EARLY LIFEJerry Rice grew up in Crawford, Mississippi, the son of a brick mason. He developed his hands while working for his father by catching bricks that his brothers threw at him. Rice later recalled that working for his father also taught him "the meaning of hard work." His speed also helped him excel in football in high school.
Rice attended Mississippi Valley State University, becoming a standout on the football team. He acquired the nickname World, because there wasn't a ball in the world he couldn't catch. In college, he had a total of 51 touchdown catches and averaged 10 catches per game in 1984, when Mississippi Valley State averaged over 59 points per game. That season he was named an AP All-American and finished 9th in Heisman Trophy balloting. The school later named its football stadium Rice-Totten Stadium in honor of Rice and quarterback Willie Totten who threw Rice his many touchdown passes at Mississippi Valley State.
PERSONAL LIFE
Rice currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has three children, Jaqui Bonet (b. June 7, 1987), Jerry Jr. (b. July 27, 1991), and Jada Symone (b. May 16, 1996). He is considering stepping into the broadcasting booth.
During the 2005-2006 broadcasting season, Rice competed in the reality TV show Dancing with the Stars, where he, to his great surprise, achieved amazing success in the show, reaching the final two and finally losing to singer Drew Lachey and his partner Cheryl Burke.
Paired with dancer Anna Trebunskaya, they were considered the underdogs on the show. His amazing work ethic and exceptional sportsmanship charmed many viewers, and his determination also made him a judge's favorite.
He also appeared in the first episode of Spike TV's Pros vs. Joes challenge show.
Rice is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He was initiated at Mississippi Valley State through the Delta Phi chapter.
Rice, who has been involved with the United Negro College Fund, has a foundation titled “127 Foundation” that annually donates funds to the Bay Area Omega Boys Club.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Rice at a glance
• A 13-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who holds records for nearly every career receiving category.
• Owns 38 career records, according to the NFL’s Record & Fact Book (16 regular season, 9 postseason, 11 Super Bowl and 2 Pro Bowl).
• Won three Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX) during 16 years (1985-2000) with San Francisco and advanced to one Super Bowl (XXXVII) in three full seasons (2001-03) with Oakland.
• Selected by San Francisco in the first round (16th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft after setting 18 NCAA Division II records at Mississippi Valley State University.
NFL Records
Rice held the following NFL records at the time of his retirement:
Regular Season
Receptions (1,549)
Receiving yards (22,895)
Touchdown receptions(198)
All-purpose yards (23,540)
Touchdowns (208)
Receiving yards gained in a single season (1,848)
Touchdown receptions in a single season (22)
Seasons with at least 50 receptions (17)
Seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards (14)
Games with at least 100 receiving yards (76)
Consecutive games with at least one reception (274)
Consecutive games with at least one touchdown reception (13)
Postseason
Games played (28)
Touchdowns (22)
Receptions (151)
Yards receiving (2,245)
Touchdown receptions in a single game (3, three times; 10 others have had 3 in a game once)
Games with at least 100 receiving yards (8)
Consecutive games with at least one reception (28)
Super Bowl
Receptions (33)
Yards receiving (589)
All-purpose yards (604)
Touchdown receptions (8)
Points scored (48)
Receptions in a single game (11)
Yards receiving in a single game (215)
Touchdown receptions in a single game (3, twice)
Points scored in a single game (18, twice)
Accomplishments
Pro Bowls 13
Awards
1995 Pro Bowl MVP
1993 AP Offensive Player of the Year
1988 Super Bowl MVP
1987 AP Offensive Player of the Year
1988 PFWA MVP
1988 UPI NFC Offensive Player of the Year
1985 UPI NFC Rookie of the Year
Honors
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
Summary
Rice took the NFL by storm in his rookie season for the 49ers in 1985, recording 49 catches for 927 yards, an 18.9 yards per catch average. The following season, he caught 86 passes for a league leading 1,570 yards and 15 touchdowns. It was the first of 6 seasons Rice would lead the NFL in receiving and touchdown receptions. In 1987 he only played in 12 games because of the NFL players strike, but he still managed to gain 1,078 in receiving yards and an NFL record 22 touchdown receptions.
Then in 1988, Rice had one of the best seasons of his career. He caught 64 passes for 1,306 yards and 9 touchdowns, assisting his team to a 10-6 record. Then in the postseason, he was instrumental in the 49ers 28-3 win over the Chicago Bears in the NFC title game, recording 5 catches for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. But his performance in Super Bowl XXIII was even better. Rice caught 11 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 5 yards, assisting the 49ers to a narrow 20-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. His receptions and receiving yards were both Super Bowl records. For his performance, he became only the third wide receiver ever to earn Super Bowl MVP honors.
In 1989, San Francisco made it back to the Super Bowl, aided by Rice's 82 receptions for 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns during the season, and his 12 catches for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns in their 2 playoff games. He was once again a major factor in the 49ers championship win, finishing Super Bowl XXIV with 7 catches for 148 yards and a Super Bowl record 3 touchdown receptions.
Rice had another superb season in 1990, leading the NFL in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,502) and receiving touchdowns (13). San Francisco finished the year with a NFL best 14-2 record, but failed to "3-peat" as Super Bowl champions, losing to the New York Giants 15-13 in the NFC title game.
Rice made it back to the Super Bowl with the 49ers in the 1994 season, recording a career high 112 receptions for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. During the 49ers first game of that season against the Los Angeles Raiders during a Monday Night showdown, Jerry Rice had one of his best performances, catching 7 passes for a season high 169 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for one more and moving into first place all time in the NFL record books for career touchdowns with 127. The 49ers won the game 44-14. Although he only caught 6 passes in San Francisco's 2 playoff games that year, he proved to be a vital component in their 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX, recording 10 receptions for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In 1995, Rice caught a career high 122 passes for an NFL record 1,848 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. However, the 49ers lost in the divisional playoffs to the Green Bay Packers, despite Rice's impressive 11 catch, 117 yard performance. The following year, he recorded 108 receptions for 1,254 yards and 8 touchdowns. San Francisco made it to the NFC title game, but once again lost to the Packers. In his 3 seasons between 1994 and 1996, Rice had racked up a whopping 342 catches for 4,601 yards and 36 touchdowns.
