Image via Complex Original
To say Jerry Rice had a great career would be an understatement. The Hall of Fame wide receiver made 13 Pro Bowls, won three Super Bowls, and is widely regarded as the greatest football player to ever live. There's a lot about Rice that we don't know though. For example, do you know who he would choose between Steve Young and Joe Montana? Or that he developed his hands by catching bricks? How about the fact that he was almost drafted by the Dallas Cowboys? We dug up a bunch of other interesting facts about the NFL great. Check out 25 Things You Didn't Know About Jerry Rice.
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25. He was almost drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.
In the 1985 Draft, the 49ers traded their first two picks to New England for the Patriots' No. 16 first-round selection. The Cowboys, who had kept close contact with Rice, had the No. 17 pick. The 49ers snagged Jerry Rice and the Cowboys got defensive end Kevin Brooks. You already know how things turned out for Rice, as for Brooks, he was out of the league all together by 1990.
24. He once came to training camp during a contract dispute with a blank helmet tattooed on his biceps to send the
The NFL has one of the more unfavorable contract situations for NFL players. The contracts are not 100% guaranteed and a player is at risk for serious injury every time they step out onto the field. Jerry Rice knew his position as a star in the NFL and negotiated his contract as such. Business is business.
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23. He was upset that Warren Sapp didn't apologize to him for causing his ACL to tear.
Warren Sapp's legal tackle of Jerry Rice ended up causing Rice to land awkwardly and tear his ACL in '97. Outside of that season, Rice was a very healthy star that was known for his ability to play through pain and play in nearly every game. Rice was upset that Sapp neglected to call the hospital to apologize.
22. His then-wife Jackie almost died from complications from giving birth to their third child.
Rice admits that one of the saddest moments of his life was when his wife Jackie went into a coma after giving birth to the couple's third child. It was a very depressing time and one can only imagine having to deal with that in the middle of a season.
21. He would look at Michael Irvin's stats each week and try to keep up with him.
To be the best you have to beat the best. Back in the '90s, Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin were two of the best wide receivers in the game that put up world-class numbers for world-class franchises. Rice looked at Irvin's stats for inspiration and it worked.
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20. If he had one game to win, he would choose Joe Montana over Steve Young.
Let's look at the stats difference between Joe Montana and Steve Young. Young threw for 33,124 yards and 232 touchdowns while Montana threw for 40,551 yards and 273 touchdowns. Young has one Super Bowl MVP while Joe Montana has two Super Bowl MVPs. Rice picked Montana because of their chemistry.
19. In 1984, he finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
It may be hard to believe, but arguably the greatest receiver of all time was greatly overlooked. In 1984, Rice shattered the NCAA I-AA record books with a season which included 112 receptions, 1,845 receiving yards, and 28 touchdowns. Still, those numbers failed to translate to individual honors as Rice barely cracked the top 10 in the Heisman Trophy votes. Doug Flutie won the Heisman that year.
18. His favorite place to eat in San Francisco is Crustacean Restaurant off California Street.
If one of the greatest NFL players of all time eats there, it's gotta be good, scratch that, great, right?
17. He was the first player selected in the 1985 United States Football League (USFL) draft.
Before the San Francisco 49ers traded away their first two draft picks to the New England Patriots in exchange for their 16th overall selection and the opportunity to pick Jerry Rice, the USFL's Birmingham Stallions chose him with the first overall pick in their draft. While the Stallions did put Rice's concerns that he would never play pro football at ease, he eventually nixed the organization once the Niners came calling.
16. He accounted for 13.4 miles of total offense in his career.
When Rice spoke at his 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, he said, "When I was a kid...I was always running, even before I played sports. I ran everywhere. I didn't even know why. But I guess I was preparing myself for something, destined for something, but I didn't know what." When Rice finally started playing professionally, he continued running to the tune of 23,450 yards, or 70,350 feet, or 844,200 inches, which is nearly the equivalent of half a marathon.
15. He received a one-day contract from the Niners for $1,985,806.49.
What's behind the $1,985,806.49 one-day price tag? Well, the entire sum represented the year Rice was drafted (1985), his number (80), the year he retired ('06), and the franchise that chose him: the 49ers (49). In the end, Rice didn't get a penny since it was just a ceremonial gesture.
