This is an accepted version of this page
203-521: Stephen Michael Largent (born September 28, 1954) is an American former professional football wide receiver and politician. Largent played college football at Tulsa University . He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1976, but was traded to the expansion Seattle Seahawks during preseason and played for the Seahawks for his entire 14-year National Football League (NFL) career. Regarded as one of
406-422: A gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
609-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
812-514: A "hearty meal on the table". To provide for his family, he and his brothers picked corn, cotton, carrots, and hay. Rice asserted that he was shy as a child, and had few friends. Rice attended B. L. Moor High School in Oktoc, Mississippi . Although he played mock games of basketball and football, Rice initially played no sports in high school. He enjoyed playing sandlot football and watching football on television. His mother didn't allow him to join
1015-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
1218-653: A 12 reception, 204-yard performance in Week 11. For his game against Washington, he won NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He won NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. Overall, he caught 86 passes for 1,570 yards and 15 touchdowns, both of which led the league, the first of four seasons in which Rice led the NFL in both receiving yards and touchdown receptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro teams. The 49ers finished
1421-531: A 155-yard performance with two receiving touchdowns against the Phoenix Cardinals . In Week 11, Rice had eight receptions for 172 yards and four touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 45–21 victory. For his game against Tampa Bay, he won NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Two weeks later, he had eight receptions for 166 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 35–10 victory over
1624-510: A 16-game season, as he was traded before Oakland's bye week and after Seattle's, and never missed a game, so he played six games for the Raiders and 11 for the Seahawks. Rice played his last non-preseason professional game for Seattle, a Wild Card Round loss to the St. Louis Rams in which he did not catch a pass. After the 2004 season, Rice signed a one-year contract worth $ 790,000 in total salary with
1827-758: A 38–24 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the following game. For his game against the Browns, he won NFC Offensive Player of the Week. Two weeks later, in Week 14, Rice recorded three receiving touchdowns for the third time in four games in a 41–0 victory over the Chicago Bears . In the final two games of the regular season, Rice recorded four total receiving touchdowns. Rice scored a receiving touchdown in every game he played that season. In total, he scored 22 receiving touchdowns in 12 games, coupled with 1,078 receiving yards from 65 receptions. His touchdown number broke
2030-595: A 41–10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons . Following a two-touchdown game against the New England Patriots in Week 3, Rice had 11 receptions for 181 yards in a 27–24 loss to the Detroit Lions . In Rice's next three games, he scored a receiving touchdown in each. On October 29, with an eight reception, 108-yard performance in Week 9, he surpassed James Lofton as the all-time leader in receiving yards against
2233-533: A 60-yard touchdown. He finished his career with 301 catches for 4,693 yards and 50 touchdowns, (although some sources have his numbers as 310 receptions, 4,856 receiving yards, and 51 touchdowns); his NCAA record for total career touchdown receptions stood until 2006 when New Hampshire wide receiver David Ball recorded his 51st career receiving touchdown. Rice's all-division NCAA record for total career receptions stood until 1999 when Scott Pingel of Division III Westminster logged his 302nd career reception. By
SECTION 10
#17328947902212436-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
2639-529: A Super Bowl overwhelmed him to the point of crying in his hotel room after the game. In Week 4 of the 2003 season, Rice had seven receptions for 126 receiving yards in the 34–31 victory of the San Diego Chargers . In Week 16, against the Green Bay Packers, he had ten receptions for 159 receiving yards in the 41–7 loss. Overall, in the 2003 season, Rice caught 63 passes for 869 yards; he didn't score
2842-535: A career (819), most receiving yards in a career (13,089), and most touchdown receptions (100). He also had a then-record streak of 177 consecutive regular-season games with a reception. He also holds the distinction as the first receiver in NFL history to grab 100 touchdown receptions in his career; his record stood until 1992 when it was broken by Jerry Rice . Largent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, his first year of eligibility. In 1999, he
3045-411: A career spanning two decades, Rice averaged 75.6 receiving yards per game. He received MVP votes in six out of his 20 seasons, finishing as the runner-up twice in 1987 and 1995. He won two NFL Offensive Player of The Year Awards, and a Bert Bell Award in 1987. Rice is remembered as one of the best clutch players in football history, often making game-winning catches throughout his career. Rice also
3248-473: A common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained
3451-567: A feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as
3654-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
3857-520: A game against the Kansas City Chiefs , Rice dropped two wide-open passes and later fumbled on an 8-yard pass that was intended to boost Rice's confidence. Rice said that his poor play may have been impacted by his increased wealth and the distractions that came with it. The 49ers finished the regular season with a 10–6 record and made the postseason . During the Wild Card Round against
4060-544: A game against the Saints, the 49ers retired Rice's No. 80 jersey. He was officially named to both the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team . During his career, he was included in the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team . As of the end of the 2015 NFL season, Rice holds the following league records: Throughout his collegiate and professional career, Rice has won
4263-428: A game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
SECTION 20
#17328947902214466-576: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits,
4669-464: A game where he recorded at least 100 receiving yards. In his final home game against the Bears , he had seven receptions for 76 yards in the 17–0 victory. It was the same game in which Terrell Owens set the single-game record for receptions, with 20. This angered Rice as he wanted it to be a special day for him, not for Owens, and many of Owens' receptions were intentionally called in order for him to break
4872-525: A game), and three touchdowns. Rice won NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Vikings. Vikings head coach Dennis Green said of Rice: "We did take the 49ers out of their running game, but Jerry was the one ingredient we had a hard time stopping", "In fact, we had a hard time slowing him down". In the final game of the regular season against the Atlanta Falcons, he surpassed Art Monk as
5075-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
