THE RECRUITING GUY : Moss' Arkansas roots include tree-climbing uncle
Posted on Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Arkansas commitment Austin Moss couldn't help but hear about the Arkansas Razorbacks while growing up in Texas. His mother, Sarah, and father, Mickey, both have strong family ties to Arkansas with Sarah being from Bodcaw, a town outside Hope, and Mickey being a Southern Arkansas graduate who coached at Magnolia and Hamburg before moving to Texas.
Austin Moss, 6-3, 217, 4.57 seconds in the 40-yard dash, of Rockwall, Texas, excelled at linebacker this season for 13-1 Heath High School. He orally committed to the Hogs on July 31.
Perhaps no family member other than his parents made a bigger impression on Austin then his uncle Steve Moss, 57, of Tyler, Texas. Steve, an avid Razorbacks fan, illustrated his passion for Arkansas football in the pre-Internet and satellite radio era numerous times in the 1960s and 1970s by doing what few football fans would be willing to do to stay informed on their favorite team - climb a tree.
Steve Moss' wife, Mona, whom he married in 1970, learned firsthand about her husband's intense devotion to the Razorbacks one Saturday afternoon when he was having trouble with the radio reception of an Arkansas game at the couple's home in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
"He said he was going to listen to the game," Mona Moss said. "I actually did not know that he went outside. I'm not sure, but after quite some time, I didn't see him or hear him and I looked through the house and he wasn't there. I then went outside and looked all around the house and when I got to the east side of the house, I heard a radio but I didn't hear Steve, and I called and called him but he didn't answer me. I then looked up, and he was the top of the tree, and he was telling me to be quiet."
"He had this radio up to his ear, and he had climbed as far as he could go near the top of the tree. I just sat down and started laughing my head off."
While in the tree, he revealed a sparse wardrobe.
"He was up in the tree with a just a pair of shorts on," Mona said. "He didn't have a shirt on. I asked him how long he was going to be up there, and he said until the game is over. I can remember it in mind like it was yesterday because it was so funny."
The experience, early in marriage, was a first for Mona. But Steve revealed that he was a veteran tree climber.
"It happened a few times before I was married and few times after I was married." said Moss, who estimated he would climb to about 25-28 feet. "Actually, it was pretty comfortable up there, nice breeze."
Mona soon learned to look skyward during Razorbacks games.
"Any time he could get a game on that transistor radio, he was in the tree," she said. "It was numerous times. I can't say how many times, but when he said he was going to listen to the game, I knew he probably went to the tree."
Born in Little Rock, Steve moved to Texas at age 6 and is an older brother of Mickey. Steve made a sales pitch to Austin while attending a May family reunion in Hot Springs,
"I told him how much fun it was being a Razorback fan through the years, how unique Arkansas is as far as there's one true football power in the entire state and the whole state rallies behind the school," he said. "It's almost like a fantasy in the people's lives that follow the Razorbacks. I don't know what is about it, but it's almost religion-like in nature."
Steve feels like Austin was somewhat influenced by his experience at the family gathering.
"I believe he senses the enthusiasm from the family," Steve said. "Austin is a big family man; he loves his family and is close to his family. I just think all of the uncles, aunts and cousins urging him to be a Razorback I think it probably had some impact on his decision."
E-mail Richard Davenport at
rdavenport@arkansasonline. com
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
