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Ahmad Rashad (born Robert Earl Moore; November 19, 1949) is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. He was the fourth overall selection of the
1972 NFL Draft The 1972 NFL draft was held February 1–2, 1972, at the Essex House in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Buffalo Bills selected defensive end Walt Patulski. Player selections Round one Round two R ...
, taken by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was known as Bobby Moore before changing his name in 1973. Recruited after high school as a wide receiver by the University of Oregon, he played for their Oregon Ducks. He moved to the running back position and was named to the
1971 College Football All-America Team The 1971 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1971. The National Collegiate Athletic Ass ...
at that position. He became professional after being drafted by the Cardinals. Rashad returned to playing as wide receiver, and played for the Cardinals for two seasons. After being traded to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. T ...
in 1974, and sitting out the 1975 season with a knee injury, he signed with the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West, which they rejoined ...
before the 1976 season. They traded him shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Vikings (1976–1982), where he earned four
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selections from
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government). * January 6 � ...
to
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
. Following his retirement from football, Rashad transitioned to television. He worked as a studio analyst, game reporter, and anchor for several sports. Rashad was a panellist on the
NFL Live ''NFL Live'' (stylized as ''NFL Live presented by Autotrader'' for sponsorship reasons) is an American National Football League (NFL) studio show, currently airing Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m ET on sports cable channel ESPN. Formerly know ...
pregame show for NBC, and also notably hosted the National Basketball Association weekly digest shows ''
NBA Inside Stuff ''NBA Inside Stuff'' is a television program previously aired on NBC from 1990 to 2002, then on ABC and NBA TV, featuring behind the scenes activities of NBA players. The program also includes features on fitness and fundamentals of basketball. P ...
'' ( 1990
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
) and ''NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad'' (
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
). He has appeared as a fictionalized version of himself as a television sports personality in several films and television shows. In addition, he has hosted several non-sports related game shows and reality television shows.


Early life

Born Robert Earl Moore in 1949 in Portland, Oregon, he moved with his family to Tacoma, Washington. There he played
high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, partl ...
. Rashad graduated from Mount Tahoma High School and accepted an
athletic scholarship An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the United St ...
to the University of Oregon in Eugene. He played football for the Ducks under head coach
Jerry Frei Gerald L. Frei (June 3, 1924 – February 16, 2001) was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of OregonMcCann, Michael C. (1995). Oregon Ducks Football: 100 Years of Glory. Eugene, OR: McCann Communication ...
, became a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, and majored in elementary education at Oregon. During his junior year in college, Rashad had legal issues in Portland. He was charged with
felony A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resul ...
theft in November 1970. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge, a
misdemeanor A misdemeanor (American English, spelled misdemeanour elsewhere) is any "lesser" criminal act in some common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished less severely than more serious felonies, but theoretically more so than adm ...
, in early 1971. In 1972, Moore converted from Pentecostalism to Islam. He had started to study Islam in college. A year later, Bobby Moore legally changed his name to Ahmad Rashād, which means "admirable one led to truth" in Arabic. He adopted his last name from his Egyptian-American mentor, biochemist
Rashad Khalifa Rashad Khalifa ( ar, رشاد خليفة; November 19, 1935 – January 31, 1990) was an Egyptian-American biochemist, closely associated with the United Submitters International (USI), an organization which promotes the practice and study of Qu ...
, with whom he studied Arabic. Khalifa was assassinated in 1990.