5278-553: A league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to
5481-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
5684-586: A member of the team where his NFL career began. On August 24, he officially retired as a 49er, signing a one-day contract for $ 1,985,806.49. The number represented the year Rice was drafted (1985), his No. 80, the year he retired (2006), and the 49ers (49). The figure was ceremonial, and Rice received no money. A halftime ceremony honored him during the 49ers' match-up with the Seattle Seahawks on November 19, 2006. Rice holds numerous NFL receiving records. His 197 career touchdown receptions are 41 scores more than
5887-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
6090-670: A national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on
6293-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
Steve Largent - Misplaced Pages Continue
6496-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
6699-582: A receiving touchdown. Overall, he recorded 82 catches for 1,157 yards and nine touchdowns, becoming the oldest receiver ever to record a 1,000-yard season, at age 36, and returned to the Pro Bowl team. San Francisco made the postseason with a 12–4 record. They faced the Packers once again the Wild Card Round . Though Rice only had one catch for six yards in the game, the 49ers defeated the Packers 30–27. San Francisco
6902-512: A recovery after many surgeries. This caused Rice to miss almost all of June mini-camp and one week of training camp; he was supported by his teammates and coaches along the way. Even through these troubles, he was available for the start of the regular season. In Week 4, against the Carolina Panthers , he had ten receptions for 127 receiving yards. In Week 7, he had his only game of the season with multiple receiving touchdowns with two against
7105-649: A ride. Rice had a breakout junior season, primarily playing wide receiver and defensive back. Rice was a Mississippi All-State selection at wide receiver in his senior year. Due to the small size of Moor, few of his statistics were officially recorded. According to sports journalist Glenn Dickey, Rice caught 50 receptions and 30 touchdowns as a senior, helping to lead the team to a 17–2 record over his final two seasons. He and Moor's starting quarterback, Willie Gillespie, were very dependable, enough for them to be nicknamed Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry . Rice initially wanted to go to Mississippi State University , but
7308-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create
7511-422: A rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
7714-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
7917-735: A senior in 1984, he surpassed his own Division I-AA records for receiving yards (1,845), and receptions (112); his 27 touchdown receptions in the 1984 season set the NCAA record for every division. The 1984 Delta Devils averaged more than 60 points per game. Rice was named to the Division I-AA All-American team and finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting in 1984. In the Blue–Gray Classic all-star game played on Christmas Day, he earned MVP honors after four receptions for 101 yards and
8120-492: A separated shoulder for much of the game. In three Super Bowl appearances at this point in his career, Rice caught 28 receptions for 512 yards and seven touchdowns, with all three statistics career Super Bowl records. During the 1995 season, Rice had a record-setting campaign. After an 87-yard, one-touchdown day to start the season against the New Orleans Saints , Rice had 11 receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns in
8323-554: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Jerry Rice Jerry Lee Rice (born October 13, 1962)
Steve Largent - Misplaced Pages Continue
8526-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
8729-452: A standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for
8932-404: A substance that makes the ball easier to catch and hold on to, on his gloves during his career, saying: "I know this might be a little illegal, guys, but you put a little spray, a little Stickum on them, to make sure that texture is a little sticky." Stickum and similar adhesives were banned in the NFL in 1981, four years before Rice joined the league; he commented that "all players" in his era used
9135-611: A then franchise-record 241 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, his first over 100 receiving yards, with San Francisco losing 27–20. For his game against the Rams, Rice earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week. After a seven reception, 111-yard performance in a 31–16 victory in the regular season finale against the Dallas Cowboys , while scoring a rushing touchdown, CBS announcer Pat Summerall stated that "When this guy [Rice]
9338-522: A then-NFL-record previously held by Mark Clayton (18), which Rice officially broke against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15. The record was broken by Randy Moss in 2007, when he scored 23 receiving touchdowns. After being selected to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro teams, Rice was awarded the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award , becoming the first wide receiver to receive the award. He
9541-579: A touchdown in a 30–17 loss. The following week against the Cincinnati Bengals , Rice recorded four receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns in a 27–26 victory. The NFL Players Association began a strike after the season's second game, causing Rice to miss the next four games while backups replaced him (including a canceled game). He picketed outside the 49ers practice facility while some of his teammates (including quarterback Joe Montana and halfback Roger Craig ), crossed picket lines to play. When
9744-606: A touchdown in the 28–10 victory. Montana injured his elbow in the NFC Championship against the New York Giants , ending with the 49ers losing 15–13, failing to repeat as NFC champions for a third time; Rice went for five receptions and 54 yards in the game. In 1991, Montana was ruled out for the season with an injury, making Steve Young the starting quarterback. Along with Montana, teammates Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig had left in free agency, making Rice "the last of
9947-507: A touchdown until the 12th game of the season, scoring only two through the whole year. Oakland as a team regressed from their 11–5 record in 2002 to a 4–12 record in 2003, leading to the firing of head coach Bill Callahan . This led Rice to be frustrated about his role with the team. By the time the 2004 season was starting, Rice struggled, and by the fourth game of the season, Rice had five receptions for only 64 yards. Because of this, he asked Raiders owner Al Davis to trade him. Rice
10150-457: A touchdown, but lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round , as the 49ers were unable to gain any ground with their offense, with only 196 yards of total offense. Through 1994 and 1996, Rice racked up 342 catches for 4,601 yards and 36 touchdowns. Before the 1997 season, Rice signed a seven-year, $ 32 million contract. During the 49ers' opening game of the season, Rice tore
10353-556: A touchdown, he surpassed Walter Payton as the all-time leader in scrimmage yards, with 21,281 scrimmage yards. He scored his 200th career touchdown against the Broncos . Oakland finished the season with an 11–5 record and made the postseason. They won in the Divisional Round against the Jets , 30–10. Rice had a receiving touchdown in the win. The team won in the AFC Championship against
