One-on-one with Iowa cornerback Riley Moss
Daily Iowan Sports Editor Austin Hanson chatted with Moss at an Iowa football media availability session last week.
Iowa defensive back Riley Moss returns an interception for a touchdown during a football game between No. 18 Iowa and No. 17 Indiana at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (Jerod Ringwald/The Daily Iowan)
September 23, 2021
Daily Iowan: Do you have a guilty pleasure TV show? Like something you’re afraid to tell your friends that you watch a lot?
Riley Moss: Not really, to be honest with you. I’d say my favorite show right now is “Outer Banks,” but like all my boys watch that. So, it’s not really a guilty pleasure.
DI: Do you have a favorite movie then?
Moss: “Wolf of Wall Street,” easily. Insane movie.
DI: Why do you love that movie?
Moss: Leonardo DiCaprio is crazy in it. And it’s crazy that most of that stuff actually happened. It’s a wild story.
DI: Everyone has their favorite song that gets them pumped up before a game, but do you have a song you like to play when you’re sad? Do you have a “Sad songs to cry to in the shower playlist?”
Moss: It’s an Olivia Rodrigo song. It’s so good though. “Driver’s License,” that’s what it’s called. That’s my sad song. I got a Jeep, so I’ll take the top down and go on a little sunset cruise by myself and not tell anyone and listen to that song.
DI: What is the difference between Nebraska corn and Iowa corn?
Moss: I don’t know, to be honest with you. It makes us stronger and bigger, I guess faster. To be honest with you, I was gonna say, you know, it makes us win games. I don’t know if I can say that. So, I don’t know if you should put that on there.
DI: Do you have a go-to joke that you tell?
Moss: Not really. My roommate Nico [Ragaini] is always hungry. So, he’ll say, you know, “I’m hungry.” And I’ll say, “I’m Riley.” It’s those little dad jokes. I’m a big fan of dad jokes.
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DI: You grew up in Ankeny. What’s it like now to play for Iowa, your home-state team?
Moss: It’s really cool because it was my dream since I was a little kid. You know, me and my dad had season tickets forever. You know, I always asked him, “You think I could play at Iowa?” He said, “You know, you work hard and you do what you’re supposed to do, I think you can.” I didn’t believe him at the time. Sometimes, I didn’t believe him in high school. I kept working hard and I ended up here. Then, I kept working hard here. So, the dream really became a reality. That’s why I’ve really kept setting goals and trying to reach those goals.
DI: If you had to choose between the two, black or gold?
Moss: Probably black. I like black.
DI: What’s your favorite restaurant here in Iowa City?
Moss: That’s a really good question. You know, if I’m thinking like, I’m gonna go on a date and take a girl, I’m gonna go to probably Pullman. Pullman’s really good. I also like Monica’s too. Monica’s is pretty good.
DI: Do you have a favorite Iowa football memory?
Moss: Marvin McNutt catch against Michigan State [in 2009]. That was crazy. Then, I just met [McNutt] in [fall] camp for the first time. I was fanboying over him. He was probably thinking I was a weirdo. The Adrian Clayborn blocked punt [against Penn State in 2009]. Josh Jackson’s one-handed pick against Ohio State [in 2017]. That was crazy. I was there. That was nuts. There’s so many that I could name.
DI: You said you’re a Casey’s pizza guy. Is your favorite pizza there the breakfast pizza?
Moss: To be honest with you, I love their pepperoni pizza. It’s unreal. I also like their sausage breakfast pizza. It’s fire.
DI: When you recorded those two pick-sixes against Indiana, was there any part of you that was like, “Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall?”
Moss: No, to be honest with you, there was nothing going through my mind just because it happened so fast. You know, next thing I know, I was in the end zone. I didn’t even know how to react. Yeah, it was so quick and it was something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
DI: What’s the dumbest question you’ve ever been asked at a meeting with reporters and was it something I said?
Moss: That’s a good question. Next question, please.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.