During the season opener of the 1997 season he tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee. The injury broke his streak of 189 consecutive games played. Fourteen weeks later he made his return, much earlier than doctors wanted him to. He scored a touchdown, but when he came down with the catch, he cracked the patella in his left kneecap. He was forced to miss the pro bowl for the first time in 11 years. However, he made a full recovery, coming back to record 82 catches for 1,157 yards and 9 touchdowns in 1998.
After 2 more seasons with the 49ers, Rice left the team to sign with the Raiders. He excelled with them in the 2001 season, catching 83 passes for 1,139 yards and 9 touchdowns. In 2002 he did even better, catching 92 passes for 1,211 yards and 7 touchdowns, assisting Oakland to a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXXVII. His team lost the game 48-24, but he had a good performance in it, recording 5 receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. His 48-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter made him the first player ever to catch a touchdown pass in 4 different Super Bowls.
Super Bowl XXXVII turned out to be the final Super Bowl game Rice would play in. Oakland dropped from an 11-5 record in 2002 to a 4-12 record in 2003 and a 5-11 record in 2004. Rice left the Raiders 4 games into the 2004 season and joined Seattle for the remainder of the year.Rice would play his last post-season game for Seattle which was a lost to St.Louis. He made the Denver Broncos roster as a sixth wide receiver in the summer of 2005, but retired shortly before the season began, the greatest receiver in NFL history.
Year By Year
2004: Rice posted his highest yards-per-reception average (14.3) in nine years while playing for Oakland and Seattle, totaling 30 receptions for 429 yards with three touchdowns. He played six games (5 starts) with Oakland before playing 11 games (9 starts) with Seattle to become one of only four players since 1933 to appear in 17 games in a single regular season. Rice moved into first place on the NFL’s all-time combined net yards list vs. Dal. (12/6), recording a season-high eight catches for 145 yards (18.1 avg.) with one touchdown for the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. The performance was one of an NFL-record 76 career 100-yard games. Rice’s streak for consecutive games with at least one reception, which began in his rookie year of 1985, was snapped at 274 games when he did not record a catch vs. Buf. (9/19). He started Seattle’s NFC Wild Card Game vs. Stl. (1/8) but did not make a catch in his 29th career playoff appearance (NFL record). Rice was traded to Seattle from Oakland on Oct. 19 in exchange for a conditional pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. In Oakland’s season opener at Pit. (9/12), he started and caught two passes for 22 yards, marking his 274th consecutive game with a reception. After not catching a pass in a start vs. Buf. (9/19), he rebounded by catching an 18-yard pass vs. T.B. (9/26). His final game with the Raiders occurred vs. Den. (10/17), and he recorded a 10-yard reception and started the contest. Rice, in his Seahawks debut at Ari. (10/24), started in a four-receiver set and had a 10-yard reception. He caught a then season-high three passes for 86 yards (28.7 avg.) with his first receiving score of the year (195th of career), vs. Mia. (11/21). In a Monday Night Football contest vs. Dal. (12/6), Rice moved ahead of Brian Mitchell on the NFL’s all-time combined net yards list (23,469 yds.) in posting season highs in receiving yards (145) and receptions (8) with one touchdown reception, his second of the year and 196th of his career. He entered the game seven yards shy of the combined yardage milestone and broke it with a 27-yard touchdown in the first quarter. At Min. (12/12), he played his 300th career game and caught five passes for 52 yards (10.4 avg.)—all in the second half. Rice caught three passes for 25 yards (8.3 avg.) with one touchdown, his third of the year and 197th of his career, at the N.Y. Jets (12/19).
2003: Rice led Oakland in receptions (63) and receiving yards (869) for a 13.8 yards-per-reception average while tying for the team lead in receiving touchdowns with two, extending his NFL-record total to 194 (205 overall) as part of his 13th career Pro Bowl season. His 47-yard touchdown catch at K.C. (11/23) was the Raiders’ longest completion of the season and his 1,500th career reception, making him the first player in NFL history to reach that milestone. Rice extended his NFL-record streak of consecutive games with a reception to 273 by the end of the year and topped 100 yards receiving twice, raising his NFL record to 75 regular-season games for his career. In the season opener at Ten. (9/7), he started and caught four passes for 43 yards (10.8 avg.). He posted consecutive four-catch games vs. Cin. (9/14) and at Den. (9/22). Rice tied for team highs with seven catches and 118 yards vs. S.D. (9/28). Against K.C. (10/20), he caught five passes to tie a Raiders high with 71 receiving yards (14.2 avg.). Rice tallied eight receptions for 71 yards, both team highs, at Det. (11/2). He again led the Raiders in receptions vs. the N.Y. Jets (11/9) with four grabs for 41 yards (10.3 avg.). At K.C. (11/23), he started and caught two passes for 51 yards. His second catch against the Chiefs, a 47-yard touchdown, marked his 1,500th career reception. Rice did not start vs. Bal. (12/14) but caught three passes for a team-high 48 yards with a touchdown. Rice’s best performance of the year may have come vs. G.B. (12/22) when he recorded 10 catches for 159 yards (15.9 avg.), both individual and team season highs.
