Herman Moore
WR #84 — Detroit Lions
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About Herman Moore
Herman Moore caught 123 passes in 1995, and at the time, that was more receptions than any player in a single NFL season. He did it in Detroit, for a team that went 10-6 and actually made the playoffs, which felt like a championship by Lions standards. Moore was a 6-foot-4 target who ran crisp routes and won contested catches before "contested catch" was a scouting combine metric. He played alongside Brett Perriman and later Johnnie Morton, but Moore was the clear alpha in that receiving corps for the better part of a decade.
Moore finished his career with 670 receptions and 62 touchdowns, all with the Lions. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro, and the kind of player who would have been a household name if he'd played in a bigger market or for a team that appeared on national television more than twice a year. In the pre-internet era, stat corrections at the end of the week could make or break a fantasy football matchup, and Moore was at the center of enough of those to become a running joke among early fantasy players. He's a beloved figure in Detroit, an ambassador for the franchise, and a reminder that the Lions have produced elite talent even when the wins didn't follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Herman Moore really hold the NFL receptions record?
Yes. His 123 catches in 1995 set the NFL single-season record at the time. It has since been broken multiple times, with Marvin Harrison catching 143 in 2002 and Michael Thomas catching 149 in 2019. But in 1995, Moore was the standard. He did it in 16 games without the modern passing rules that inflate today's numbers. The record stood for seven years.
Why isn't Herman Moore more well-known nationally?
He played his entire career in Detroit during the 1990s, when the Lions were rarely on national broadcasts. He overlapped with Jerry Rice, Cris Carter, Michael Irvin, and other receivers who played for teams with bigger platforms. Moore put up Hall of Fame-caliber numbers in a market that didn't get the same attention. Lions fans know exactly how good he was. The rest of the country needed to be reminded.
Last updated: April 2026