The greatest wide receiver — and by most measures the greatest player — in NFL history, whose work ethic, route-running and production set records that may never be broken.
Jerry Lee Rice was born in Starkville, Mississippi in 1962 and attended Mississippi Valley State University. San Francisco 49ers selected him 16th overall in 1985. His 20-season career produced statistics that may stand forever: 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards and 208 receiving touchdowns — the all-time records in each category. He won three Super Bowls with the 49ers (1989, 1990, 1995) and was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXIII. He was selected to 13 Pro Bowls. He missed only three regular-season games through injury in his first 16 seasons. His work ethic was legendary — he trained in the off-season on San Francisco's hills while teammates rested. His route-running precision and concentration in traffic made him the model for the wide receiver position that all subsequent players aspire to. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, his first year of eligibility, and named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
Super Bowl Champion 3x (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
His NFL records for career receiving yards (22,895) and receiving touchdowns (197) are considered unbreakable.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- Super Bowl Champion 3x (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
- Super Bowl MVP XXIII
- NFL MVP 1987
- Pro Bowl 13x
- All-Pro 10x
- Hall of Fame 2010
- NFL all-time leader: receptions (1,549), yards (22,895), TDs (208)
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team