then, the two have formed a relationship, and with Moss now just a few weeks away from almost surely getting drafted by an NFL team, the pair met Wednesday for a nearly hourlong chat on Instagram Live, discussing different topics centered on their common past at Utah and what awaits Moss in the professional ranks.
“I’m not Marshawn Lynch. No way possible. That guy is a different animal, but I’m not surprised, because I did take a lot of things and try to implement them into my game and make them my own and put my own type of thing on them.” — Zack Moss
Moss, Utah’s career rushing leader, said that despite the coronavirus pandemic, which will require some massive changes to the NFL draft later this month, he’s still been able to work out just about every single day at Athletic Gaines in California.
“It’s still been a blessing for me to be able to have somewhere I can still work out,” he said.
The two spent some time talking about the NFL scouting combine, which went from Feb. 23-March 2. Moss said he met with officials from about 15 of the league’s 32 teams, although he’s fully aware of the fact he could get drafted by any squad (Anderson noted how he hadn’t had much contact with the Falcons before they selected him in 1994).
“It was just mind-boggling, the people you get to meet, just the learning that you continue to get every day that you’re there,” Moss said. “It’s grueling, but it’s something that you won’t forget.”
Moss spent a few minutes talking about how his relationship with quarterback Tyler Huntley, who he played with in high school and is another NFL hopeful this year, grew to the point where they knew each other’s tendencies well.
“It’s been really, really cool. I’m definitely going to miss playing with him,” Moss said.
Naturally, talk turned at one point to the Utes’ rivalry against BYU. Utah’s 1993 win over the Cougars in Anderson’s senior season was just the third time Utah had won the matchup since LaVell Edwards became BYU’s head coach in 1972, while Moss and the Utes were victorious all four times they played during his career.
“My sophomore year going down there, I was like, ‘OK, this is different,’” Moss said.
Said Anderson, recalling how he got hurt during the 1993 game but still finished with 146 rushing yards, “I ran all over the Cougars.”
As the draft approaches in two weeks, Moss said Marshawn Lynch and Arian Foster are two running backs he’s tried to model his game after, so he’s not surprised when he hears people compare him to Lynch, although he knows he has a long way to go to reach that level of success.
“I’m not Marshawn Lynch. No way possible. That guy is a different animal, but I’m not surprised, because I did take a lot of things and try to implement them into my game and make them my own and put my own type of thing on them,” he said.
Moss said the magnitude of his accomplishments at Utah still hasn’t really hit him, but Anderson expressed confidence that Moss is still just scratching the surface of how good he can be.
“Continue to get better,” Anderson advised. “My best was in the pros, and I feel like for the type of player you are and the way you run and your attitude about the game, I think the best is yet to come.”