2002: Rice started all 16 regular-season games for Oakland, leading the team in receptions (92) to rank sixth in the AFC (9th in NFL). He also posted a team-high 1,211 receiving yards, which ranked seventh in the AFC and marked back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the star receiver and his NFL-record 14th career 1,000-yard campaign. Named second-team All-Pro, Rice ranked second on the Raiders with seven touchdown receptions and had a team-long 75-yard catch on the year. After making two touchdown catches at Den. (11/11), he became the only player in NFL history to surpass the 200-touchdown mark, bringing his career total to 203. Rice totaled five 100-yard receiving games, raising his NFL record to 73 for his career. He also moved atop the NFL’s all-time yards-from-scrimmage and all-purpose yards chart on the year. Part of the NFL’s top offense (6,237 yds.) and passing offense (4,475 yds.), Rice was pivotal in the team advancing to Super Bowl XXXVII. Rice started vs. the N.Y. Jets (1/12) in an AFC Divisional Playoff contest, posting one touchdown that marked the 21st postseason score of his career to tie for the most in NFL history while becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in career postseason total yards with a four-catch, 47-yard game. Rice had a team-high 79 receiving yards in the AFC Championship Game vs. Ten. (1/19) on five catches (15.8 avg.). He started at wide receiver vs. T.B. (1/26) in Super Bowl XXXVII, adding to his individual Super Bowl records by catching five passes for a team-high 77 yards (15.4 avg.), including a 48-yard touchdown. At Pit. (9/15), Rice caught a team-high 11 passes for 94 yards (8.5 avg.) before catching a team-high seven passes for 144 yards (20.6 avg.) with a 75-yard catch and one touchdown vs. Ten. (9/29). In the contest, he surpassed Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton as the NFL’s all-time leader in yards from scrimmage while posting his 69th career 100-yard game. After catching a touchdown at Buf. (10/6), Rice caught seven passes for a team-high 133 yards (19.0 avg.) at Stl. (10/13) while recording the team’s longest reception (53 yds.) of the contest. He had team highs in receptions (9) and yards (86) with one touchdown vs. S.D. (10/20). Rice ran the ball once for 12 yards and caught five passes for 45 yards at K.C. (10/27). Against the 49ers (11/3), Rice tied for the team-high with six grabs for a team-best 74 yards (12.3 avg.). At Den. (11/11), he caught a team-high nine passes for 103 yards with two touchdowns, passing Walter Payton to become the NFL’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards for a career. His first touchdown grab against the Broncos marked the 200th total score of his career. Rice registered team highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (111), his fourth 100-yard game of the year, at Ari. (11/24) and caught one touchdown. He went above the 1,000-yard receiving mark for an NFL-record 14th time vs. the N.Y. Jets (12/2), eclipsing the mark on a touchdown reception in his four-catch, 66-yard effort. Rice tallied team highs in receptions (7) and yards (113) with a long grab of 56 yards at S.D. (12/8).
2001: Rice, in his first year with Oakland, played all 16 regular-season games (15 starts), totaling 83 receptions for 1,139 yards (a team-high 13.7 avg.), both second on the team behind Tim Brown. Rice, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the 13th time in his career and became the only player in NFL history to achieve 20,000 career receiving yards, tied with Brown for first on the Raiders with nine touchdown catches. He and Brown proved to be a potent combination as the pair totaled 18 touchdowns, an NFL high in 2001, along with 174 receptions for the second-highest mark in the league. Rice led the Raiders in receptions seven times while pacing the team in receiving yards in eight contests on the way to registering two 100-yard games and finishing second on the team in scoring (54 pts.). In an AFC Wild Card Game vs. the N.Y, Jets (1/12), Rice caught a touchdown and tied a franchise postseason record with nine receptions, and his 183 yards receiving was the third-best outing by a Raider in the postseason behind Fred Biletnikoff (190 yds. vs. the N.Y. Jets 12/29/68) and Cliff Branch (186 yds. vs. Pittsburgh 12/29/74). At N.E. (1/19) in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game, Rice had a team-high 48 yards receiving on four receptions (12.0 avg.). In his first game with the Raiders, at K.C. (9/9), Rice caught a team-high eight passes for 87 yards (10.9 avg.). He scored his first touchdowns (2) with Oakland in its contest vs. Sea. (9/30) during a game that saw him record team highs with 91 yards and five receptions (18.2 avg.). Against S.D. (11/18), Rice tallied single-game season highs in receptions (8) and receiving yards (131), also season highs for all Raiders, while posting three touchdown receptions. Rice again led the Raiders in receptions and yards vs. Ari. (12/2) with seven catches and 97 yards along with a touchdown catch. Rice became the only player in NFL history to achieve 20,000 career receiving yards with a five-catch, 57-yard day vs. K.C. (12/9) that saw him chip in a touchdown catch. At Den. (12/30), Rice (9 rec. - 108 yds.) and Brown both went above the 1,000-yard receiving total for the year, marking the second time in Raiders history that two receivers both eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in the same year.
2000: Rice, in his final season with San Francisco, finished second on the 49ers with 75 receptions for 805 yards (10.7 avg.) with seven touchdowns, including a scoring grab of 68 yards that was his longest catch of the year. He extended his own NFL record for consecutive games with a reception to 225. At Atl. (9/3), he recorded five catches for 59 yards (11.8 avg.). He tallied three receptions vs. Car. (9/10) and at Stl. (9/17). Rice scored on receptions of 68 and five yards at Dal. (9/24) in a four-catch, 73-yard game (18.3 avg.). Against Ari. (10/1), Rice registered one of his best performances of season with seven receptions for 66 yards (9.4 avg.) with a 5-yard touchdown catch. He added five receptions for 46 yards (9.2 avg.) with another 5-yard scoring grab vs. Oak. (10/8). At G.B. (10/15), Rice caught six passes for a season-high 77 yards (12.8 avg.). He scored on a 16-yard catch at Car. (10/22) in a three-catch, 35-yard game (11.7 avg.) before hauling in six catches for 53 yards (8.8 avg.) vs. Stl. (10/29). Rice posted his second consecutive four-catch game vs. Atl. (11/19), finishing the contest with 31 yards receiving. Two of his three receptions at S.D. (12/3) went for scores (1 and 12 yds.) as part of a 41-yard receiving effort against the Chargers. Rice finished the year on a strong note, catching six passes for 62 yards (10.3 avg.) vs. N.O. (12/10) before adding seven receptions for 76 yards (10.9 avg.) vs. Chi. (12/17). At Den. (12/23), Rice chipped in six receptions for 61 yards (10.2 avg.).