SECTION 50
#173289479022110556-449: A tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine
10759-579: A two-touchdown game against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4, Rice had six receptions for 172 yards and three touchdowns in a 35–14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts . In Week 10, against the St. Louis Cardinals , he had four receptions for 156 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the 43–17 victory. Rice had his second career 200-yard receiving game against the Washington Redskins , having
10962-595: Is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for 20 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He won three Super Bowl titles with the San Francisco 49ers before two shorter stints at the end of his career with the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks . For his accomplishments and numerous records, Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of
11165-759: Is an international nonprofit membership organization founded in 1984, representing all sectors of wireless communications: cellular, personal communication services, and enhanced specialized mobile radio. In 1990, Largent received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement . People magazine named Largent to its 1996 list of "Most Beautiful People" . Largent has a son Kramer James (b. November 11, 1985) with spina bifida . He and his wife, Terry, also had three older children, sons Kyle and Kelly and daughter Casie. American football American football , referred to simply as football in
11368-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
11571-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
11774-658: Is finished [retires], he'll be considered one of the greatest wide receivers to ever play this game." He recorded 49 catches, for 927 yards, and three receiving touchdowns, averaging 18.9 yards per catch in his rookie season, and started four out of sixteen possible games. United Press International (UPI) named Rice the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year , and he was selected to the PFWA All-Rookie Team . Nevertheless, Rice struggled, dropping numerous passes that season. In
11977-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
12180-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
12383-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
SECTION 60
#173289479022112586-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
12789-532: The 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
12992-453: The 2002 Oklahoma gubernatorial election . In 1974 at the University of Tulsa , Largent had 884 yards receiving and 14 touchdown catches. In 1975, he had 51 catches for 1,000 yards and 14 touchdown catches. Despite an All-American career at Tulsa, Largent was not selected until the fourth round of the 1976 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers with the 117th pick. After four preseason games, he
13195-478: The Atlanta Falcons , he had eight receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown in the 19–13 victory. For his game against the Falcons, he won NFC Offensive Player of the Week. On October 14, in Week 6 against the Falcons, Rice caught a career-best five touchdowns to go with 13 receptions for 225 yards in the 45–35 victory. For the second time and against the same opponent in the 1990 season, Rice won NFC Offensive Player of
13398-582: The Cowboys for the third straight year. After two previous defeats, the 49ers were victorious against the Cowboys 38–28. Rice was a vital component in their 49–26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX , combined with a six-touchdown performance by Young, Rice caught ten passes after catching six in the 49ers last two postseason games, coupled with 149 yards and three touchdowns, despite playing with
13601-519: The Denver Broncos which was his lowest contract offer in his 20 years in the league. Rice never played for the Broncos, therefore he was only allowed his guaranteed money for a grand total of $ 25,000. Just before the 2005 season, on September 5, 2005, Rice announced his retirement after 20 seasons. In August 2006, the 49ers announced that Rice would sign a contract with them, allowing him to retire as
13804-476: The Divisional Round against the Minnesota Vikings ; the 49ers won 41–13. In the NFC Championship against the Los Angeles Rams , he had six receptions for 55 yards in the 30–3 victory. Rice finished Super Bowl XXIV with seven receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns in the 49ers 55–10 blowout victory against the Denver Broncos . In the 1990 season, Rice started all 16 games. In Week 3, against
14007-410: The Divisional Round . In the 49ers' 28–3 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship , he had five receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns. In Super Bowl XXIII , Rice had an 11 reception, 215-yard performance with a touchdown, helping the 49ers to a narrow 20–16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals . Both his receptions and receiving yards were Super Bowl records. For his performance, Rice
14210-650: The Green Bay Packers . He had ten receptions for 129 yard and a touchdown in a Week 15 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Overall, he recorded 108 receptions (leading the NFL) for 1,254 yards and eight touchdowns. Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro. With a 12–4 record and making the postseason, San Francisco won in the Wild Card Round against the Philadelphia Eagles 14–0 with Rice scoring
14413-465: The Los Angeles Rams . In Week 16, he had four receptions for 132 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 55–17 victory over the Detroit Lions . Rice caught 98 receptions for 1,503 yards and 15 touchdowns in the 1993 season; both his receiving yards and touchdown numbers led the league. He was awarded his second career NFL Offensive Player of The Year Award, along with being selected to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro teams. San Francisco finished
14616-410: The New York Giants , Rice had four receptions for 44 yards in the 17–3 loss. During the 1986 off-season, Rice spent much of his time studying the 49ers playbook. Playing against the Los Angeles Rams , Rice had six receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown in a Week 2 loss. He followed that with a seven reception, 120-yard game against the New Orleans Saints in a 26–17 victory in Week 3. Following
14819-474: The New York Jets in the Wild Card Round , winning 38–24, with Rice having nine receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown. In the Divisional Round , the Raiders faced Tom Brady and the New England Patriots . In what was later called the " Tuck Rule Game ", the Raiders lost in overtime 16–13, after officials reviewed an apparent Brady fumble, overturning the call on the field to be an incomplete pass, allowing
15022-648: The Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Rice was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2007, and in the same year was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame . The NFL honored him as a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team , as well as both the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team . Jerry Lee Rice Sr.
