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why is jerry rice important

by Alberto Auer Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Jerry Rice is widely considered to be the greatest wide receiver in the history of the National Football League. In addition to winning three Super Bowls, Rice holds nearly every single season and career receiving record available. He is also the NFL’s all-time leader in yards, receptions, and touchdowns.

Hall of Fame wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the best wide receiver to ever play in the National Football League, and arguably the greatest player of all time.

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What is Jerry Rice's biography?

Jerry Rice Biography. A former American football wide receiver, he played a total of 20 seasons in his active playing time and went on to become the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. Nicknamed The G.O.A.T., he is an all-time NFL leader in receptions, touchdown receptions, and yards. His career record stand at 1549 receptions for 22,...

Is Jerry Rice the greatest wide receiver in NFL history?

And Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. However, what if a closer examination revealed...that the general public might be wrong? What if Jerry Rice really isn't the greatest wide receiver in NFL history?

What is the Jerry Rice Award?

In 2011, The Sports Network initiated the annual Jerry Rice Award to be given to the most outstanding freshman Football Championship Subdivision player This retired San Francisco 49ers footballing legend holds the record for being the only non-kicker in NFL history to score over 1000 points in his career.

How did Jerry Rice find ways to improve?

Even at a high level, Rice found ways to practice deliberately rather than mindlessly and push the edge of his abilities rather than repeat old patterns without improvement. In other words, Rice always found ways to become one percent better. Let’s talk about how Rice decided which areas to focus on improving.

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Why is Jerry Rice so important?

Jerry Rice is widely considered to be the greatest wide receiver in the history of the National Football League. In addition to winning three Super Bowls, Rice holds nearly every single season and career receiving record available. He is also the NFL's all-time leader in yards, receptions, and touchdowns.

What did Jerry Rice do for the community?

The Jerry Rice 127 Foundation provides financial support to agencies and organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond dedicated to helping children and their families.

What are 3 interesting facts about Jerry Rice?

Rice was later drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft.Birthday: October 13, 1962 (13-10-1962)Education: Mississippi Valley State University.Net Worth: $55 million.Occupation: Football player.Height: 6'2” (1.88 m)Weight: 200 lbs (90.72 kgs)Position: Wide Receiver.Years Active: 20.More items...

How did Jerry Rice get famous?

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Rice in the first round in 1985, the start of a 20-year career in which Rice won multiple Super Bowls and set 38 NFL records. Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Was Jerry Rice a first round pick?

Rice was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft.

Did Jerry Rice win NFL MVP?

During his career, Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl a record 13 times, won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award in 1987 and was Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXIII. In 1999, he was ranked No.

How did Jerry Rice change the world?

Jerry Rice made an instant impact on the college team and quickly earned the nickname "World" because there was no ball in the world he couldn't catch. In college, he had a total of 51 touchdown catches and averaged 10 catches per game in 1984, when Mississippi Valley State averaged over 59 points per game.

What records does Jerry Rice hold?

He owns virtually every significant receiving mark. Some of the more notable career records include receptions (1,549); receiving yards (22,895 yards); most 1,000-yard receiving seasons (14); total touchdowns (208); and combined net yards (23,546). Rice has a hold on multiple NFL playoff and Super Bowl records.

Is Jerry Rice in the Hall of Fame?

Pro Football Hall of Fame (2010)Jerry Rice / Hall of Fame inductionInducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 7, 2010... Played 20 NFL seasons, including four with the Oakland Raiders...

Who has the most touchdowns in NFL history?

Jerry RiceNFL History - Touchdown LeadersTouchdown LeadersRKPLAYERTD1Jerry Rice2082Emmitt Smith1753LaDainian Tomlinson16217 more rows

Who was the Super Bowl L MVP?

NFL History - Super Bowl MVPsSuper Bowl Most Valuable PlayersNO.PLAYERHIGHLIGHTSLITom Brady, QB, New England43-of-62, 466 yards, 2 TDsLIINick Foles, QB, Philadelphia28-of-43, 373 yards, 3 TDs, 1 TD receptionLIIIJulian Edelman, WR, New England10 catches, 141 yards53 more rows

Who is the 49ers all time leading rusher?

Frank GoreFrank Gore is the career rushing leader of the San Francisco 49ers with 11,073 yards.

What did Jerry Rice do after he retired?

Rice's highest-profile job since retiring has been as an NFL analyst for ESPN.

Who helped Jerry Rice?

Rice developed connections with quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young that are viewed as among the best in NFL history, helping him lead the league in both receiving yards and touchdowns six times, and in receptions twice.

What was Jerry Rice's childhood like?

He grew up with five brothers, with whom he began playing sports, and learned early on the value of playing and having fun, but also about hard work, thanks to his father's insistence that he give it his all. Like many kids, when Rice got bored, he wasn't immune to getting into trouble.

Where was Jerry Lee Rice born?