1999: Rice started all 16 games for San Francisco, leading the 49ers with 67 receptions for 830 yards (12.4 avg.) with five touchdown grabs. Along the way, he became the first player in NFL history to record 1,200 receptions. He also had two 100-yard games on the year, increasing his NFL record to 66. Rice extended his consecutive games with a catch streak to 200 during the season (at Min. 10/24), becoming the first player in NFL history to make at least one catch in 200 consecutive games. Rice hauled in five receptions for 47 yards, including a 14-yard catch on fourth-and-12, vs. N.O. (9/19). The play originally was ruled incomplete but was overturned to lead to a game-tying touchdown in the win against the Saints. He posted a touchdown catch and three receptions at Ari. (9/27) and caught six passes (all for first downs) for 56 yards (9.3 avg.) vs. Ten. (10/3). Rice caught an 11-yard touchdown vs. Car. (10/17) in a five-catch, 59-yard effort (11.8 avg.) before totaling five grabs for 45 yards (9.0 avg.) at Min. (10/24) while becoming the first player in league history with 200 consecutive games with a catch. Rice recorded a season-high nine receptions for 157 yards (17.4 avg.) with two scoring catches, including a then season-long 55-yard catch in the third quarter, at Cin. (12/5). The performance against the Bengals marked his 65th career 100-yard receiving game and 36th multiple-touchdown receiving game. Rice recorded his 180th career touchdown on a 48-yard catch in the first quarter at Car. (12/18) as part of a five-reception, 56-yard outing. He also gained 11 yards on one rush against the Panthers. Against the Redskins (12/26), Rice caught five passes, including his NFL-record 1,200th career catch. He had six receptions for 143 yards (23.8 avg.) with a long of 62 yards at Atl. (1/3), extending his NFL record to 1,206 career receptions while turning in his 66th career 100-yard receiving game against the Falcons.
1998: Rice overcame two left knee surgeries and played through an injury to his right knee to register his 12th Pro Bowl season. He started all 16 regular-season games and finished with a 49ers-best 82 receptions for 1,157 yards (14.1 avg.) with nine touchdowns. He became the first player in NFL history over the age of 35 to record a 1,000-yard season while posting his NFL-record 12th 1,000-yard season. He tied for seventh in the NFL in receptions and ranked sixth in receiving yards, and the pass catcher placed 10th in the league in scoring (non-kickers) with 58 points. He recorded three 100-yard games to increase his NFL career record to 64 and caught a pass in every game to extend his streak of consecutive games with a catch to an NFL record 193, passing Art Monk (183) at Stl. (10/25). Additionally, Rice and Steve Young became the NFL’s highest scoring quarterback/wide receiver combination on the year, passing former Dolphins Dan Marino and Mark Clayton at G.B. (11/1) with their 80th TD connection. Rice started both postseason games for the 49ers, catching one pass for six yards in an NFC Wild Card Game vs. G.B. (1/3) and hauling in three passes for 63 yards with one touchdown (19th postseason score of his career) in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Atl. (1/9). Rice opened the year with six catches for 86 yards along with a 14-yard touchdown reception vs. the N.Y. Jets (9/6). He averaged 20.5 yards on four catches, including a 57-yarder, at Was. (9/14) before registering his 62nd career 100-yard game with eight receptions for 162 yards (20.3 avg.) and two touchdowns vs. Atl. (9/27). He scored his 28th career touchdown against Atlanta to break Marcus Allen’s NFL record (26 vs. San Diego) for most touchdowns against a single opponent. Rice tied Monk’s record of 183 consecutive games with at least one catch vs. Ind. (10/18) and broke the record at Stl. (10/25) while catching four passes for 64 yards with one touchdown. With a 12-yard touchdown catch in the Rams contest, he joined Steve Young to share the NFL lead with Marino and Clayton as the highest scoring quarterback/wide receiver combination in NFL history with 79 touchdowns. The next week at G.B. (11/1), they broke the Marino-Clayton record on a 12-yard touchdown pass for the duo’s 80th scoring connection, and Rice finished the contest with seven receptions for 60 yards (8.6 avg.). He recorded season highs with 10 receptions for 169 yards (16.9 avg.) with one touchdown at Atl. (11/15) that marked his NFL record 29th career touchdown against the Falcons. His season high for yards-per-reception average, 23.0, came at N.E. (12/20) with a five-catch, 115-yard game that included a 75-yard touchdown. He hauled in a touchdown along with three other catches vs. Stl. (12/27).
