Jerry Rice Biography

Wide receiver Jerry Rice retired in 2006 as the National Football League’s all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns scored.

Jerry Rice played college ball at Mississippi Valley State, where he caught 310 passes for 4,856 yards and 51 touchdowns in 42 games. He began his professional career in 1985, after being picked 16th in the first round of the draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

With the 49ers he became one of the NFL’s biggest stars, catching pass after pass from quarterback Joe Montana and then from Montana’s successor, Steve Young. Rice played for the 49ers from 1985-2000, winning Super Bowls in 1989, 1990 and 1995. He later played for the Oakland Raiders (2001-2004) and the Seattle Seahawks (2004). He played for 20 seasons in all; in 2005, at the age of 42, Rice signed a one-year contract to play for the Denver Broncos, but decided to retire before the season began. He retired officially in 2006, after signing a one-day contract with the San Francisco 49ers so that he could end his career where it began.

At his retirement, the NFL Record and Fact Book listed Jerry Rice with 38 different NFL records, including career totals of 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns. Rice went on to become a commentator for NFL games, and he placed second on the TV show Dancing With the Stars in 2006.

Jerry Rice was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, and to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.