15225-602: The Tennessee Titans , 41–24, making it to the Super Bowl . There, against the Buccaneers , coached by former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden , they were defeated 21–48, with Gannon throwing five interceptions, including three for touchdowns, and Rice having five receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Up to this point, Rice had been undefeated in the Super Bowl, having already won three with San Francisco. The fact that he lost
15428-422: The anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee on a reverse. Warren Sapp of the Buccaneers grabbed Rice by the face mask and wrenched him to the ground, drawing a 15-yard personal foul. The injury broke Rice's streak of 189 consecutive games played; throughout high school, college, and the NFL he had never missed a game excluding three strike games. Wanting to make it back in time for
15631-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
15834-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
16037-462: The "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in
16240-515: The "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of
16443-419: The 100-yard mark. By the end of the 1989 season, Rice had gained 82 receptions for 1,483 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns; both his yards and touchdown numbers led the league. For the fourth straight season, Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro team. San Francisco finished the regular season with a 14–2 record, the league's best. Rice had six receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns in
16646-474: The 1988 season, 49ers head coach Bill Walsh retired from coaching after much speculation, and was to be replaced by George Seifert; Rice was saddened by this, referring to Walsh his "West Coast father". Rice started off the season strong with six receptions for 163 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in a 30–24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts . In the following game, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , he had eight receptions for 122 receiving yards in
16849-467: The 1992 season, a quarterback controversy swirled around Montana and Young. Rice openly supported Montana, but Young ended up starting, while Montana rehabbed. Wanting a high-value contract, Rice skipped training camp. He eventually signed with the 49ers for a three-year, $ 7.5 million contract, returning to training camp. On September 13, Rice was knocked unconscious against the Buffalo Bills , and
17052-409: The 1997 season and the other three in the strike-shortened season of 1987; his 303 games are the most ever by an NFL wide receiver by a wide margin. In addition to staying on the field, his work ethic showed in his dedication to conditioning and running precise routes, with coach Dennis Green calling him "the best route runner I've ever seen". One of the best-known examples of his dedication and ethic
17255-625: The 1999 season with 67 receptions for 830 yards and five touchdowns. The season was the first that Rice failed to reach 1,000 yards receiving while playing in all 16 games. San Francisco struggled as a whole, going 4–12 and missing the postseason, losing 11 out of their last 12 games after Young had concussion troubles, leading him to retire after the season. In the 2000 season, his final season in San Francisco, he again missed 1,000 receiving yards, with 75 receptions for 805 yards and seven touchdowns. The 2000 season marked Rice's first without having
17458-471: The 20–14 victory. He won NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Eagles. Rice surpassed Steve Largent 's career receiving touchdown record on December 6 in a Week 14 game against the Miami Dolphins , scoring his 101st touchdown. In Week 16 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , he had seven receptions for 118 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 21–14 victory. Overall, Rice finished
17661-437: The 20–16 victory. In the next game, a 38–28 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles , he had a season-high 164 receiving yards on six receptions for two touchdowns. Two weeks later, he had seven receptions for 149 receiving yards and a touchdown in a 24–20 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Starting in Week 7, Rice had a six-game stretch where he had three games with two receiving touchdowns and three games going over
17864-531: The AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for
18067-664: The Cowboys had a chance. Walsh described Rice as "a swift, smooth player who's got great instincts running with the ball, going to the ball and catching in a crowd." Rice was selected 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. In training camp, Rice had to compete with 49ers Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon for roster spots at
18270-559: The ESPY Award for Pro Football Player of the Decade for the 1990s. On November 4, 2010, he was ranked No. 1 on The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players . In 2011, The Sports Network awarded the inaugural Jerry Rice Award , to be given each year to the most outstanding freshman Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA) player. The inaugural winner was Towson running back Terrance West . In January 2015, Rice stated that he put Stickum ,
18473-576: The FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
18676-469: The House for the first time in 40 years, Largent's voting record was solidly conservative. Largent was one of the "true believers" in that freshman class, devoting most of his time to issues important to conservative Christians . One of his first bills was a "parental rights" bill that died in committee after it attracted opposition even from other Christian conservatives. Another of his bills would have abolished
18879-482: The Mohicans" as he described himself, the only remaining star player from San Francisco's 80s dynasty. Rice started the season with six receiving touchdowns in the first four games, which included a 150-yard game against the San Diego Chargers in Week 2. In Week 7, against the Atlanta Falcons , he had seven receptions for 138 yards and one touchdown in the 39–34 loss. Rice recorded 80 receptions for 1,206 yards and led
19082-522: The NFL records for career touchdowns, with 127. On September 18 against the Rams , his 147 receiving yards from 11 catches moved him past Art Monk as the NFLs active leader in that category and past Charlie Joiner for third all-time. In Week 12, in another game against the Rams, he had 16 receptions for 165 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. For his game against the Rams, he won NFC Offensive Player of
19285-518: The NFL, but lost in the Divisional Playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings 36–24, with Rice having three receptions for 28 yards. Before the 1988 season, Rice signed a five-year, $ 5.05 million contract in June that kept him with the 49ers through 1992. He was plagued by an ankle injury throughout the season, In Week 3, Rice had eight receptions for 163 yards in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons . In
19488-551: The Patriots to kick the game-tying field goal, all in a severe snowstorm. In 2002, Rice caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns, while being named to his 13th Pro Bowl team, and to the Second-team All-Pro team. Rice's teammate, Raiders starting quarterback Rich Gannon , was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for the 2002 season. Against the Tennessee Titans , where Rice had seven receptions for 144 yards and
19691-458: The Saints, with 14,040. Against the Cowboys , he had five receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown in a Week 11 victory. In Week 12, against the Miami Dolphins , he had eight receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the 44–20 victory. Rice had one of the best statistical games in his career against the Vikings , catching 14 passes for a career-high 289 yards (at the time the fifth-most ever in
19894-452: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on
