Rice, Jerry (1962-…), ranks among the greatest pass receivers in football history. Rice combined speed, strength, the ability to get open for passes, and skill at making difficult catches. Rice holds many regular-season National Football League (NFL) records, including touchdowns scored (208), passes caught (1,549), and yards gained by a pass receiver (22,895).
Jerry Lee Rice was born in Starkville, Mississippi, on Oct. 13, 1962. He played for four years at Mississippi Valley State University. In 1985, Rice was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. In the 1987-1988 season, he scored a record 22 touchdowns on pass receptions and led the league in scoring. In 2007, Randy Moss of the New England Patriots broke Rice’s record by catching 23 touchdown passes.
Rice helped the 49ers win Super Bowls in 1989, 1990, and 1995. He was the Most Valuable Player in the 1989 Super Bowl. San Francisco released Rice in 2001, and he joined the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders. Oakland traded Rice to the Seattle Seahawks during the 2004 season. Rice signed to play with the Denver Broncos in 2005 but retired before the start of the regular season. In 2010, Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
