This article appears courtesy of The Clarion Ledger.
Before catching touchdown passes from Joe Montana and Steve Young in San Francisco, Jerry Rice was putting up eye-popping numbers at Mississippi Valley State with Willie Totten.
Those achievements will get their due this weekend as Rice takes his place in the College Football Hall of Fame during ceremonies in South Bend, Ind.
"It's pretty cool. I'm really excited about that," Rice says. "I'm just looking forward to all the different activities."
Though Rice didn't play at a major college, his election to the college Hall of Fame - based on ballots from members of the National Football Foundation and all living members of the Hall - was as easy a decision as his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be when his waiting period ends in 2010.
Rice still owns a number of Division I-AA records, but perhaps none was more telling of his NFL future than his 50 touchdown catches. He is quick to share the credit with Totten, who preceded Rice into the college Hall and is now Mississippi Valley's head coach, and with then-coach Archie Cooley, who turned his no-huddle offense loose.
"I don't know where he (Cooley) got it, but it brought so much attention to Mississippi Valley State," Rice says. "It was definitely ahead of its time. Then I noticed when I got into the pros they started running the same kind of offense with four receivers. They're still doing that today - trying to spread the field and take advantage of the defense."
The lofty numbers brought the scouts. The 49ers made him the 16th overall pick.
"You always knew when important people were in town," Rice says with a laugh. "We had a lot of traffic coming through because of the numbers we were putting up."
Rice has kept up with the fortunes of the Delta Devils, especially with Totten coaching. But Rice's lengthy and productive NFL career delayed a return to Itta Bena until a year ago.
"That was my first time going back for a homecoming - it's normally right during the season," he says. "It was so weird because it was just like yesterday. The second I stepped on campus, I knew right where to go and where to hang out. I try to keep up with Willie and help out with shoes and uniforms - anything I can do to give back to Valley."
Rice has been busy exploring opportunities since retiring from the NFL - while musing that his plans to "kick back and relax" have changed. His appearance on Dancing with the Stars whetted his appetite for other reality TV projects. But he says his work as an analyst for a show on Sirius satellite radio takes the bulk of his time.
"These callers really know their football," he says. "If you don't know yours, they're gonna eat you up."
