Jerry Rice facts for kids
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Rice in 2010
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| No. 80 | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
| Born: | October 13, 1962 Starkville, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | B. L. Moor (Oktoc, Mississippi) |
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| College: | Mississippi Valley State (1981–1984) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1985 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962) is a famous American former football player. He played as a wide receiver for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Many people think he is the greatest wide receiver ever. Some even say he is one of the best players in NFL history.
Jerry Rice won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks. The Pro Football Hall of Fame calls him "the most prolific wide receiver in NFL history." In 2010, NFL Network named him the greatest player in NFL history.
Rice played college football at Mississippi Valley State. He set many records there. The San Francisco 49ers drafted him in 1985. After a quiet first year, he quickly became a top receiver. He led the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns many times. He even set a record for most receiving touchdowns in a season in 1987.
Rice formed amazing partnerships with quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young. These helped him lead the league in receiving yards and touchdowns six times. He also led in receptions twice. He won another Super Bowl in 1994. After a knee injury, he later played for the Raiders. He helped them reach Super Bowl XXXVII. He finished his career with the Seahawks.
Jerry Rice holds many NFL records for wide receivers. These include career receptions, receiving touchdowns, and receiving yards. He also holds postseason records. He scored more points than any other non-kicker in NFL history. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl 13 times. He was also named All-Pro twelve times. Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Contents
Early Life and High School
Jerry Lee Rice Sr. was born on October 13, 1962. He grew up in a small town in Mississippi. He was one of eight children. His father was a brick mason. Jerry and his brothers often helped him build houses. This taught Jerry the meaning of hard work.
Jerry was shy as a child. He didn't play sports in high school at first. His mother thought football was "too rough." But one day, the assistant principal saw Jerry running fast. He told the football coach, Charles Davis. Coach Davis offered Jerry a spot on the team.
Jerry played many positions in high school. These included running back and defensive back. But he was best as a wide receiver. He trained hard, even running miles home after practice. In his senior year, he was an All-State wide receiver.
Jerry wanted to go to Mississippi State University. But they weren't interested. He chose Mississippi Valley State. Their coach, Archie Cooley, loved to pass the ball.
College Football Career
Jerry Rice played for Mississippi Valley State University from 1981 to 1984. He learned a lot about catching passes. In his first year, he caught 30 passes for 428 yards.
In 1982, he teamed up with quarterback Willie Totten. They practiced together a lot. Their team used a unique offense. They played four wide receivers on one side of the field. Rice caught 66 passes for 1,133 yards that year. He and Totten became known as "The Satellite Express."
In 1983, Rice had an amazing season. He set NCAA records for receptions (102) and receiving yards (1,450). He was named an All-American. He even caught 24 passes in one game! People started calling him "World" because he seemed to catch everything.
In 1984, he broke his own records. He had 1,845 receiving yards and 112 receptions. His 27 touchdown catches in 1984 set an NCAA record for all divisions. He finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting. By the end of college, he had broken 18 NCAA records.
In 1999, his college stadium was renamed Rice–Totten Stadium. This honored him and Willie Totten. Jerry was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
Professional Career
Jerry Rice's amazing college play got the attention of NFL teams. Both the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers were interested. The 49ers coach, Bill Walsh, really wanted Rice. He saw that Rice could make big plays.
The 49ers traded up in the 1985 NFL draft to pick Rice. They chose him as the 16th overall pick. This was just before the Cowboys could pick him. Walsh called Rice "a swift, smooth player."
San Francisco 49ers (1985–2000)
Rice signed a five-year contract with the 49ers in 1985. He switched his jersey number to #80. This was in honor of his hero, Steve Largent. In his first NFL game, he had four catches for 67 yards. He scored his first touchdown in Week 5.
In Week 13, he had a huge game. He caught 10 passes for 241 yards against the Los Angeles Rams. This was a team record at the time. Even though he dropped some passes, he was named the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Becoming a Star (1986–1989)
In 1986, Rice worked hard to improve. He led the NFL with 86 catches for 1,570 yards. He also had 15 touchdowns. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl and was named First-team All-Pro.