14. He says he was driven to succeed by the fear of disappointing his father.
When Rice gave his induction speech at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, he revealed what drove him to succeed: fear of disappointing his parents. As Rice points out, "It flies in the faces of all these sports psychologists who say you have to let go of your fears to be successful. But not wanting to disappoint my parents, and later my coaches, teammates and fans, is what pushed me to be successful."
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13. His father knew his son would be something after he dove in a thornbush and got stuck real bad.
Not to get all prophetic here but sometimes, you get signs that point you in the right direction. Rice's father says he got that so-called sign when a young Jerry dove for a ball and got caught in a thornbush. From that moment on, Joe Rice knew that his son was going to be something special.
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12. He kept a Wheaties box with Steve Largent on it in his locker.
During the first few years of his NFL career, Jerry Rice revealed that, even though he rarely watched the opposing team play, he would watch Steve Largent. It's probably because he saw a lot of Largent in himself; a guy that didn't possess world-class speed or incredible size but did the important things like run precise routes and catch everything thrown in his direction. Rice admired him so much that he even kept a Wheaties box with Largent on it in his locker.
11. He would wake up at 4 a.m. before 49ers practice just to hit golf balls.
Rice doesn't just like the sport of golf, he loves it. So much so that he would wake up well before 49ers practice and work on his swing.
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10. He set 38 NFL records and 18 Division I-AA records.
Jerry Rice has set the record for career NFL receptions, receiving yards, touchdown catches, all-purpose yards, seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, consecutive games with at least one reception, shoud we keep going or do you get the idea?
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9. He holds a bevy of Super Bowl career, too.
And if all those regular season and career records weren't enough, Rice also has his name in the record books plenty of times for his work in his four Super Bowl appearances, such as total receptions, receiving yards, all-purpose yards, catches in a Super Bowl game, etc.
8. He's one of two players who have been named first-team All-NFL 10 times.
As if Rice didn't have enough accolades to his name. In case you're wondering, the other player is Jim Otto. You're welcome, for the great bar trivia.
7. If it wasn't for football, Rice would've had a career that involved him using his hands.
As a kid, Rice learned the importance of hard labor from his father, who happened to be a mason. The blue collar lifestyle rubbed off on him so much that Rice admitted, "If I wasn't playing football, I'd be doing something with my hands. Electronics, or maybe something with cars. It doesn't matter. I've always liked working with my hands.'' Eventually, Jerry did find a job that not only required him to use his hands. A lot.
6. He was given the nickname "Fifi" early on in his NFL career.
For the young'ns out there who only saw Jerry with his chrome dome, it may be hard to believe that Rice once upon a time, not only had hair, but the guy was meticulous about his appearance. In the mid-80s, Rice rocked some dreads which developed into teammate Joe Montana calling him "Fifi" since his hair resembled the coat of a poodle. Obviously, Rice hated the nickname, but as you can tell, the 'do didn't have anything on these guys.
5. He was given the nickname "World" in college.
Basically, the nickname "World" was a reference to Rice's impeccable ability to catch anything in the world. But the name didn't really start to take off until Mississippi Valley State coach Archie Cooley suggested that Rice could "catch a BB in the dark." Now that's some pretty high praise.
4. He's from Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, the same frat as Emmitt Smith, Olden Polynice, and Scottie Pippen.
In addition to being a part of a select group as an inductee of the Football Hall of Fame and as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Rice is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity which features some interesting names as well.
3. He worked on his speed by chasing horses.
Like any kid, sports were a mainstay in Rice's life as a youngster. But, his idea of playing sports were a little bit different from the traditional ones that involve a stick or ball. Instead, Rice would play a game that involved him chasing down the horses in the pasture until he caught and rode them. Sounds fun, no?
2. He developed his hands by catching bricks as a kid.
Aside from numerous records, one thing that people remember most about Jerry Rice and his playing days are his incredible hands. Rice was able to snag any pass and he has his rough upbringing to thank for that. While working with his father, Rice stood on a scaffold 20 feet high, his brothers would toss bricks in his direction and Jerry would "snatch them out of the air."
1. He got his start playing football in high school when he ran away from his principal.
As a sophomore in high school, Rice cut class and things were going fine until the principal spotted him and called his name. Upon hearing that, Rice booked it. When Rice was finally caught, the principal grabbed him by the collar of his red jacket and told him, "'The football coach could use someone with your speed.' It was either football or punishment, so that was that.'' Sidebar: That principal probably runs the "Jerry Rice would've never played football if it wasn't for me" line ALL THE TIME.