Football career

At Oregon, Moore played wide receiver and wingback as a sophomore in
1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...
and made the all-conference team. He moved to running back, where he was an
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
in
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Jan ...
— in the same backfield with quarterback
Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts (born June 10, 1951) is an American former football quarterback who played for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League (NFL) throughout his 15-season career (1973-87). After a relatively undistinguished firs ...
. In his final season with the Ducks (1971), he rushed for 1,211 yards, caught 32 passes for 324 yards, and scored 10 touchdowns. He finished his three seasons of college football with 2,036 rushing yards, 131 receptions for 1,565 yards, and 36 touchdowns. At the time Moore left Oregon, his rushing yards, receptions, and 226 points were all school records. Moore was the fourth player selected in the
1972 NFL Draft The 1972 NFL draft was held February 1–2, 1972, at the Essex House in New York City, New York. With the first overall pick of the draft, the Buffalo Bills selected defensive end Walt Patulski. Player selections Round one Round two R ...
, taken by the St. Louis Cardinals. He made the UPI all-rookie team in
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, but second-year head coach
Bob Hollway Robert Hollway (January 29, 1926 – March 13, 1999) was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Michigan and was a member of Michigan's undefeated 1947 and 1948 teams. He thereafter served as an ...
was fired after a 4-9-1 season. Don Coryell was the new head coach in
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
. He traded Rashad, as he was then known, after that season to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. T ...
for backup quarterback
Dennis Shaw Dennis Wendell Shaw (born March 3, 1947) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, and the Kansas City Chiefs. College career Shaw played college foo ...
. In Buffalo, Rashad roomed on the road with O. J. Simpson in
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
. He missed the
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
season after a knee injury in the final pre-season game. Rashad was in the training camp of the expansion
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West, which they rejoined ...
, after signing as a free agent. He was traded days before the start of the
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
regular season, sent to the Minnesota Vikings for a future draft pick. He failed the Vikings' physical, but was kept on the team due to the actions of quarterback Fran Tarkenton. The Vikings made it back to the Super Bowl that season, their last appearance to date. During his professional football career, Rashad caught 495 passes for 6,831 yards and 44 touchdowns, while also rushing for 52 yards. The standout catch of his career came in a December
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – In ...
game against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
. Vikings quarterback
Tommy Kramer Thomas Francis Kramer (born March 7, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 to 1990. He played college football at Rice University and was selected by the ...
threw a
Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catho ...
to Rashad that resulted in a come-from-behind 28–23 victory and a Central Division title for the Vikings. This became known as "The Miracle at the Met", or, alternatively, "The Miracle Catch". Rashad also has the distinction of the longest play from scrimmage that didn't score a touchdown: 98 yards in a 1972 game against the Rams. Rashad replaced
John Gilliam John Rally Gilliam (born August 7, 1945) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He has owned a number of businesses, and for two years he worked for a radio station in ...
as receiver with both the St. Louis and Minnesota teams. In 1992 Rashad was named to Oregon's Hall of Fame and to the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vot ...
on May 9, 2007.


Broadcasting and television career

After his football career, Rashad covered NFL, NBA, and
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
televised contests as a studio anchor and game reporter for
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
and
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
, and hosted ''
NBA Inside Stuff ''NBA Inside Stuff'' is a television program previously aired on NBC from 1990 to 2002, then on ABC and NBA TV, featuring behind the scenes activities of NBA players. The program also includes features on fitness and fundamentals of basketball. P ...
'' for 16 seasons. He also has hosted the video-clip show ''
Real TV Real may refer to: Currencies * Brazilian real (R$) * Central American Republic real * Mexican real * Portuguese real * Spanish real * Spanish colonial real Music Albums * ''Real'' (L'Arc-en-Ciel album) (2000) * ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010 ...
'' in 2000, the reality show '' Celebrity Mole'', the game show ''
Caesars Challenge ''Caesars Challenge'' is an American game show that aired on NBC from June 14, 1993 to January 14, 1994 and emanated from the Circus Maximus Theatre inside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ahmad Rashad hosted the series and, in keeping with ...
'' along with co-host Dan Doherty, ''NBA Access with Ahmad Rashad'' on the ABC network, and the first season of Game Show Network's '' Tug of Words''. In August 2022, it was announced that he would be replaced by
Samantha Harris Samantha Harris (born Samantha Harris Shapiro; November 27, 1973) is an American television presenter, model, and entertainment reporter and actress, known as the co-host of seasons two through nine of ''Dancing with the Stars'' with Tom Berger ...
for the second season of ''Tug of Words''. He starred in an episode of '' Monsters''. Rashad has also guest starred on several TV shows, mainly ones that starred his then-wife Phylicia Allen Rashad. In 1988, he filled in for
Robb Weller Robb Weller (born September 27, 1949) is an American game show host and television personality and producer (Weller/Grossman Productions). He hosted ''Entertainment Tonight'' from 1984 to 1986, and ''Entertainment This Week'' from 1984 to 1989, ...
on the weekend edition of '' Entertainment Tonight'' (then known as ''Entertainment This Week''). He used to interview long-time friend
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
frequently while he was at NBC. In early 2013, he became a panelist on the daily talk show ''Morning Drive'' on the
Golf Channel Golf Channel (also verbally referred to as simply Golf) is an American sports television network owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Founded in Birmingham, Alabama, it is currently based out of NBC ...
, but left that summer. Rashad has narrated the yearly highlight films for NBA championship teams since 2012.


