2017 Hall of Fame: Despite fame, Moss forever thankful for his Brandon Valley heritage
Dale Moss - BVHS Class of ‘07
Football * Basketball * Track & Field
Ten years after wearing Brandon Valley’s prominent red and black, this 2017 BV Hall of Fame inductee has never forgotten where his rise to fame began.
Dale Moss, a three-sport – basketball, football and track and field – standout was gifted a four-year, full-ride scholarship to play Division I basketball at South Dakota State, where he served as team captain and helped the Jackrabbits to their best DI era season during his senior year. As a walk-on, Moss capped off his collegiate athletic career with a single, record-setting year in a wide receiver role, which led him to stints with various National Football League training programs and practice squads.
“I’m so thankful for growing up in Brandon, everything the community’s done for me,” the 28-year-old Moss shared during an appearance at the BVHS alumni hoops game this past December. “I’m so thankful for growing up in such a great area and having support through the process, whether it was in athletics or now building a career in entertainment and other things, coming from Brandon was a big part of that.”
His accolades as a tri-sport student-athlete at BV are many. As a receiver on the gridiron, Moss was a two-year letter winner, helping lead the team to state semifinal appearances in his both his junior and senior seasons, earning ESD All-Conference honors his junior year. In his senior campaign, he set two school records and was named All-Conference, All-State and Elite 45.
On the basketball court, the young Moss led his team to a 23-2 record and to a third-place finish in the AA state tournament his senior season. The ’06-07 Lynx had the target on their backs as they possessed the No. 1 ranking for the bulk of the season. Behind his 62 percent shooting average, he was twice an All-Conference and All-State selection, named Player of the Year for several organizations that included Gatorade Player of the Year for South Dakota, and was an Argus Leader First-Five selection.
“Everybody knew that we were the one that everybody was aiming for at the beginning of the year, and what we accomplished that year was amazing,” BV head boys’ basketball coach Brent Deckert said. “From the very beginning he kind of put it on himself that we were going to be a team that was going to win the state tournament, and he still hangs onto that a little bit yet today that we weren’t able to win that semifinal game. I know how bad he felt at the end. But for me, it’s so far beyond that. He felt he had the pressure of the whole world on him, but I told him after that last game that I never apologized for having him on the floor, and just because we lost one at the end, doesn’t mean I was going to back out that comment.”
On the track, Moss earned three varsity letters as a jumper, hurdler and sprinter. He was a part of individual and relay team conference titles and helped his team to a fourth-place AA state finish.
Deckert said he saw something special in Moss early on.
“He was a little sixth grader playing in open gym on one end of the middle school court, and it took you about two seconds to watch him play and you knew if this kid grew up and wanted to be a player, he was going to be something special,” recalls Deckert, now in his 17th year at the helm of the Lynx boys hoops program.
“It’s not like we didn’t have our bumps along the way … but he was one of those kids where the smile didn’t leave his face very often, and when he was younger, he almost loved to play basketball more than life itself.”
Moss said it was basketball – and Coach Deckert – that helped shape his life.
“Having a figure like that and going through difficult teen years, whether it was at home or whatever, that (basketball) was always a release, and I had another father figure (in him), and I’m forever grateful for that. It was great having someone like that to help shape me, tell me if I was wrong or being a little shit - pardon my language - that’s valuable, and I’m forever thankful for that,” he said. “If I had to pinpoint an experience, that in itself to me was a big proportion of the success I have, and every time I come back, this is family – top to bottom – and I’m very proud of that.”
The smile on Moss’ face that Coach Deckert notes was certainly evident in Moss’ senior season, where the 23-2 team often played before standing room-only crowds in BV’s compact gym.
“It was amazing,” Moss said of the memory. “Growing up, you know, I’ve had the same friends since second grade, and people don’t experience that in life, and there’s something to be said for that; it was just fun. My friends from elementary school, their families – I’ve known literally from almost as long as I could walk all through high school – it was an amazing experience, nothing compares and I would never trade that for anything.”
Following a successful run in collegiate sports, Moss and his abilities caught the attention of the NFL, where he spent three years and signed with five different teams, including the Green Bay Packers who initially drafted him in 2012.
“It sucked changing locations,” he said. “It freaked me out and it was frustrating because I was new to the game. I played one year in college and had a great year, but I still had a lot to learn.”
Moss finished his NFL career with the Chicago Bears due to a shoulder injury.
“My career was positive, but I was never satisfied because once I reach a goal, I’ve already formulated a new one,” he said.
Moss explored other avenues and became successful in the oil industry where he learned how to become a businessman. One day at an event in Los Angeles, a photographer discovered him. He agreed to a few shoots and made some money so he decided to take it up as another career to hopefully land him a spot in the entertainment industry.
After filming a handful of TV pilots in Los Angeles, Moss relocated to New York, where he signed with Wilhemina International, a top modeling and entertainment agency.
“My goal has always been to be on TV and film, so the thing with Wilhemina is just a platform; I’m thankful for the doors that it’s opened, but my ultimate goal is to host my own show, eventually to act. It all goes hand in hand in the industry,” he said.
Amid his success in the entertainment world, Moss remains humble and forever thankful.
“I just keep my head down, remain humble, and continue to work because as you know, as much success as someone may have, it can change overnight, and then you have to re-start,” he said. “So I’m just thankful for opportunities, my hometown, my family – I can’t say it enough, and anytime I can come back home, it’s an amazing thing. This is home, always and forever.”
Deckert, who did double duty as a coach and mentor, now views Moss in a different light, that of “a close friend.”
“It’s so nice to be able to see a kid that you spent so much time with in the gym and see this type of thing work out where he’s going to end up on this wall for the rest of his life,” Deckert said. “We just finished our 17th year here in Brandon, and I’ve come across a lot of special players in those last 17 years but I don’t know anybody that’s had that kind of success. He was as competitive as anybody that I’ve probably had in the gym yet. He was one of those kids that it didn’t matter if it was a drill or a short scrimmage, he wasn’t going to end up on the losing end of it, and that’s part of what made him so good.”
