Randy Moss describes hate mail he received after wearing controversial tie at HOF induction

Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss told The Undefeated that he has received praise from fellow athletes about the tie he wore at his induction ceremony last weekend — but also hundreds of messages with undertones of hate.

In an interview with the website that published Thursday, Moss said more than 20 NBA and NFL athletes have reached out privately to thank or applaud him after he wore a tie that listed the names of a dozen black men and women who have been killed by police. But Moss also said he's gotten "probably 150 to 200 messages" that amounted to hate mail.

"The black community praised me and thanked me for shedding light on African-Americans dying," Moss told The Undefeated. "Then on the flip side, you’ve got sites where people are slamming me, saying, 'Hey, (racial epithet), stay in your place.'

"All of this hate mail I’m getting for wearing a tie and talking about the truth. But I can handle it because I’ve been dealing with racism my whole life."

Moss told The Undefeated that he decided in February that he would wear the tie, which he said was intended to show support for the families of those who were killed and "not to divide." The first-ballot inductee played for the Minnesota Vikings, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers over the course of his 14-year career.

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"We’ve got to admit to the problem. Everybody," Moss told the website. "What if black police officers around the country were going up in these white neighborhoods with rich white kids and started killing them? What would people say about that? 

"A lot of people just don’t want to really talk about what’s going on."

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Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.