Basketball career

Right before the launch of NBA Inside Stuff in 1990, Rashad signed a two-day contract with the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. As the show wanted to use Rashad playing in the NBA as a promotion, he was allowed to practice with the team and play in an NBA preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves the next day. Rashad was known for his athleticism, as evidenced by him playing multiple offensive positions in his football career. He became a multi-sport athlete, albeit 8 years after his retirement from pro sports. It was the first preseason game ever to be played at the newly built
Target Center Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, ...
and was in front of a crowd of 18,296. Many fans came to the game to support Rashad because of his career as a Viking. He was subbed on for
Hersey Hawkins Hersey R. Hawkins Jr. (born September 29, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. After starring at Chicago's Westinghouse High School, the 6'3" (1.90 m) shooting guard attended Bradley University. Hawkins played for 4 teams ...
and, in the first play of his NBA career, he gave up an and-one shooting foul to
Tony Campbell Anthony Campbell (born May 7, 1962) is an American former professional National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Campbell played prep basketball at Teaneck High School in Teaneck, New Jersey, graduating in 1980. A 6'7" small forward out of O ...
. During a ensuing timeout, head coach
Jim Lynam James Francis Lynam (born September 15, 1941) is an American former college and professional basketball coach. He coached at the college level for Fairfield University from 1968 to 1970, American University from 1973 to 1978, and St. Joseph's Univ ...
drew up a play for Rashad to run across the baseline for an open look. Rashad knocked down the 20-foot shot and scored the first and only points of his NBA career. Remembering the moment in a voiceover, Rashad was ecstatic, "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." Rashad was not as good defensively, as he allowed Campbell and the Timberwolves to bring an 11-point deficit down to 5. But the 76ers pulled off a 102-96 win, giving Rashad a perfect record in the NBA. After the game, Rashad's performance was applauded by multiple teammates and coaches, including Hall of Fame teammate
Charles Barkley Charles Wade Barkley (born February 20, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst on TNT. Nicknamed "Sir Charles", "Chuck", and "the Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley played 16 seasons in the Nati ...
. He had previously expressed doubts about Rashad, but said that "he made it, and that's all that matters."
Rick Mahorn Derrick Allen Mahorn (born September 21, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who played power forward and center for the Washington Bullets, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Jersey Nets of the National Bask ...
, another teammate, said "What the hell, his two points really made a difference." In a post-game interview, Rashad announced his retirement from the game of basketball, and he was waived from the team.


NBA career statistics


Preseason

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Personal life

Rashad has been married five times and divorced four. He has fathered a total of six children, including a son, Geoffery Simmons, born to his high school girlfriend Melody Neal. The boy was put up for adoption in 1967. After he turned 18, he contacted his father through Amara (formerly the Medina Adoption Agency) in 2005, and the pair met for the first time. Simmons also had learned that his biological mother, Melody Neal, died from cancer in 1991. In 1969, Rashad married for the first time, to Deidre Waters. They had a daughter, Keva, born in 1970. That year Rashad also fathered a son, Sean, born to another woman. After divorcing his first wife, in 1976, Rashad married his second wife, Matilda Johnson. They had two children together, daughter Maiyisha (born in 1976) and son Ahmad Jr. (born in 1978). They divorced in 1979. In 1985, Rashad married actress
Phylicia Ayers-Allen Phylicia Rashad ( ) (née Ayers-Allen; born June 19, 1948) is an American actress, singer and director who is dean of the College of Fine Arts at Howard University. She is best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom ''The Cosby S ...
, known for her work on '' The Cosby Show''. He proposed to her earlier that year on national television during the pregame show of
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
's broadcast of the Thanksgiving Day football game, between the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
and the New York Jets. It was the third marriage for each of them. Unlike many actresses, Phylicia took her husband's surname at marriage. She has kept the name "Phylicia Rashād" as her professional one since their divorce in 2001. Rashad gained a stepson Billy Bowles (born 1973 during her first marriage). After a year of marriage, they had a daughter together, Condola Phylea Rashād, named after his mother. In 2001, after nearly sixteen years of marriage, they divorced. In 2007, Rashad married his fourth wife, Sale Johnson. (She had divorced from
Woody Johnson Robert Wood Johnson IV (born April 12, 1947) is an American businessman who was United States ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2021. He is a great-grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I, and a billionaire heir to the Johnson & Johnson ph ...
,
Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company ...
billionaire heir and New York Jets owner). She brought three daughters to the marriage Casey Johnson (1977–2010), Jamie Johnson (b. 1982), and Daisy Johnson (b. 1987). After Casey died, the couple adopted her daughter (Sale Johnson's granddaughter), Ava-Monroe Johnson (born August 14, 2006). Rashad and Johnson divorced in 2013. In 2016, Rashad married Ana Luz Rodriguez-Paz, a psychologist in South Florida.


References


External links

*
1972 NFL Draft
– from the Pro Football Hall of Fame *

*

– 1985 marriage {{DEFAULTSORT:Rashad, Ahmad 1949 births Living people African-American game show hosts African-American male actors African-American players of American football African-American sports journalists African-American Muslims American Quranist Muslims American football running backs American football wide receivers American male television actors American sports journalists American television reporters and correspondents American television sports announcers Buffalo Bills players College football announcers College Football Hall of Fame inductees Golf writers and broadcasters Major League Baseball broadcasters Minnesota Vikings players National Basketball Association broadcasters National Conference Pro Bowl players National Football League announcers Olympic Games broadcasters Oregon Ducks football players Participants in American reality television series Players of American football from Portland, Oregon Players of American football from Tacoma, Washington Sports Emmy Award winners St. Louis Cardinals (football) players Women's National Basketball Association announcers Converts to Islam from Protestantism Former Pentecostals African Americans in Oregon