Former Badgers announcer remembers Brent Moss

 

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Brent Moss, former University of Wisconsin running back, died Sunday at the age of 50.

While authorities had not released a cause of death as of Monday, many aspects of his life are being remembered and celebrated.

CBS 58's Bill Walsh spoke with Brian Manthey, the radio voice of Badgers football for the Rose Bowl winning and Big Ten Championship season of 1993. He remembers Moss as an introvert who rarely took credit for his success.

"Very much about his teammates and not himself," Manthey said, "he would name them, he would point to them, he had a great love and loyalty for his teammates."

Badgers football was not always the powerhouse that fans enjoy today, the 1980s were filled with more losses than wins. But Moss's arrival in 1991 coincided with the massive turnaround under then-head coach Barry Alvarez. Moss was the team's leading rusher in 1993 and earned MVP honors for the Rose Bowl win that year.

Manthey puts Moss's college career among other Badgers greats like Alan Ameche, Rufus Ferguson, and Billy Marek

"What you had in Brent Moss was a combination of all three, and I got a chance to see that every week," Manthey said. "He enjoyed delivering a hit on the defender almost as much as scoring a touchdown."

Moss was suspended from the team in 1994 for drug issues and would later be sentenced to prison for cocaine and heroin possession in 2017. But Manthey says one of his memories of Moss paints a more complete picture than just rushing records or a battle with addiction.

Manthey says that during the "Camp Randall Crush" in 1993, Moss jumped into action to help save fans.

"There are probably people that are alive today because of his actions," Manthey said. "Afterwards, he said, 'I'm no hero, I just saw some people in trouble, and I had to help."