Rickey Jackson Edges Joe Thomas to Win Inaugural Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro-Am

Rickey Jackson stood at the scale on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, New York, on a Monday in late August with 21 pounds and 10 ounces of bass. It was enough. Joe Thomas, who had spent the entire tournament week promising victory with the confidence of a man who believed his own hype, came up five ounces short. The first-ever Bassmaster Randy Moss Pro Football Hall of Fame Pro-Am had crowned its champion, and it wasn't the Hall of Famer whose name was on the trophy.

The event paired eight NFL legends with eight professional Bassmaster Elite anglers for a single day of competition on the water. Jackson, a linebacker who won Super Bowl XXIX and grew up around Lake Okeechobee in Pahokee, Florida, fished alongside two-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier John Garrett. When asked how the win felt, Jackson reached for the only comparison that made sense to him: "I mean, it's kind of like winning the Super Bowl." The difference, he noted with a smile, was the absence of a trip to Disney World.

Thomas had arrived at the tournament with a particular kind of swagger. On the dock before the boats launched, he told OutKick Outdoors that his fishing credentials—both his experience and his talent—put him in a league above everyone else competing, pros included. "It's just a matter of when we collect our prize money and the trophy at this point," he said, though the qualifier "jokingly, we think" suggested even the reporter wasn't entirely sure. Paired with Jay Przekurat, Thomas nearly made good on the promise. His 21 pounds and 5 ounces kept him in contention all the way to the final weigh-in, where he continued his running commentary about Randy Moss and Wisconsin fishing ethics, suggesting Moss had bent the rules while the real fishermen—meaning Thomas—would handle things properly. It was a spirited performance that fell just short.

The rest of the field revealed unexpected depth. Kevin Mawae, an offensive lineman, finished third at 20 pounds and 6 ounces with partner Robert Gee. Mawae turned out to be a genuine fishing enthusiast who lived near Toledo Bend Reservoir in Louisiana, one of the country's premier bass fisheries. When asked if he might join the professional tour, he offered a practical answer: he needed his wife's permission, sponsors, and a boat. "You don't have to have a boat," he said. "But you gotta make sure you're friendly with a neighbor who does." Dave Robinson, who won the first two Super Bowls under Vince Lombardi with the Packers, finished fourth at 17 pounds and 15 ounces alongside 2024 Bassmaster Classic champion Justin Hamner. Robinson had rated his own fishing ability a negative two out of 10 before the tournament but predicted a win anyway. On the water, Hamner revealed that Robinson had attempted an unconventional baiting strategy: beef jerky on the hook. The experiment failed—no fish took the bait—but it demonstrated a willingness to improvise.

Ronde Barber, the cornerback, finished fifth at 16 pounds and 14 ounces with Elite pro Tucker Smith. When asked what position Smith might play in the NFL, Barber assigned him to cover Randy Moss as a nickelback, though he qualified the suggestion by noting Smith would be "way, way, way back." Robert Brazile, competing under his old NFL nickname "Doctor Doom" alongside Tyler Williams, finished sixth at 14 pounds and 3 ounces. The pair called themselves "Doctor Doom and the Barefoot Bandit," a name that drew admiration from the tournament emcee. Brazile credited his father's fishing wisdom—"The best way to fish is to close your mouth"—and concluded that fishing had surpassed even football in his affections. "I never thought I could enjoy something more than football," he said. "This is better than football."

Randy Moss himself, fishing with 2025 Bassmaster Classic champion Easton Fothergill, finished seventh at 13 pounds and 11 ounces. Fothergill, who grew up in Minnesota idolizing Moss, noted that his partner used forward-facing sonar to locate fish holding 70 to 90 feet deep—a technical competence that suggested Moss had invested serious time in learning the sport. Calvin Johnson, the former Detroit Lions receiver known as Megatron, finished last at 11 pounds and 13 ounces with Elite pro Brandon Palaniuk, but the pair won the day's Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for a 7-pound smallmouth. Johnson downplayed his contribution, saying he was "just fishing today" and "wasn't catching," but the experience moved him. "This is truly a one-of-a-kind experience for me," he told Palaniuk. "You got me thinking about getting a boat now."

Moss created the event roughly two decades after falling in love with competitive fishing himself. He wanted to introduce his Hall of Fame peers to the sport in a setting removed from the annual induction ceremony circuit. "I just wanted to team up, bring the two together, and see if we can put something on for years to come," he told OutKick Outdoors before the tournament. "This is the first annual, and I look forward to it." The St. Lawrence River in Clayton provided the backdrop—a place that made him feel at home, he said, because of his country roots and his connection to water. Based on the reactions from the dock, the gamble paid off. Several Hall of Famers left the tournament genuinely interested in pursuing fishing more seriously. If the first year is any indication, next year's event will likely draw more than eight teams.