Josiah Shumaker never expected attending his first Patriots game would earn him celebrity status.
But the 12-year-old from New London caught Randy Moss' attention during Sunday's game against the Jaguars, gaining him a certain fame among members of the team, fans and the media.
Shumaker arrived at the game without any Pats gear, but instead of buying a shirt or hat as most fans might, he bought a Halloween-type mask of Randy Moss with a wig.
"I didn't have a jersey and I wanted to show I was a Patriots fan," he said. "I bought the mask hoping I would get on the big screen, but I never thought I would."
His father, James Clanton, a New London real estate agent, said he "just could not stop laughing" at the impassive Moss face on his son.
Apparently, the Jumbotron cameraman also caught the mask's humor, because after Moss scored a touchdown, while the play was under review by officials, Shumaker made it onto the screen.
He began to imitate the "separation" move (as if he just parted the defense) Moss makes when he scores. Seeing Shumaker's antics, Moss and several teammates started laughing, with Moss sending a "separation" back to Shumaker. The back-and-forth continued for several minutes, and the fans loved it.
"I just tried to have some fun and dance around and stuff," Shumaker, who plays New London Youth Football, said Tuesday as he played a Madden football video game at his house on Chester Street.
Moss told WEEI.com that he enjoyed the exchange, while quarterback Tom Brady joked about getting a mask for himself. (Shumaker said there were only a few left when he bought his).
"That's the thing about having fun," Moss told WEEI radio. "When things go right, you get the fans in the game, you get the players in the game. So it was a stadium full of fun today, and I think we all enjoyed it."
Fans commenting on WEEI's story called it a "perfect moment for the Pats' season" and said Shumaker "is a super example of how great Patriots fans are - and how much the team appreciates their fans."
Clanton said after the game, it was "mayhem."
"We couldn't get out of the stadium," Clanton said. "Everyone was like, 'Let me get a picture!' ... mothers, uncles, grandmoms, big guys spilling beer ... He was trying to take it off and I was like, 'You gotta leave that on! People wanna see Randy.'"
Now, father and son are hoping Moss might want to meet the young fan who energized the crowd.
"At least a handshake," Clanton said.
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