Jerry Lee Rice was born on October 13, 1962, in Starkville, Mississippi. One of eight children, he was the son of a hardworking bricklayer who employed Rice and his brothers as his assistants during the hot Southern summers. It was grueling work, but Rice later came to be grateful for it.

When did Rice retire?

Famous for his fitness level, Rice went on to play an unprecedented 20 NFL seasons, finally retiring in 2004. The majority of his career was played in a 49ers uniform, but he later caught passes for the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks.

How many career receptions did Rice have?

Without a doubt the most prolific receiver in the NFL history, Rice retired with 38 NFL records to his name, including most career receptions (1,549) , receiving yards (22,895) and touchdowns (197). Rice was named a member of the NFL's All-Decade Teams of the 1980s and 1990s as well as the league's 75th Anniversary Team.

How many touchdowns did Rice have in the 1987 Super Bowl?

Rice followed it up with an even better season in 1987, earning Player of the Year honors and setting a new league record with 23 touchdowns. In the 1988-1989 season, he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, where he caught 11 passes and was named the game's MVP.

How many Super Bowl rings did Rice win?

In 2010, Rice, who won three Super Bowl rings with the 49ers, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

When was Rice drafted?

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Rice in the first round in 1985, the start of a 20-year career in which Rice won multiple Super Bowls and set 38 NFL records. Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Where did Rice go to college?

His talent was enough to catch the eyes of a few college scouts, and in the fall of 1981, he enrolled at Mississippi Valley State University.

What happened to Jerry Rice?

During the 49ers' opening game of the 1997 season, he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee on a reverse. Warren Sapp of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers grabbed Rice by the face-mask and wrenched him to the ground with it, drawing a 15-yard personal foul. The injury broke his streak of 189 consecutive games played. Fourteen weeks later, he made his return, much earlier than doctors wanted him to. He scored a touchdown, but when he came down with the catch, he cracked the patella in his left kneecap. He was forced to miss the Pro Bowl for the first time in 11 years. However, he made a full recovery, coming back in 1998 to record 82 catches for 1,157 yards and nine touchdowns and being named to his 12th Pro Bowl.

How many years did Jerry Rice play?

Jerry Lee Rice Sr. (born October 13, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Mississippi Valley State and was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft, ...

What was the fastest time Rice ran in the NFL?

Rice's record-breaking season at Mississippi Valley State caught the attention of many NFL scouts. Sources vary on his 40-yard dash time, which was measured as fast as 4.45, though later reported as slow as 4.71 seconds. Nevertheless, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers showed interest in him. In the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft, Dallas had the 17th selection and San Francisco, as Super Bowl champion from the previous season, had the last. 49ers coach Bill Walsh reportedly sought Rice after watching highlights of Rice the Saturday night before San Francisco was to play the Houston Oilers on October 21, 1984. On draft day, the 49ers traded its first two picks for the New England Patriots ' first-round choice, the 16th selection overall, and selected Rice before, as some report, the Cowboys were intending to pick him. Rice was prized more highly by the United States Football League (USFL), where the Birmingham Stallions selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 1985 USFL Draft, but the league folded after its 1986 season.

Why is Rice called the world?

Rice attended Mississippi Valley State University from 1981 to 1984. He became a standout receiver and acquired the nickname "World" due to "his ability to catch anything near him." In 1982, Rice played his first season with redshirt freshman quarterback Willie Totten. Rice caught 66 passes for 1,133 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore that year. Together, Totten and Rice became known as "The Satellite Express" and set numerous NCAA records in the spread offense of coach Archie Cooley, nicknamed "The Gunslinger".

Why did Rice sprint across the hill?

Rice would sprint across the hill literally every day to improve his abilities. "The Hill" has served as an inspiration for many other players in the 49ers organization, among them former first-round pick wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, who neglected to train with Rice on "The Hill", and was subsequently traded.

Why did Rice leave the 49ers?

With the emergence of Terrell Owens in San Francisco, and because of their desire to rebuild the team and clear salary , Rice left the 49ers and signed with the Oakland Raiders, following the conclusion of the 2000 season. He joined a Raiders team coming off a loss in the AFC playoffs, to form one of the oldest receiver duos with Tim Brown .

How many points does Rice have?

He has scored more points than any other non-kicker in NFL history with 1,256.

What did Young Rice do as a child?

Since an early age, Young Rice and his siblings assisted their father during the scorching summers. Working as assistant brick layer helped him gain strong hands as a child.

How many seasons did Jerry Rice play?

A former American football wide receiver, he played a total of 20 seasons in his active playing time and went on to become the greatest wide receiver in NFL history.

How many Super Bowl rings does Rice have?

Rice has 12 times been named All Pro in his 20 MFL seasons. He also has to his credit three Super Bowl rings, twice for San Francisco 49ers and once for Oakland Raiders.

When did the 80 jersey retire?

The position made him the greatest football player at the highest level of the sport. His jersey number 80 was retired on September 20, 2010 during halftime at the San Francisco 49ers-Saints game.