1997: Rice, who had never missed a game with an injury at any level before the season, missed 14 games with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee. Rice suffered the injury in the season opener at T.B. (8/31) and was expected to miss four-to-six months but made it back to the lineup in just over three months to help San Francisco clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in his first game back vs. Den. (12/15). He suffered a fractured patella (left knee) in the game and was placed on injured reserve Dec. 23. Rice totaled two games of action (1 start) and finished the season with seven catches for 78 yards (11.1 avg.) with one touchdown, becoming the first non-kicker in NFL history to score 1,000 career points. Rice started at flanker and had a team-high four receptions for 38 yards at T.B. (8/31) before suffering a left knee injury when Warren Sapp twisted him down by the facemask on a second-quarter reverse. He underwent two-and-a-half hours of surgery Sept. 1 and was expected to miss four-to-six miss months. Showing incredible resolve and a relentless work ethic, Rice made it back to the lineup in just more than three months and returned to full practice Dec. 4. In his first game back vs. Den. (12/15), he chipped in three receptions for 40 yards (13.3 avg.) with a touchdown as the 49ers secured homefield advantage. He sparked a San Francisco rally from a 10-0 deficit with a 14-yard scoring reception between two defenders in the second quarter. On the touchdown grab, Rice suffered a fractured patella that forced him to go on injured reserve Dec. 23.
1996: Rice started all 16 regular-season games for the ninth consecutive season, totaling 108 receptions for 1,254 yards (11.6 avg.) with eight touchdowns for the 49ers. Named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press and a Pro Bowl choice for the 11th consecutive season while garnering All-NFC accolades, Rice won his second NFL receptions title and led the NFC in catches for the third time. Additionally, Rice scored a rushing touchdown for the fifth consecutive season and set an NFL record with his 11th season of 50 or more catches while becoming the 49ers’ all-time leading scorer. He registered three 100-yard games and two 10-catch games. Rice added to his extensive records collection by becoming the first player in NFL history to record 1,000 career receptions and 16,000 receiving yards while posting his third consecutive 100-catch season and fourth overall (both NFL records). He made two starts in the postseason and finished second on the 49ers with nine receptions for 86 yards with one touchdown. Rice added four receptions for 50 yards with one touchdown in an NFC Wild Card Game vs. Phi. (12/29) before recording five catches for 36 yards at G.B. (1/14) in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game. In two regular-season games against the Panthers, Rice tallied 20 catches for 256 yards (12.8 avg.), including 10 receptions for 127 yards at Car. (9/22). At Stl. (10/6), he recorded seven receptions for 108 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown. Rice caught seven passes for 84 yards with two touchdowns at G.B. (10/14), setting an NFL record with his 11th 50-catch season to top Steve Largent and Gary Clark for most 50-reception seasons. The game against the Packers also included his 150th career touchdown reception. He had six receptions for 58 yards with one touchdown vs. Bal. (11/17), becoming the 49ers’ all-time leading scorer with 982 points (surpassing K Ray Wersching’s 979 pts.). Rice had a season-high 129 yards on 10 receptions (12.9 avg.) with a 5-yard touchdown vs. Car. (12/8). He clinched the NFL’s receiving title with five receptions for 49 yards vs. Det. (12/23). Rice made NFL history at N.O. (11/3) by becoming the first player to reach the 1,000 career reception mark, finishing the Saints contest with three catches for 45 yards with a 36-yard score while gaining 38 yards on a reverse and recovering an onside kick. He became the first player in league history to surpass the 16,000-yard receiving mark at Was. (11/24) after totaling 87 yards on eight passes. He broke the 100-catch mark for the third consecutive year and fourth time overall (NFL records) with eight receptions for 63 yards along with a 4-yard touchdown at Pit. (12/15).
1995: Rice, a 16-game starter for San Francisco, shattered a 34-year-old NFL record for most receiving yards in a single season with 1,848 yards, breaking the previous standard of 1,746 yards totaled by Houston’s Charlie Hennigan in 1961. He also became the NFL’s all-time receptions leader, passing Art Monk (940 rec.) at Atl. (12/24). He caught a career-best 122 passes (one short of Herman Moore’s NFL record) and was named a Pro Bowl starter for the 10th consecutive season while picking up All-Pro (Associated Press and Sports Illustrated) honors, an All-NFC selection and MVP of the 1996 Pro Bowl. The 1995 season also saw him become the NFL’s career receiving yardage record holder with 14,040 yards after an eight-reception, 108-yard effort vs. N.O. (10/29). Rice finished second in the NFL with 17 total touchdowns, including 15 scoring catches, as well as 104 points in marking his seventh consecutive season with 10 or more touchdown grabs. He also raised his NFL career touchdown record to 156 and his career touchdown reception mark to 146 on the year. The receiver recorded a career-high nine 100-yard games and established an NFL record with 58 career 100-yard games, breaking the old mark of 50 set by Don Maynard of the N.Y. Giants, N.Y. Jets and St. Louis Cardinals (1958, 1960-73) while posting an NFL-record 10th consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season and four multiple-touchdown games. Rice clinched his third consecutive receiving yards title and sixth overall by totaling a 132.3-yard average over the final nine games of the season, including a 10.7 reception average and 187.7 yards-per-contest average during the final three games. Rice’s banner campaign included a 49ers single-game record with a career-high 289 yards receiving on 14 catches with three touchdowns vs. Min. (12/18), a performance that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Rice tied a postseason high with 11 receptions for 117 yards (10.6 avg.) in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game vs. G.B. (1/6). He opened the year with six catches for 87 yards with a 50-yard touchdown at N.O. (9/3) before catching 11 passes for 167 yards with two touchdowns vs. Atl. (9/10). He scored San Francisco’s first touchdown of a game for the third consecutive week as part of a six-catch, 87-yard and two-touchdown effort vs. N.E. (9/17). At Det. (9/25), Rice totaled 181 yards on 11 receptions before scoring three times at Stl. (10//22) on a reception, 20-yard reverse and a 2-point conversion. Rice totaled 111 yards on on eight catches vs. Car. (11/5) and added five catches for 161 yards (32.2 avg.), including an 81-yard touchdown, at Dal. (11/12). He scored on touchdown catches of 47 and 46 yards at Mia. (11/20) en route to securing eight catches for 149 yards (18.6 avg.). At Atl. (12/24), Rice became the NFL’s leader in career receptions, passing Art Monk (940 rec.) while posting 12 receptions for 153 yards (12.8 avg.) and accomplishing two things that he had yet to do in his career. Rice scored his first fumble-recovery touchdown after recovering RB Adam Walker’s fumble in the end zone and, on the ensuing possession, threw his first NFL touchdown pass with a 41-yard strike to J.J. Stokes on a fake reverse.