In 1987, Rice had a record-breaking season. He scored 22 receiving touchdowns in just 12 games. This broke the NFL record at the time. He was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He scored a touchdown in every game he played that season.
In 1988, Rice signed a new contract. He helped the 49ers win Super Bowl XXIII. He had an amazing game with 11 catches for 215 yards and a touchdown. Both his catches and yards were Super Bowl records. He was named the Super Bowl MVP.
In 1989, Rice continued to shine. He had 82 catches for 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns. He led the league in both categories. The 49ers won Super Bowl XXIV. Rice had seven catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns in that game.
The Steve Young Years (1990–1994)
In 1990, Rice led the NFL in catches (100), receiving yards (1,502), and touchdowns (13). He was the first player in the Super Bowl era to lead in all three. He even caught five touchdowns in one game against the Atlanta Falcons.
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In 1991, Joe Montana was injured. Steve Young became the starting quarterback. Rice continued to be a top player. He led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns. In 1992, Rice broke Steve Largent's record for career receiving touchdowns. He scored his 101st touchdown.
In 1993, Rice had another fantastic year. He caught 98 passes for 1,503 yards and 15 touchdowns. He led the league in both yards and touchdowns. He won his second NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.
In 1994, the 49ers made it back to the Super Bowl. Rice had 112 catches for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. The 49ers won Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers. Rice caught 10 passes for 149 yards and three touchdowns. He played most of the game with a separated shoulder.
Later 49ers Seasons (1995–2000)
In 1995, Rice had a record-setting season. He caught 122 passes for an amazing 1,848 yards. He also had 15 touchdowns. His 1,848 receiving yards was an NFL record at the time. He also became the all-time leader in career receiving yards.
In 1997, Rice suffered a serious knee injury. He tore two ligaments in his left knee. This ended his streak of 189 straight games played. He came back sooner than expected but cracked his kneecap. He missed the Pro Bowl for the first time in 11 years.
Rice recovered fully for the 1998 season. He still played well, catching 82 passes for 1,157 yards and nine touchdowns. At age 36, he was the oldest receiver to have a 1,000-yard season. He returned to the Pro Bowl.
In 1999 and 2000, the 49ers struggled. Rice's numbers also went down. In his final home game with the 49ers, his teammate Terrell Owens broke a record for most catches in a single game. This made Rice upset because he wanted his last game to be special for him.
Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, and Retirement (2001–2005)
In 2001, the 49ers released Rice. He then signed with the Oakland Raiders. He joined Tim Brown, forming an older but talented receiving duo. Rice had a good year with 83 catches for 1,139 yards and nine touchdowns. The Raiders made the playoffs. They lost a close game to the New England Patriots in a snowstorm. This game was famous for the "Tuck Rule Game" call.
In 2002, Rice had another great season. He caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named to his 13th Pro Bowl. He also broke Walter Payton's record for all-time scrimmage yards. The Raiders made it to Super Bowl XXXVII. However, they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This was Rice's first Super Bowl loss.
In 2004, Rice was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. He was allowed to wear Steve Largent's retired #80 jersey. He played 11 games for the Seahawks. He finished the season with 30 catches for 429 yards and three touchdowns.
Rice briefly signed with the Denver Broncos in 2005. But he decided to retire before the season started. In 2006, he signed a special one-day contract with the 49ers. This allowed him to officially retire as a member of the team where he became a legend.
Legacy and Records
Jerry Rice holds many NFL receiving records. These include:
- Most career receiving yards: 22,895
- Most career receptions: 1,549
- Most career touchdown receptions: 197
- Most total touchdowns (receiving, rushing, and fumble recovery): 208
- Most career postseason receiving yards: 2,245
- Most career postseason touchdown receptions: 22
- Most Super Bowl receptions: 33
- Most Super Bowl receiving yards: 589
- Most Super Bowl touchdown receptions: 8
Many experts believe his records are almost impossible to break. He scored 1,256 points in his career. This makes him the highest-scoring non-kicker in NFL history.
Rice was known for making important catches in big games. He was also a great blocker. His amazing catching ability is sometimes linked to his childhood. He used to catch bricks while working with his father.
