NFL star Randy Moss’ daughter will play basketball at Florida

Randy Moss was a two-time West Virginia high school basketball player of the year before focusing solely on football in college, so perhaps it's no surprise that his daughter inherited some of his hoops acumen.

Sydney Moss, a 5-foot-11 junior at Boone County High in Kentucky, was good enough to make her high school's varsity team as an eighth-grader, to�earn all-state honors as a sophomore and to average 22.6 points and 10.8 rebounds this past season. She accepted a scholarship offer from Florida this week, selecting the Gators over Louisville, Dayton, West Virginia, Xavier and Kansas.

"I've always kind of been a Florida fan. Not just in basketball, but in football, too," Moss told GatorSports.com this week. "When I took my visit in early April, I just felt like I was at home. It was like I belonged there."

If Sydney suits up for even one game for Florida, it will mean her college career would be off to a less turbulent start than her famous father's. Before Randy emerged as one of college football's most dangerous wide receivers at Marshall in the mid-1990s, he first had to endure the shame of being booted from a pair of higher-profile programs without ever playing a down.

First, Notre Dame denied him enrollment after he was sentenced to 30 days in prison for stomping a kid during a brawl his senior year of high school. Then Florida State dismissed him from school before his redshirt freshman season for violating his probation by smoking marijuana.

Sydney may have her father's explosive athleticism, soft hands and passion for basketball, but it doesn't appear she inherited his petulant streak. Not only have her teammates said they love playing with her, her high school coach, Nell Fookes, told ESPN Rise in February that Sydney is "the ultimate team player."

"She's very unselfish," Fookes said. "She has such a wide range of basketball skills and she utilizes them in every facet of the game. I think one of the big things is she's so strong in every area of the game that it raises the play of her teammates."

The eldest of four children Randy had with longtime girlfriend Libby Offutt, Sydney was born when her father was just 18. She lived with her maternal grandfather until her dad finished college, but some of her first memories of playing basketball are shooting with Randy on his driveway.

It's Moss' versatility that will serve her best at Florida. She's capable of attacking the rim off the dribble against a bigger defender or taking someone smaller into the post, skills she hopes will help her achieve as much success in basketball as her father has in football.

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