1994: Rice started all 16 regular-season games for San Francisco and finished with 112 receptions for 1,499 yards (13.4 avg.) with 13 receiving touchdowns and a career-high two rushing scores. The year marked Rice’s sixth consecutive season with 10 or more touchdowns, and the star receiver was named a Pro Bowl starter for the ninth consecutive year after setting an NFL record with his ninth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Additionally, he was named All-NFC and All-Pro (Associated Press and Sports Illustrated) and posted five 100-yard receiving games. He broke Jim Brown’s NFL record for career touchdowns in a season opener vs. the L.A. Raiders (9/5), earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after making seven receptions for a season-high 169 yards (24.1 avg.) with two touchdowns while adding a rushing score. In the first quarter of that contest against the Raiders, he tied Walter Payton as the No. 2 scorer in NFL history (125 TDs) on a 69-yard scoring reception from Steve Young. Later against the Raiders, he tied Jim Brown’s career mark of 126 touchdowns with a 38-yard score on a reverse in the third quarter and later broke Brown’s NFL record with his 127th touchdown on a 39-yard strike from Young. In the postseason, Rice caught four passes for 48 yards vs. Chi. (1/7) in an NFC Divisional Playoff Contest while he scored on a 28-yard reception as part of a two-catch, 36-yard day vs. Dal. (1/15) in the NFC Championship Game to help the 49ers advance to Super Bowl XXIX. He added another memorable Super Bowl performance vs. S.D. (1/29) with 10 receptions for 149 yards (14.9 avg.) with three touchdowns, including a 44-yard scoring strike on the game’s third play from scrimmage. He left that contest late in the first quarter with a separated shoulder and missed three 49ers possessions before returning to action in the second quarter. Rice wrapped up the Super Bowl win for San Francisco with a 15-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter and a 9-yard scoring catch in the fourth quarter. He tallied 11 catches for 147 yards (13.4 avg.) with a touchdown at the L.A. Rams (9/18) before posting his second multiple-touchdown game of the season with five catches and two touchdowns vs. N.O. (9/25). Rice totaled 90 yards on three receptions (30.0 avg.) and scored his career-high second rushing touchdown of the season on a 28-yard reverse at Was. (11/6). He hauled in a 57-yard touchdown among five catches for 93 yards (18.6 avg.) vs. Dal. (11/13) and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time vs. the L.A. Rams (11/20), setting a franchise single-game record with 16 receptions for 165 yards (10.3 avg.) and three touchdowns. He chipped in 12 catches for 144 yards (12.0 avg.) at S.D. (12/11) before making nine catches for 121 yards (13.4 avg.) with a 23-yard score vs. Den. (12/17).
1993: Rice posted one of the best seasons of his illustrious career en route to being named NFL Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. The NFL’s leader in receiving yards (1,503) and total touchdowns (16), Rice was voted a Pro Bowl starter and secured his seventh trip to the NFL’s all-star game in Hawaii. An All-Pro (Associated Press and Sports Illustrated), Rice’s receiving yards (1,503) and receptions (98) totals both led the 49ers and marked the third-best marks of his career. Including his 1993 numbers, Rice tied the NFL record (Steve Largent) for most 1,000-yard campaigns in a career with eight while setting an NFL record by establishing those eight 1,000-yard receiving seasons in consecutive years (Lance Alworth previously held the record with seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons). He finished the year with a reception in a team-record 127 consecutive games and tied Harold Carmichael for fourth place on the NFL’s all-time list. Rice, selected as the recipient of the 49ers’ Len Eshmont Award as the club’s most inspirational and courageous player as voted by his teammates, became only the sixth player in NFL history to reach 11,000 career receiving yards and took over first place on the 49ers’ all-time yards-from-scrimmage chart. In the postseason, Rice continued to add to his collection of records and took over first place on the NFL’s all-time postseason receiving yards list among other accolades. He added an NFL record for career postseason receptions after running the total to 78 with three grabs for 43 yards vs. the N.Y. Giants in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game (1/15). Rice accumulated 83 yards on six receptions at Dal. (1/23) in the NFC Championship Game, surpassing Cliff Branch (1,289) in setting an NFL career postseason receiving yards record (1,306). He had a pair of touchdown catches in the season opener at Pit. (9/5), and, at Cle. (9/13), posted 82 receiving yards to move past Harold Jackson (10,372) into seventh place on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list. He ran 43 yards on a reverse to score what proved to be the winning touchdown vs. Atl. (9/19) before moving into seventh place on the NFL’s all-time receptions list (634), passing Don Maynard (633), with seven catches at N.O. (9/26). He added to his NFL record for most career touchdown receptions with his 106th scoring catch vs. Min. (10/3). Rice accounted for a team-high 82 yard receiving and gained 17 yards on a reverse at Dal. (10/17). His season high for receptions, nine, came vs. Pho. (10/24) to help him move into sixth place on the NFL’s all-time reception list (652), surpassing Charley Taylor (649) while his 155 receiving yards that game put him ahead of Stanley Morgan (10,716) into the sixth spot on the all-time receiving yardage list (10,858). Rice also hauled in a pair of touchdown passes against the Cardinals, moving into fourth place on the NFL’s career touchdown list with 114. At T.B. (11/14), he moved into third place on the league’s touchdown list (118), surpassing John Riggins (116) with four scoring catches to go along with a season-high 172 yards receiving. In the Buccaneers contest, he became only the sixth player in NFL history to reach 11,000 career receiving yards (11,093). He established himself as the 49ers’ team record holder with 11,564 yards from scrimmage, surpassing Roger Craig (11,506) with 62 yards on four catches vs. N.O. (11/22) and established a Monday Night Football record in that game with two touchdown catches that gave him 18 career scores on Monday night to eclipse Marcus Allen’s mark of 16. Rice surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the season (1,048) with eight catches for 166 yards (20.8 avg.) at the L.A. Rams (11/28), tying Steve Largent’s NFL record for most 1,000-yard receiving season in a career (8) and establishing an NFL record by accomplishing those 1,000-yard campaigns in consecutive years, breaking the old mark of seven previously shared with Lance Alworth. Rice averaged 20.5 yards on four catches vs. Cin. (12/5) and totaled 105 yards on six catches at Atl. (12/11) to tie James Lofton for second place on the NFL’s all-time chart with 43 games of 100 or more yards receiving. He tallied 132 receiving yards, including an 80-yard touchdown reception, at Det. (12/19) to move past James Lofton (43) into second place (44) on the NFL’s all-time list for most 100-yard games in a career. Rice posted a season-best 10 catches for 83 yards vs. Hou. (12/25) before the receiver caught six passes with a 3-yard touchdown vs. Phi. (1/3) to increase his NFL record for most touchdown catches to 118 and total touchdown count to 125.
