Photo courtesy of Nevada, Reno Athletics: 1978 Fort Dodge Senior High graduate Sam Mosley was an all-Big Sky Conference pick for the University of Nevada at Reno.

I’m often asked about the greatest athletes in Fort Dodge city history. I have lived here for 34 years now, and I’ve been an avid sports fanatic since day one. This is my 23rd “season” as Sports Editor at The Messenger — the paper I first joined as a part-timer in the fall of 1994.

Needless to say, I’ve seen a lot of incredible Dodgers and Gaels come and go. The list is really too long to even mention specific names, and the skills I’ve witnessed — from sheer strength to blinding speed and everything in between — bring a smile to my face every time I reminisce. Ranking their accomplishments and abilities would be almost impossible.

I often defer to the old-school veterans when it comes to “best of” debates, though. While my knowledge of Fort Dodge history expands by the day, I’ve only seen three-plus decades of superstars with my own eyes. My first-hand experience is relatively incomplete.

As a result, I’ll always turn to a conversation I had with long-time Messenger Sports Editor Bob Brown in our office about 15 years ago on the subject, when he said — without hesitation — Sam Mosley is the best athlete this community has ever produced.

Mosley graduated from Fort Dodge Senior High in 1978 after an all-state basketball season with the Dodgers. Iowa didn’t name a “Mr. Basketball” in those days, but Mosley was a unanimous selection with more all-state votes than any other player. He averaged 20.4 points for a second consecutive year and ranked among the state leaders in rebounds. Mosley also recorded a school-record 22 dunks in his senior season alone, as FDSH captured the Big Eight championship with an overall record of 14-5.

To this day, Mosley still ranks among the Top-10 scorers in Dodger program history, despite being the only athlete on the list to only have less than three full seasons of varsity ball. Mosley’s career 19.8 point per game average remains a school record, even 45 years later.

Mosley was an all-Big Eight honoree in football as well, where he played tight end and defensive end. At nearly 6-feet, 7-inches tall and close to 200 pounds, Mosley’s incredible physical talent reached an almost-mythical status in the area. Fort Dodgers will still tell me stories of the incredible performances or monstrous dunks Mosley delivered.

After high school, Mosley played basketball at Ellsworth Community College, helping the Panthers reach the NJCAA national tournament. Mosley’s next stop was the University of Nevada in Reno, Nev., where he became a Div. I hoop standout. As a junior in 1981-82, Mosley led the nation in field goal accuracy at nearly 66 percent, and was also among the country’s top volume dunkers. He averaged 10.8 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Wolfpack.

His senior year at Nevada was even more impressive. Mosley dominated in the Big Sky Conference, earning all-league honors at 15.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per contest as the Wolfpack captured the conference championship in 1983.

Mosley’s skills on a basketball court lured professional scouts from around the world for obvious reasons, but pro football franchises were also intrigued by his untapped potential. As a result, Mosley ended up being both an NBA and an NFL Draft pick in 1983: taken in the fourth round by the Phoenix Suns and the 12th round by the Seattle Seahawks, who then traded Mosley’s rights to Oakland.

Mosley played one all-pro season in the Contintental Basketball Association for the Wyoming Wildcatters before extending his pro career overseas, with stops in France, Belgium and Spain.

Mosley was inducted into the FDSH Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. A long-time resident of the state of Nevada, the 63-year-old Mosley currently resides in Wisconsin.

Many elite athletes have graced the halls of our local schools dating back to the late-19th century. I’ll trust Bob Brown and other former coaches and fans who always made it clear: no one rivaled Sam Mosley before him, no one has since, and maybe no one ever will.

Eric Pratt is Sports Editor at The Messenger. Contact him via email at sports@messengernews.net, or on Twitter @ByEricPratt