Jerry Rice was famous for his incredible work ethic. He was very dedicated to staying in shape. He would sprint up "The Hill," a steep 2.5-mile hill, every day in the offseason. This helped him improve his abilities.
In 1999, Sporting News ranked Rice as the second greatest football player ever. Only Jim Brown was ranked higher. In 2010, NFL Network named him the greatest player in NFL history.
Rice was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. His #80 jersey was retired by the San Francisco 49ers. He was also named to the NFL's 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Teams. He was also on the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year | |
| Super Bowl MVP | |
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| NFL record | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | Other TDs |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | |||
| 1985 | SF | 16 | 4 | 49 | 927 | 18.9 | 66 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 4.3 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1986 | SF | 16 | 15 | 86 | 1,570 | 18.3 | 66 | 15 | 10 | 72 | 7.2 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1987 | SF | 12 | 12 | 65 | 1,078 | 16.6 | 57 | 22 | 8 | 51 | 6.4 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1988 | SF | 16 | 16 | 64 | 1,306 | 20.4 | 96 | 9 | 13 | 107 | 8.2 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1989 | SF | 16 | 16 | 82 | 1,483 | 18.1 | 68 | 17 | 5 | 33 | 6.6 | 17 | 0 | 0 | — | |
| 1990 | SF | 16 | 16 | 100 | 1,502 | 15.0 | 64 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | SF | 16 | 16 | 80 | 1,206 | 15.1 | 73 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | SF | 16 | 16 | 84 | 1,201 | 14.3 | 80 | 10 | 9 | 58 | 6.4 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1993 | SF | 16 | 16 | 98 | 1,503 | 15.3 | 80 | 15 | 3 | 69 | 23.0 | 43 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 1994 | SF | 16 | 16 | 112 | 1,499 | 13.4 | 69 | 13 | 7 | 93 | 13.3 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1995 | SF | 16 | 16 | 122 | 1,848 | 15.1 | 81 | 15 | 5 | 36 | 7.2 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 1996 | SF | 16 | 16 | 108 | 1,254 | 11.6 | 39 | 8 | 11 | 77 | 7.0 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | SF | 2 | 1 | 7 | 78 | 11.1 | 16 | 1 | 1 | −10 | −10.0 | −10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | SF | 16 | 16 | 82 | 1,157 | 14.1 | 75 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — |
| 1999 | SF | 16 | 16 | 67 | 830 | 12.4 | 62 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000 | SF | 16 | 16 | 75 | 805 | 10.7 | 68 | 7 | 1 | −2 | −2.0 | −2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 2001 | OAK | 16 | 15 | 83 | 1,139 | 13.7 | 40 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | OAK | 16 | 16 | 92 | 1,211 | 13.2 | 75 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 2003 | OAK | 16 | 15 | 63 | 869 | 13.8 | 47 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — |
| 2004 | OAK | 6 | 5 | 5 | 67 | 13.4 | 18 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| SEA | 11 | 9 | 25 | 362 | 14.5 | 56 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | |
| Career | 303 | 284 | 1,549 | 22,895 | 14.8 | 96 | 197 | 87 | 645 | 7.4 | 43 | 10 | 19 | 11 | 1 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 1985 | SF | 1 | 1 | 4 | 45 | 11.3 | 20 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 1986 | SF | 1 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 24 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| 1987 | SF | 1 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 9.3 | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | SF | 3 | 3 | 21 | 409 | 19.5 | 61 | 6 | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | SF | 3 | 3 | 19 | 317 | 16.7 | 72 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | SF | 2 | 2 | 11 | 122 | 11.1 | 19 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | SF | 2 | 2 | 14 | 211 | 15.1 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1993 | SF | 2 | 2 | 9 | 126 | 14.0 | 23 | 0 | 1 | −9 | −9.0 | −9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | SF | 3 | 3 | 16 | 233 | 14.6 | 44 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1995 | SF | 1 | 1 | 11 | 117 | 10.6 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | SF | 2 | 2 | 9 | 86 | 9.6 | 36 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | SF | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | |||||||||||