1992: Rice recorded his seventh consecutive 1,000-yard season as a 16-game starter for the 49ers and became the NFL’s career record holder with 101 receiving touchdowns, surpassing Steve Largent’s mark of 100. Selected as a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press as well as a Pro Bowl starter, Rice led the 49ers in receiving yards (1,201), receptions (84) and touchdowns (11: 10 receiving and 1 rushing). Among many accomplishments, the All-NFC choice and Sports Illustrated All-Pro became just the eighth player in NFL history to reach 100 career scores as well as one of eight players in league history to catch a pass in 100 consecutive games during his outstanding season. Rice also took control of the 49ers’ all-time consecutive-games-with-a-catch record. Rice became the 49ers' career postseason record receptions holder with 67, surpassing Roger Craig (63) vs. Was. (1/9) in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game. He established an NFL postseason record for career receptions (75) and total career touchdowns (13) while tying John Stallworth's league mark for most games with 100 or more yards receiving with five after catching eight passes for 123 yards and one score vs. Dal. (1/17) in the NFC Championship Game. He posted a team-high 73 yards receiving and caught his first touchdown of the year at the N.Y. Jets (9/20) before extending his consecutive catch streak to 100 vs. the L.A. Rams (10/4), becoming one of eight players to accomplish that feat. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring three touchdowns (2 receiving, 1 rushing) vs. Atl. (10/18), becoming the eighth player in league history to reach the 100 career touchdown mark. Rice reached the 10,000 total yards mark (10,001) for his career and scored his 98th NFL receiving touchdown at Atl. (11/9) while he had a season-high eight receptions and tied Dwight Clark’s team record of 105 consecutive games with at least one reception vs. N.O. (11/15). Rice broke that record the next week (his 106th consecutive game with a catch) at the L.A. Rams (11/22) and tied Don Hutson for second place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown list (99). Against Phi. (11/29), Rice was named USA Today/Miller Lite NFL Player of the Week and NFC Offensive Player of the Week after tying Steve Largent for first place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown reception list with his 100th career touchdown grab. Additionally, Rice tied Hutson (105) for fifth place on the NFL’s all-time total touchdown list. He set the NFL touchdown reception record with his 101st career scoring catch on a 30-yard catch from Steve Young in the fourth quarter vs. Mia. (12/6). Rice totaled 79 yards on seven catches in that game to become just the ninth player in NFL history to pass the 10,000-yard receiving mark (10,037). Rice tied Lance Alworth’s NFL record for most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (7) at Min. (12/13) before catching two touchdowns to increase his NFL touchdown reception record to 103 vs. T.B. (12/19). He extended his streak of at least one reception to 111 games vs. Det. (12/28).
1991: Rice led the 49ers in receptions (80), receiving yards (1,206) and touchdowns (13) as a 16-game starter for the club. The pass catcher averaged 15.1 yards-per-reception on the way to becoming the 16th player in NFL history to surpass 8,000 career yards receiving. Rice also became the 49ers’ all-time leader in receptions and moved into third place on the NFL’s all-time touchdown reception list. Rice’s only reception at the N.Y. Giants (9/2) proved to be significant as it went for a 73-yard score. Against S.D. (9/8), Rice eclipsed the 8,000-yard receiving mark (8,089) and hauled in two touchdown passes along with his only rush (2 yds.) of the year. He caught two touchdowns for the second consecutive week at Min. (9/15). The next week vs. the L.A. Rams, he tied Lance Alworth (85) for fourth place on the NFL’s all-time career touchdown list with a 62-yard scoring grab. He took over fourth place (86) on that list vs. Atl. (10/13). Rice accounted for the game-winning touchdown reception vs. N.O. (12/1) on a score that tied him with Don Maynard (88) for third place on the all-time NFL touchdown list and tied him with Roger Craig (508) for first place on the 49ers’ all-time reception chart. He moved into third place on the all-time NFL touchdown reception chart (89) and became the 49ers’ career record holder for most receptions (514) at Sea. (12/8) while also reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the season against the Seahawks. He had a pair of touchdown receptions vs. K.C. (12/14) and vs. Chi. (12/23), increasing his career total to 93 and extending his reception streak to 95 consecutive games.