20097-539: The Super Bowl. These assertions were proven correct, as Rice made it back to the Super Bowl with the 49ers in 1994, recording 112 receptions for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns, with Sanders winning the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award . The season began against the Los Angeles Raiders , where he had a seven reception, 169-yard game with two touchdowns (rushing for one more), moving into first place in
20300-579: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used
20503-461: The United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop
20706-455: The United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in
20909-547: The United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when
21112-453: The Week. In Week 15 against the Chargers, he had 12 receptions for 144 receiving yards in the 38–15 victory. He passed Largent for second place in the 16th game of the season. Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro teams. With a 13–3 record and making the postseason, the 49ers won against the Bears in the Divisional Round . Moving on to the NFC Championship , they faced
21315-476: The Week. On November 4, against the Green Bay Packers , Rice had a six reception, 181-yard performance with a touchdown. In the following game, against the Dallas Cowboys , he had 12 receptions for 147 yards and one touchdown in the 24–6 victory. In three of the last four games of the regular season, Rice went over 100 receiving yards. Rice had a successful year, leading the NFL in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,502), and receiving touchdowns (13), becoming
21518-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
21721-423: The all-time leader in receptions, with 942; his performance included 12 receptions for 153 yards, a 41-yard touchdown-throw, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown; his yards total was enough to break the record for most receiving yards in a season, with 1,848 yards, coupled with 122 receptions and 15 touchdowns. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro teams. His single-season receiving yards record
21924-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
22127-478: The ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
22330-467: The ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp ,
22533-422: The best in NFL history, helping him lead the league in both receiving yards and touchdowns six times, and in receptions twice. Going into the 1990s, Rice won a third Super Bowl in 1994 , and a second Offensive Player of the Year Award. After recovering from a knee injury and his play regressing, San Francisco released him in June 2001, where the Raiders would sign him to a four-year deal. He continued to start for
22736-418: The career record for combined net yards by catching a 27-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck , his 35th career record. He finished that game eight receptions for 145 yards and a touchdown. In total Rice had 25 receptions for 362 receiving yards and three touchdowns with the Seahawks, having 30 receptions for 429 yards and three touchdowns in total for the season. At age 41, he managed to play 17 games in
22939-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
23142-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
23345-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
23548-681: The end of his college career, he had broken 18 NCAA records. Rice became a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity at the Delta Phi chapter. In 1999, the school renamed its football stadium from Magnolia Stadium to Rice–Totten Stadium in honor of the players. Rice was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, and was in the inaugural class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2010. During this time, Rice met Jackie Mitchell at an MVS basketball game, while she
23751-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
23954-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
24157-443: The evening. Under the direction of Cooley, Mississippi Valley State ran an "unusual" offense, playing four wide receivers who tended to line up on one side of the field. 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." Success on the field did not put any money in his pocket, and many times he relied on friends for food, stating that
24360-556: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play
24563-466: The federal tax code at the end of 2001. He opposed ending the 1995 federal government shutdown and played a role in the failed attempt to oust Newt Gingrich as Speaker. Largent introduced a bill that would ban adoptions by gay and lesbian parents in Washington, D. C. Before taking office, in 1993, Largent wrote a letter in which he said "many homosexual practices are immoral and downright repugnant". He
24766-468: The field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
24969-454: The field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play
25172-740: The first Seahawks player to win the Steve Largent Award for his spirit, dedication, and integrity. During his playing career Largent was given the nickname " Yoda " for his ability to catch anything thrown at him. He attributed this ability to a skeet shooting buddy, a sport that focuses only on the edge of the skeet, as he only focused on the tip of the ball to track and catch balls, in the era where receivers and defensive backs did not wear gloves. This also allowed him to quickly adjust from catching balls thrown by left-handed Jim Zorn to right-handed Dave Krieg . When Largent retired, he held all major NFL receiving records, including most receptions in
25375-485: The first player to lead the NFL in all three categories in the Super Bowl era: only Sterling Sharpe (1992), Steve Smith Sr. (2005), and Cooper Kupp (2021) have managed the feat since. He was named to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro teams. Rice's efforts helped San Francisco finish the year with an NFL-best 14–2 record. During the Divisional Round against the Redskins , Rice had six receptions for 68 yards and
25578-474: The following awards and honors: Rice married Jacqueline Bernice Mitchell on September 8, 1987. Jacqueline Rice filed for divorce in June 2007, which became final in late December 2009. They have three children together: Jaqui Bonet (born 1987), Jerry Rice Jr. (born 1991), and Jada Symone (born 1996). Jerry Jr., who attended high school at Menlo School in Atherton, California , graduated in 2009. Jerry Jr.
25781-470: The following game, he recorded 163 receiving yards once again and had three touchdowns in a 38–7 victory over the Seattle Seahawks . In Week 13, he had six receptions for 171 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a 48–10 victory over the San Diego Chargers . He won NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Chargers. He still put up high numbers in the games he played, finishing
25984-517: The following season as one of the best receivers in the league, leading the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns, a feat he achieved four times. In 1987, Rice set the record for most receiving touchdowns in a season, with 22, in a twelve-game strike-shortened season. He won back-to-back championships in 1988 and 1989 , and was the MVP of the former championship. Rice developed connections with quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young that are viewed as among
26187-504: The food given to him at Mississippi Valley "were not enough for a growing man". Rice had a record-setting 1983 campaign, including NCAA marks for receptions (102) and receiving yards (1,450). He was named a first-team Division I-AA All-American . He set a single-game NCAA record with 24 receptions against Southern University . He acquired the nickname "World," because of his ability to seemingly catch anything thrown near him. After an August practice experiment, Cooley had Totten call all
26390-599: The formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included
