Former Buffalo Bill Eric Moulds was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday night. Moulds was drafted by the Bills in the 1st round (24th overall) in the 1996 NFL Draft.
"It was something I never really thought about because I just had fun playing the game, and it makes it extra special because I'm from Mississippi, so a lot of people that aren't from the state don't realize the severity, but I do because I'm from here and I grew up here, so it was extra special for me," said Moulds via WLOX.
Before starting his NFL career with the Bills, the wide receiver played three seasons at Mississippi State where he caught 117 passes for 2,022 yards. His speed, size, and confident hands made him standout to the Bills.
The Southern Mississippi native played 10 of his 12 NFL seasons for the Bills. After his time in Buffalo, he went on to play for the Houston Texans for one season and then ended his career with the Tennessee Titans in 2007.
In his first year as a member of the Bills, Moulds was named to the 1996 NFL All-Rookie Team. His career began to take off from there as he earned Pro Bowl honors three times throughout his time in the NFL in 1998, 2000, and 2002. His numbers from these three seasons exemplify why he earned these honors and the hall-of-fame recognition.
Moulds had a career-high of 1,368 receiving yards in 1998, and he notched more record-breaking career numbers in 2002 with 100 receptions and 10 touchdowns. Throughout the entirety of his NFL career, he caught 764 passes for 9,995 yards and 475 of the 764 catches he made resulted in a first down.
Since wrapping up his time in the NFL, Moulds moved to Charlotte where he works with athletes from high school to NFL players at his own training facility. Even though he's not on the field competing anymore, football remained a part of his life to keep him close to the game he loves.
"When you look at all the great athletes who are from Mississippi, it just makes you so proud, man," Moulds told Mississippi Today. "There are about 300 people in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and now I am going to be part of that."