| 1998 | SF | 2 | 2 | 4 | 69 | 17.3 | 38 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2001 | OAK | 2 | 2 | 13 | 231 | 17.8 | 47 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | OAK | 3 | 3 | 14 | 362 | 14.5 | 48 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | SEA | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 29 | 29 | 151 | 2,245 | 14.9 | 72 | 22 | 7 | 44 | 6.3 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
NFL Records
As of the end of the 2015 NFL season, Rice holds the following league records:
- Most career receiving yards: 22,895
- Most career receptions: 1,549
- Most career touchdown receptions: 197
- Most career yards from scrimmage: 23,540 (22,895 receiving, 645 rushing)
- Most career touchdowns from scrimmage: 207 (197 receiving, 10 rushing)
- Most career all purpose yards: 23,546 (22,895 receiving, 645 rushing, 6 kick returns)
- Most career all purpose touchdowns: 208 (197 receiving, 10 rushing, 1 fumble recovery)
- Most career postseason receiving yards: 2,245
- Most career postseason touchdown receptions: 22
- Most career Super Bowl receiving yards: 589
- Most career Super Bowl receptions: 33
- Most career Super Bowl touchdown receptions: 8
- Most career Super Bowl points scored: 48
- Most receiving yards in one Super Bowl: 215
- Most receiving touchdowns in one Super Bowl: 3
- Most games of 100 or more receiving yards: 76
- Most consecutive games with a reception: 274
- Most consecutive games with a touchdown from scrimmage: 13
- Most seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards: 14
- Fastest player to reach 100 touchdown receptions: 120 games
- Fastest player to reach 14,000 receiving yards: 164 games
- Fastest player to reach 15,000 receiving yards: 172 games
- Most points scored by a non-kicker: 1,256
- Most games played by a wide receiver: 303 (leads all non-kickers and non-quarterbacks)
- Oldest player to catch a touchdown in a Super Bowl: 40 years, 105 days
- Most receiving touchdowns in a game: 5 (tied with Kellen Winslow and Bob Shaw)
Awards and Honors
Throughout his college and professional career, Rice has won the following awards and honors:
NFL
- 3× Super Bowl champion (1988, 1989, 1994)
- Super Bowl MVP (1988)
- 2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award (1987, 1993)
- 6× NFL receiving yards leader (1986, 1989, 1990, 1993–1995)
- 2× NFL receptions leader (1990, 1996)
- 6× NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1986, 1987, 1989–1991, 1993)
- NFL scoring leader (1987)
- 13× Pro Bowl (1986–1996, 1998, 2002)
- 10× First-team All-Pro (1986–1990, 1992–1996)
- Second-team All-Pro (2002)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (1985)
- Bert Bell Award (1987)
- NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
- NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
- NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
- NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
- No. 80 retired by the San Francisco 49ers
- San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame
NCAA
- 2× First-team Division I-AA All-American (1983, 1984)
Personal Life
Jerry Rice married Jacqueline Bernice Mitchell in 1987. They had three children: Jaqui Bonet (born 1987), Jerry Rice Jr. (born 1991), and Jada Symone (born 1996). Jerry Jr. played football at UCLA and UNLV. Jerry also has another son, Brenden Rice, who plays college football. As of 2019, Rice is married to Latisha Pelayo.
Rice is a Christian. He has said that he was raised as a Christian and still holds the same faith.
After Football Career
After retiring from football, Jerry Rice appeared on the TV show Dancing with the Stars in 2005–2006. He and his dance partner reached the final two.
He has also written books about his life and football. In 2011, a video game called Jerry Rice & Nitus' Dog Football was released for the Wii. Rice has also been a team captain for the Pro Bowls. In 2022, he worked with the American Red Cross to encourage blood donations.
Jerry Rice enjoys playing golf. He has played golf for over 20 years. He even competed in a professional golf tournament in 2010.
See Also
In Spanish: Jerry Rice para niños
- List of NFL career receiving yards leaders
- List of NFL career receptions leaders
- List of NFL career receiving touchdowns leaders
- List of NFL career scoring leaders
- List of NFL annual receiving yards leaders
- List of NFL annual receptions leaders
- List of NFL receiving touchdowns leaders
- List of NFL annual scoring leaders
- List of NFL individual records
