Nippert Stadium, on the campus of the University of Cincinnati, will be pulsating Saturday afternoon for the Bearcats’ showdown with Southern Methodist.

It’s one of the most important games on the schedule for UC as it makes a push to scale the pearly gates of the College Football Playoff. In a not-too-distant universe, Toledo basketball player Ra’Heim Moss would be playing for the fifth-ranked Bearcats.

Football was the Springfield native’s first love. As the 71st-ranked player in the state of Ohio for the class of 2019, Moss had to decide between football scholarships from Cincinnati and Kentucky and a basketball offer from Toledo.

The three-star hybrid safety/linebacker could run sideline to sideline, cover wide receivers and tight ends, chase down running backs, and deliver punishing blows to quarterbacks.

“If there was stuff I was going through in life, I would take all my anger out on the field,” Moss said.

As a junior, he had 47 tackles and two interceptions. He played quarterback as a senior, throwing for 1,237 yards with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, adding 542 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

“We thought he was a raw, talented kid who could have been a good linebacker and a good defensive player,” Toledo football coach Jason Candle said. “Super athletic, good functional movement in space like any good basketball player would have. Great kid, too. I see him in passing in hallways and the academic center. He’s a guy you pull for.”

Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell and then-defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman became frequent texting buddies with Moss, who sometimes wonders ‘What if?’ However, Freeman has since moved onto Notre Dame, which gives Moss peace of mind.

And there’s basketball. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound redshirt freshman guard is averaging 6.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 steals for the Rockets.

“I saw my potential in football and basketball and began to receive some big-time offers, and it was hard to pick and choose which sport I wanted,” Moss said. “I put more thought into it and prayed and talked to God one night, and I just felt like I got pointed in the right direction to play basketball.”

Moss admits that multiple factors contributed to his final decision. One was a switch to quarterback for his senior season, opening up Moss’ eyes to controlling his own destiny at one of the most individual positions in sports. He liked having the ball in his hands on offense, and college football teams were recruiting him for defense. With basketball, he could be more directly involved in the outcome and showcase his skills.

Most of Moss’ friends and acquaintances in Springfield went the football route. He wanted to make his own mark. And while some schools said he could play both sports, Moss thought his academics would suffer.

Basketball it was, with a one-year pit stop at Spire Academy before enrolling at Toledo. But Moss didn’t leave his swaggering football persona behind. There isn’t a bigger trash-talker in the Mid-American Conference than Moss — it took him less than eight minutes in the first game to get a technical foul — and few bring as much intensity and physicality to the court.

“There’s no question about it,” Toledo men’s basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “He plays with an edge and an attitude. We felt like we needed more of that in our program. Sometimes that edge can be negative, but more times than not, it’s positive. He brings energy. I’d rather have that than a guy who doesn’t have an edge or personality, that you have to get them to show emotion. Those guys are hard for me to coach.”

Football coaches often seek out multi-sport athletes because they think they’re tougher and more competitive. Kowalczyk has the same logic in pursuing football players because of their overall toughness and willingness to embrace contact.

When Jordan Lauf’s dad contacted Kowalczyk, concerned about Lauf risking injury by playing football during his senior year of high school, Kowalczyk took the opposite approach. He encouraged him to play.

“I’m big into making sure players have a great high school experience,” Kowalczyk said. “If that means playing football, go ahead. I understand that some parents don’t want their kids to play because of concussions. I totally get that.”

Moss and his Toledo teammates will board an airplane Saturday morning bound for the Bahamas. The Rockets arrive for their week-long stay in paradise in the early afternoon, just in time to watch the Cincinnati-SMU game.

“I feel like it all worked out,” Moss said. “This is the right plan. I’m happy at Toledo. This was home as soon as I committed.”

First Published November 19, 2021, 4:18 p.m.