26593-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
26796-409: The game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
26999-517: The greatest player in NFL history. Rice played college football for four seasons with the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils , setting several National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and team receiving records, including becoming the all-time leader in NCAA receiving touchdowns. He joined the 49ers after being selected with the 16th overall pick of the 1985 NFL draft . After a modest rookie season, Rice emerged in
27202-425: The greatest players in NFL history. His biography on the official Pro Football Hall of Fame website names him "the most prolific wide receiver in NFL history with staggering career totals". In 1999, The Sporting News listed Rice second behind Jim Brown on its list of "Football's 100 Greatest Players". In 2010, he was chosen by NFL Network 's NFL Films production The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players as
27405-527: The greatest wide receivers of all time, he held all the major NFL receiving records at the time of his retirement. Largent was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995. Following his playing career, as a Republican , he served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Oklahoma's 1st congressional district , serving four terms from 1994 to 2002, winning over 60% of the vote in each election. He resigned his seat in 2002 to run for governor of Oklahoma, which he narrowly lost to Democrat Brad Henry in
27608-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
27811-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
28014-476: The league in receiving touchdowns with 14 in the 1991 season, and was again selected to the Pro Bowl. He suffered a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) against the Vikings , but the injury did not cost him any games. San Francisco managed to win their final six games to finish with a 10–6 record but they failed to make the postseason, marking the first time in Rice's career that the 49ers failed to do so. During
28217-814: The liking of some moderate Republicans, and Armey won on the third ballot. However, when Bob Livingston of Louisiana stood down as Speaker-elect, Armey was still too wounded to make a bid for the job. Largent decided to run for governor of Oklahoma in 2002 . He easily won the Republican nomination and resigned his House seat on February 15 to devote his energy to the race. Initially seen as an overwhelming favorite against Democratic state senator Brad Henry , Largent lost by just under 7,000 votes. Largent's loss has been attributed by analysts to factors that included: Largent became president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association in November 2003 and served until May 2014. CTIA
28420-469: The more determined he was, so I gave it up." Rice played basketball as a forward and was on the track and field team, competing in the high jump . Rice played multiple positions in high school, including running back , defensive back and tight end . The position he was most skilled at, however, was wide receiver . During the off-season before his junior year, Rice increased his training; running several miles back to his house because he didn't have
28623-503: The most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in
28826-466: The most prolific receiver in team history. On October 26, 2008, Largent's University of Tulsa #83 was also retired . In 1994, Oklahoma's 1st District Congressman Jim Inhofe resigned to run in a special election to succeed Senator David Boren . Largent won the election to succeed Inhofe in Congress; pursuant to an Oklahoma statute, Governor David Walters designated the special election in which Largent
29029-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
29232-497: The offense of Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith . Rice had eight receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in the game, with the touchdown being his 13th of his postseason career, an NFL record. After the 1992 season, in April 1993, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs ; Rice wasn't able to properly say goodbye to him, and believed that San Francisco should have "treated Joe with more class" when they traded him. In Week 8, Rice had
29435-410: The offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking
29638-429: The offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except the center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until
29841-450: The oldest receiver duos with Tim Brown (age 35). During the season, he had an eight reception, 131-yard performance with three touchdowns against the Chargers , and a nine reception, 108-yard performance against the Broncos . Rice caught 83 passes for 1,139 yards and nine touchdowns for the year. Oakland finished the season with a 10–6 record and made the postseason. The Raiders played
30044-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
30247-418: The plays at the line of scrimmage without a huddle , resulting in even more staggering offensive numbers. Rice caught 17 receptions for 199 yards against Southern, 17 receptions for 294 yards, and five receiving touchdowns against Kentucky State , and 15 for 285 yards against Jackson State . During the game against Kentucky State, Rice caught twelve passes and scored three touchdowns in a single quarter. As
30450-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
30653-402: The postseason records for these statistics, and once held the single-season records for yards and touchdowns. He scored more points than any other non- kicker in NFL history with 1,256. Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times (1986–1996, 1998, 2002) and named All-Pro twelve times in his 20 NFL seasons, including ten First-team All-Pros, tied for the most by any player. Rice was inducted into
30856-429: The previous season, had the last. 49ers coach Bill Walsh sought Rice after seeing television highlights of his college performances. Walsh "saw the deep-threat the 49ers lacked ... a player who could break open a game with one play." The 49ers traded their first, second, and third-round picks for the New England Patriots ' first and third-round picks. The 49ers had the No. 16 selection overall and drafted Rice before
31059-464: The previous year, Largent became the NFL's active leader in career receiving yards, retaining that lead until his retirement in 1989. He broke Joiner's all-time record for receiving yards (12,146) in Week 3 of 1988. In the same season, he suffered a concussion and lost two teeth when he was hit by Mike Harden of the Denver Broncos . Harden was tackled by Largent and lost a fumble 14 weeks later after Harden's initial interception. In 1989, Largent became
31262-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
31465-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
31668-416: The record. San Francisco once again struggled, going 6–10 and missing the postseason. With the emergence of Terrell Owens in San Francisco and because of their desire to rebuild the team and clear salary, Rice was released by the 49ers in June 2001 and signed with the Oakland Raiders for a four-year, $ 7.8 million contract. He joined a Raiders team coming off a loss in the playoffs to form one of
31871-439: The reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912,
32074-511: The regular season with a 10–5–1 record, won the NFC West, and made the postseason. Rice struggled in the Divisional Round against the eventual Super Bowl-winning Giants , fumbling what would have been a long touchdown on the game's first drive. The 49ers lost 49–3. In the first game of the 1987 season, against the Pittsburgh Steelers , Rice went for eight receptions and 108 yards with
32277-450: The regular season. Two of his former teammates from B.L. Moor were there as well, but both left before the start of training camp. Rice studied receiving techniques from Gloster Richardson , stating: "I soaked up everything I could." In 1981, Rice's freshman season, he caught 30 passes for 428 yards and two touchdowns. In 1982, Rice played his first season with freshman quarterback Willie Totten . They became friends and practiced into