1990: Rice, the NFL’s leader in receptions (100) and receiving yardage (1,502), was selected as Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News’ NFL Player of the Year following a career season. A Pro Bowl, All-Pro (Associated Press) and All-NFC pick, Rice’s 100 receptions made him only the fourth player in NFL history to catch at least 100 passes in a season (Art Monk, Washington-106 in 1984; Charley Hennigan, Houston-101 in '64; and Lionel Taylor, Denver-100 in ‘60). Among many achievements during the year was an NFC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Award that he shared with quarterback Joe Montana after he posted one of the greatest receiving games in NFL history at Atl. (10/14). Rice tied an NFL record with five touchdown receptions and established team records for receptions (13) and points (30) while racking up 225 yards receiving. His yardage total in that game established him as the 49ers’ career record holder with 6,938 yards, surpassing Dwight Clark’s 6,750-yard total. He caught eight passes for 101 yards (12.6 avg.) at Cin. (12/9), including three receptions for 40 yards on the 49ers’ game-winning overtime drive. In the playoffs, Rice tied John Stallworth’s NFL postseason record for most career touchdown receptions (12) with an outstanding showing vs. Was. (1/12) in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game.
1989: Rice led the NFL with 1,483 receiving yards on a team-high 82 catches (18.1 avg.) with 17 touchdown receptions, including a 68-yard score that was his longest catch of the season, to lead league wide receivers. A Pro Bowl, All-Pro (Associated Press) and All-NFC selection, Rice also was a consensus selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s NFL “Team of the 1980s.” He scored the winning touchdown on a 58-yard catch-and-run late in the fourth quarter at Ind. (9/10) and set team records for total touchdowns (64) and receiving touchdowns (60) with a pair of scores vs. N.O. (11/6). Rice posted his eighth game of more than 100 receiving yards vs. Chi. (12/24). He continued his dominance in the postseason, scoring on 72 and 13-yard catches in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game vs. Min. (1/6). He set a Super Bowl record with three receiving touchdowns vs. Den. (1/28) in Super Bowl XXIV as San Francisco defeated the Broncos.
1988: Rice led the 49ers with 1,306 receiving yards on 64 catches—a career-high 20.4 yards-per-reception average—while scoring nine touchdowns on the year, including a team-record 96-yard scoring grab at S.D. (11/27). A Pro Bowl, All-Pro (Associated Press) and All-NFC selection, Rice extended his NFL record of consecutive games with a touchdown to 13 before the streak was halted at N.O. (9/4). Rice hauled in a 78-yard touchdown catch with 42 seconds at the N.Y. Giants (9/11) that proved to be the game-winning score. The receiver also tied a 49ers record for the sixth time with three receiving scores at Sea. (9/25). His six combined postseason touchdowns in 1988 tied an NFL record for most single-season playoff scores (Larry Csonka-'73, Franco Harris-'74, and John Riggins-'83). He tied an NFL playoff record with three receiving touchdowns in an NFC Divisional Playoff Game vs. Min. (1/1). He had two more receiving touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game at Chi. (1/8). Rice wrapped up his outstanding season in typical fashion, winning Super Bowl XXIII MVP honors after setting Super Bowl records with 215 yards on 11 receptions (19.5 avg.) in a win vs. Cin. (1/22).
1987: Rice was named NFL MVP (Pro Football Writers Association) to become the first 49er to receive that honor since quarterback John Brodie did so in 1970. A Pro Bowl, All-Pro (Associated Press) and All-NFC selection, Rice led San Francisco with 1,078 yards on 65 receptions for a 16.6 yards-per-reception average to garner recognition as NFL Offensive Player of the Year (Associated Press) and Sports Illustrated’s and The Sporting News’ NFL Player of the Year. His 23 touchdowns, including one rushing, led the NFL, and he put up those impressive numbers in only 12 games (12 starts). Rice led the NFL with a team single-season record 138 points, becoming the first wide receiver since Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch to lead the NFL in that category with a point total that was the highest ever by a wideout as well as the highest total recorded by a non-kicker since Redskins running back John Riggins (144 points on 24 touchdowns in 1983). Rice’s 22 receiving touchdowns were an NFL record, shattering the previous mark of 18 set by Mark Clayton in 1984. he established another NFL best by scoring on a pass reception in 13 consecutive games to end the regular season. He scored the winning points on a 25-yard touchdown grab in the final seconds at Cin. (9/20) and recorded three touchdown catches in games vs. T.B. (11/22), Cle. (11/29) and Chi. (12/14). Rice averaged 1.9 touchdowns per game and had a career-high seven multiple-touchdown games.
1986: Rice led the NFL with 1,570 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions, numbers that earned him Sports Illustrated’s NFL Player of the Year award. A Pro Bowl, All-Pro (Associated Press) and an All-NFC choice, Rice led the NFL with 86 catches, averaging 18.3 yards-per-catch. Rice had three touchdowns in contests vs. Ind. (10/5) and vs. Pho. (11/9) to tie a team record (since broken by Rice) for touchdown receptions in a game. Rice, who finished the season with four multiple-touchdown games, posted a season-high 12 catches for 204 yards (17.0 avg.) at Was. (11/17).'
1985: Selected by San Francisco in the first round (16th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft, Rice established a 49ers rookie record with 927 receiving yards to mark the second-highest total on the team behind running back Roger Craig (1,014 yds.). Named NFC Rookie of the Year, NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year and All-Rookie, Rice finished the year with 49 receptions (18.9 avg.) and three touchdowns, including a 66-yard score that also was his longest catch of the year. Rice, who played all 16 games (4 starts) as a rookie, scored his first career touchdown on a 25-yard pass from Joe Montana at Atl. (10/16). Rice tallied the first 200-yard game of his career with 10 receptions for 241 yards (24.1 avg.) with one touchdown vs. the L.A. Rams (12/9). He averaged seven receptions and 144.7 yards-per-game during the final three games of a rookie season in which he showed so much promise.