When did Jerry Rice get divorced?

Two decades after their marriage, they filed for divorce. The marriage was finally annulled in December 2009. In 2011, The Sports Network initiated the annual Jerry Rice Award to be given to the most outstanding freshman Football Championship Subdivision player.

How many touchdowns did G.O.A.T. have?

His career record stand at 1549 receptions for 22, 895 yards with 197 touchdown receptions and 208 total receptions. His career points stands at 1295, which makes him the highest scoring non-kicker in NFL history.

How did Rice become famous?

He had to run precise patterns; he had to evade the defenders, sometimes two or three, who were assigned to cover him; he had to outjump them to catch the ball and outmuscle them when they tried to strip it away; then he had to outrun tacklers. So he focused his practice work on exactly these requirements. Not being the fastest receiver in the league turned out not to matter. He became famous for the precision of his patterns. His weight training gave him tremendous strength. His trail running gave him control so he could change directions suddenly without signaling his move. The uphill wind sprints gave him explosive acceleration. Most of all, his endurance training — not something that a speed-focused athlete would normally concentrate on — gave him a giant advantage in the fourth quarter, when his opponents were tired and weak, and he seemed as fresh as he was in the first minute. Time and again, that’s when he put the game away. Rice and his coaches understood exactly what he needed in order to be dominant. They focused on these things and not on other goals that might have seemed generally desirable, like speed.

How fast is Jerry Rice?

The classic test for speed in the NFL is the 40-yard dash. Before being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers, Rice was reported as running the 40 in 4.7 seconds. For reference, in 2014 there were multiple quarterbacks and even a defensive lineman that posted faster times than that. And yet, it is unlikely that any of these players will have a career half as prolific as that of Jerry Rice.

How did Rice workout?

In team workouts he was famous for his hustle; while many receivers would trot back to the quarterback after catching a pass, Rice would sprint to the end zone after each reception. He would typically continue practicing long after the rest of the team had gone home. Most remarkable were his six-days-a-week off-season workouts, which he conducted entirely on his own. Mornings were devoted to cardiovascular work, running a hilly five-mile trail; he would reportedly run ten forty-meter wind sprints up the steepest part. In the afternoons he did equally strenuous weight training. These workouts became legendary as the most demanding in the league, and other players would sometimes join Rice just to see what it was like. Some of them got sick before the day was over.

How many Super Bowls has Rice won?

In addition to winning three Super Bowls, Rice holds nearly every single season and career receiving record available. He is also the NFL’s all-time leader in yards, receptions, and touchdowns. Many experts say he may be the best football player ever, regardless of position. Basically, Rice was a once-in-a-lifetime talent.

Did Jerry Rice do weight training?

In the afternoons he did equally strenuous weight training. These workouts became legendary as the most demanding in the league, and other players would sometimes join Rice just to see what it was like. Some of them got sick before the day was over. It is obvious that Jerry Rice put in an incredible volume of work.

Did Jerry Rice become a wide receiver?

This is where Jerry Rice separated himself from the rest of the pack. He finished college as an All-American wide receiver, but he didn’t let his skills plateau. Even at a high level, Rice found ways to practice deliberately rather than mindlessly and push the edge of his abilities rather than repeat old patterns without improvement. In other words, Rice always found ways to become one percent better.

Does it matter what skill you are trying to perfect?

It doesn’t matter what skill you are trying to perfect, finding the areas where your particular skill set provides the greatest leverage and focusing on those areas will reap enormous benefits.

Who did Jerry Rice play for?

Rice had the luxury of playing for two of the five greatest quarterbacks in NFL history: Joe Montana and Steve Young. He also played for Jeff Garcia, a three-time Pro Bowler.

How many seasons did Jerry Rice play?

Jerry Rice played 20 seasons in the National Football League. He played every single game of every single season, except for 1997, when he missed 14 games due to a torn ACL suffered in the season opener, after a facemask tackle by Warren Sapp.

How many touchdowns did Rice have in the postseason?

In 28 postseason games, Rice caught 151 passes for 2245 yards and 22 touchdowns. Projected over a single season, Rice's stats would look like this: 86 receptions, 1283 yards, 13 touchdowns.

What did Rice do in the finale?

Rice returned in the season finale, catching his lone touchdown pass, but cracking the patella in his left kneecap upon landing.

How many seasons did Rice play in the NFL?

Overall, Rice played 20 seasons in the NFL, during which his quarterbacks went to the Pro Bowl 13 times and earned five—count 'em, FIVE—Most Valuable Player awards. Rice never played for a quarterback who was anything short of spectacular.

How many Super Bowls did Rice play?

Rice played in four Super Bowls. Three times he walked away on the winning team.

Who is the greatest wide receiver in the NFL?

The New York Yankees are the greatest franchise in professional sports history. Michael Jordan is the greatest clutch player in basketball history. And Jerry Rice is the greatest wide receiver in NFL history.

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