32480-441: The retirement of Montana's jersey number, he made his return 14 weeks later on December 15, much earlier than doctors wanted him to. He scored a touchdown, but he cracked his left patella as he came down with the catch. He missed the Pro Bowl team for the first time in 11 years due to the injury. San Francisco still made the postseason with a 13–3 record, beating the Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round 38–22, but lost for
32683-534: The rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as
32886-498: The school's football team in his freshman year, as she thought that football was "too rough" for Rice. While Rice was a sophomore, the school's assistant principal caught him skipping class with a friend, causing him to panic and sprint away. After Rice fled, the principal was impressed with his speed, and informed the school's football coach, Charles Davis, who offered Rice a place on the team. Initially unhappy about this, Rice's mother relented after realizing that "the more I fought it,
33089-399: The season 10–6, and made the postseason. Rice and the 49ers won in the Divisional Round against the New York Giants , but once again lost in the NFC Championship against the Dallas Cowboys ; Rice recorded nine receptions for 126 yards during the 1993 postseason. While he didn't get along with free agent addition Deion Sanders , he believed Sanders would help in the 49ers' pursuit of
33292-452: The season with 64 receptions for 1,306 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, averaging a career-high 20.4 yards per reception, earning him more selections to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro teams. The 49ers won the NFC West with a 10–6 record. Rice had five receptions for 61 yards and three touchdowns, scoring all three in the first half of the 49er's 34–9 win against the Vikings during
33495-399: The season with 84 catches for 1,201 yards and ten touchdowns, and was once again named to the Pro Bowl and First-team All-Pro team. Rice helped the 49ers to an NFL-best 14–2 record, and they made the postseason. San Francisco won in the Divisional Round against the Redskins , but lost in the NFC Championship against the eventual Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys , being unable to stop
33698-452: The second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of a round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton,
33901-481: The second place of 156 touchdown receptions by Randy Moss ; his 208 total touchdowns (197 receiving, ten rushing, and one fumble recovery) are 33 scores ahead of Emmitt Smith 's second-place total of 175. His 22,895 career receiving yards are 5,403 yards ahead of the second-place Larry Fitzgerald . His 1,256 career points scored make him the highest-scoring non- kicker in NFL history. Many of these records are considered by sports analysts to be unbreakable. During
34104-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
34307-411: The snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands
34510-523: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in
34713-432: The strike ended, Rice resumed playing in Week 7. In Week 10, against the New Orleans Saints , he had four receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the 26–24 loss. In the following game, a 24–10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , he had seven receptions for 103 yards and three receiving touchdowns in the 24–10 victory. His continued his productive streak with seven receptions for 126 yards and three touchdowns in
34916-629: The substance. The claims were rebutted by Pro Football Hall of Fame members Cris Carter and Michael Irvin . Rice retracted his claim shortly thereafter, stating that he "never used Stickum." Rice was selected for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2010 in his first year of eligibility. He was inducted in Canton, Ohio , on August 7, 2010, alongside Emmitt Smith , Floyd Little , Russ Grimm , Rickey Jackson , Dick LeBeau , and John Randle . On September 20, 2010, during halftime of
35119-645: The team wasn't interested in Rice. Mississippi State was one of over 40 NCAA Division I-A schools that contacted him, but did not offer a scholarship. He was drawn to Mississippi Valley State , in part because the school's coach, Archie Cooley , ran a pass-heavy offense—enough that Cooley was nicknamed "The Gunslinger." After Cooley watched him play in person and after he visited the school's campus, Rice committed to playing at Mississippi Valley State. Rice attended Mississippi Valley State University from 1981 to 1984. When Rice arrived at Mississippi Valley State, he attended summer school and freshman orientation before
35322-416: The team went horribly, as he suffered from sleep deprivation for nine days while financially struggling to care for his mother and three younger brothers after their mother left her alcoholic and violent second husband. While not particularly fast, Steve was extremely sure-handed and was able to get wide open due to his route-running discipline. He became the first Seahawk selected to the Pro Bowl in 1978, and
35525-629: The team, and helped lead them to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII , where they were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , affecting Rice's previously unblemished Super Bowl record. Midway through 2004, the Raiders traded him to the Seahawks, where he spent his final season. He briefly signed with the Broncos, retiring shortly before the start of the 2005 season. Rice is the career leader in most major statistical categories for wide receivers, including receptions , receiving touchdowns , receiving yards, scrimmage yards, and total touchdowns, holding
35728-417: The third straight time against the Green Bay Packers 23–10 in the NFC Championship . Rice made a full recovery, coming back in time for the 1998 regular season opener. In Week 4, against the Atlanta Falcons , he had eight receptions for 162 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the 31–20 victory. In Week 11, in another game against the Falcons, he had ten receptions for 169 receiving yards and
35931-491: The time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
36134-413: The wide receiver position. In July 1985, Rice was one of 21 rookie players who had not yet signed a contract. Rice signed a rookie contract for five years that paid him $ 377,000 per year. He wrote that during training camp, he was nicknamed "Fifi" because of his haircut, but he was praised by his teammates for his work ethic. It was with the 49ers where Rice switched from his college number, 88 (which
36337-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
36540-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
36743-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in
36946-555: Was "The Hill," a steep hill in Edgewood County Park & Natural Preserve that is 2.5 miles (4 km) long. Rice would sprint across the hill every day during the offseason to improve his abilities. In 1999, Rice was ranked No. 2 on the Sporting News ' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, behind only Jim Brown , and was 35 places ahead of the next-highest-ranked player then active, Deion Sanders . In 2000, Rice won
37149-453: Was a walk-on at UCLA and redshirted his first season. After three seasons and limited playing time, Jerry Jr. graduated from UCLA and transferred to UNLV , and was eligible to play immediately. Jerry Jr. played wide receiver for the Rebels , and participated in a 49ers local pro day before the 2014 NFL draft , but was not drafted. Jerry has another son, Brenden Rice , who played football for
37352-490: Was accused of being anti-Catholic due to his line of questioning of a House of Representatives chaplain in 2000, though he denied this. After the Republicans lost five seats in the 1998 midterm elections, Largent tried to take advantage of discontent with Majority Leader Dick Armey by challenging Armey for the post. Although Armey was not popular in the Republican caucus, Largent was thought to be far too conservative for
37555-436: Was already taken by teammate Freddie Solomon ), to his now famous #80 (in honor of his idol, Steve Largent ). Rice made his NFL debut in the 49ers' regular season opener against the Minnesota Vikings . He had four receptions for 67 yards in the 28–21 loss. Rice scored his first receiving touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons on a 25-yard reception from Joe Montana in Week 5. Rice had a breakout game with ten receptions for
37758-548: Was also named the NFLs MVP by the Newspaper Enterprise Association . In 1987, the touchdown runner-up was receiver Mike Quick with 11, marking the first time in post- NFL–AFL merger history that a category leader doubled the total of his nearest competitor and the second time in the history of the NFL from its inception; the first being Don Hutson in 1942. The 49ers finished the season 13–2,the best record in
37961-546: Was born on October 13, 1962, in Starkville, Mississippi , and lived in Crawford, Mississippi , the sixth of eight children. Crawford was a small town, having only 600 residents. Rice's father, Joe, was a brick mason who built houses by hand, while holding other jobs to provide for the family. Joe was described by Rice as "a tough man" and held him and his siblings to a strict lifestyle. Eddie B., Rice's mother, raised Rice while Joe
38164-401: Was defeated in the Divisional Round by the Atlanta Falcons 18–20. Rice had a receiving touchdown in the loss. In Week 13 of the 1999 season, Rice had nine receptions for 157 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the 44–30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals . In the 49ers' regular season finale against the Atlanta Falcons , he had six receptions for 143 yards in the 34–29 defeat. Rice finished
38367-420: Was elected to serve the remainder of Inhofe's term in the 103rd Congress before beginning his term in the 104th Congress . Largent took office on November 29, 1994, and was reelected to the three succeeding Congresses, never winning less than 60 percent of the vote in the heavily Republican Tulsa -based district. Like many in the Republican freshman class elected in 1994, when the Republicans took control of
38570-455: Was fixing electronics. In a 2022 interview with Fox News Digital, Rice expressed his doubts about being drafted at the time: "To be honest, I never thought I was going to get drafted, I downplayed everything because I didn't want that disappointment of getting up here and then come down in disappointment if it didn't happen". In the first round of the 1985 NFL draft , Dallas had the No. 17 selection and San Francisco, as Super Bowl champion from
38773-513: Was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in
38976-463: Was measured between 4.45 and 4.71 seconds. Both the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers showed interest in him. San Francisco had won two out of the previous four Super Bowls prior to the draft. Rice later wrote in Go Long! that he was unsure about what success he might have in the league, and that he would "often play head games" with himself; his backup plan if his football career didn't pan out
39179-537: Was named the Super Bowl MVP; he called the win "stupendous". He became the third wide receiver to earn Super Bowl MVP honors. Even though Rice won the MVP, Montana uttered the famous: " I'm going to Disney World! " line, instead of Rice; Rice attributed him not saying it to racism. Overall, Rice caught 21 receptions for 409 yards and six touchdowns; his yards and touchdown numbers stood as postseason records until Larry Fitzgerald broke both of them in 2008. After
39382-503: Was not broken until Calvin Johnson broke it in 2012. With an 11–5 record and making the postseason, the 49ers lost in the Divisional Round to the Green Bay Packers , in which Rice had 11 receptions for 117 yards. During the offseason of 1996, Rice and Jackie were expecting their third child, and on May 16, 1996, Jada Rice was born. Minutes after the birth, however, Jackie suffered complications and nearly died from blood loss. She made
39585-728: Was noted as an effective blocking receiver. Rice's "famous" catching ability, sometimes attributed to him having to catch bricks when working with his father during his childhood, led him to 1,549 career receptions, 117 ahead of the second-place Fitzgerald. Despite being keen about his public image early in his career, Rice is remembered for his work ethic and dedication. He still cared extensively about his physical appearance, often tailoring his uniform and jersey, and combed his hair before putting on his helmet; his philosophy was: "If you look good, feel good, you'll play good", as described by Shawn Rogers, one of his friends. In his 20 NFL seasons, Rice missed only 17 regular season games, 14 of them in
39788-519: Was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
39991-472: Was ranked number 46 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the only Seahawk to make the list. His #80 was retired in 1992; Largent is the first Seahawk player to be so honored. During Jerry Rice's stint with the Seahawks in 2004, Largent's #80 was temporarily "unretired" after a conversation between Rice (who idolized Largent growing up) and Largent that was reportedly initiated by then Seahawks president Bob Whitsitt . Largent remains
40194-478: Was selected six more times during his career. In 1979 he led the league in receiving yards with 1,237, and six years later did it again with 1,287 in 1985. His 1985 receiving yardage was a Seahawks franchise record that stood for 35 years until broken by DK Metcalf in 2020 . In 1987, Largent ended his participation in the NFLPA strike after the third and final week of the strike. With the retirement of Charlie Joiner
40397-465: Was slated to be cut, but was instead traded to the expansion Seattle Seahawks for a 1977 eighth-round pick. According to Largent, Bum Phillips called him into his office and told Largent he had all the receivers they needed, and that Houston would be releasing him. Largent feared his career was over before it began. Largent spent 14 years with the Seahawks, initially reuniting with his college offensive coordinator, Jerry Rhome . His first practice with
40600-487: Was still in high school. Rice eventually approached her, and they dated casually before Rice met her mother. Her mother was initially unhappy about Rice and preferred that Mitchell see another boy that lived in Greenville, Mississippi , but after meeting Rice in person she approved of him. Rice's record-breaking season at Mississippi Valley State caught the attention of NFL scouts. Sources vary on his 40-yard dash time, which
40803-483: Was taken out of the game with a concussion. In Week 7, against the Falcons , Rice had a seven reception, 183-yard performance with two touchdowns to go along with a 26-yard touchdown rush, totaling 209 scrimmage yards in the 56–17 victory. He won NFC Offensive Player of the Week for this game against the Falcons. In Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles , he had eight receptions for 133 receiving yards and one touchdown in
41006-402: Was traded to the Seattle Seahawks six games into the 2004 season in exchange for a seventh round pick and reunited with Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren , who had previously worked with Rice as San Francisco's offensive coordinator. After speaking with Largent , Rice was permitted to wear Largent's retired jersey No. 80. In a Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys , Rice set
41209-428: Was working, and after Rice left cleaned the houses of wealthy families. Rice and his brothers often worked with their father building houses, catching bricks on top of scaffolds to make sure his father had bricks to lay. He did not see bricklaying as his future, later saying that "it taught me the meaning of hard work." The Rice family struggled financially, with Rice sometimes not having many pairs of clothing or having
#220779