By Doug Krikorian, Sports Columnist, Press Telegram
At 1 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Eastman-Fairfield Boys & Girls Club at 700 East Del Amo Blvd. in Long Beach, the greatest receiver in football history, Jerry Rice, will make an appearance.
He will speak, sign autographs and mingle with the kids and whoever else shows up to see the storied performer who during his 20 seasons in the NFL played in 13 Pro Bowls and caught more passes (1,549), totaled more yardage (22,895), and scored more touchdowns (207) than any player in the league's history.
He played a vital role in the San Francisco 49ers' dynasty - he was on three of their five Super Bowl-winning teams - and became the favorite target of both Joe Montana and Steve Young.
"We're pretty fortunate to get a person of his stature to make an appearance," says Don Rodriguez, executive director of the Long Beach Boys & Girls Club.
Rice is now a spokesperson for Nestle, and another prominent former athlete, one-time Los Angeles Dodger National League batting champion Tommy Davis, also is expected to be present as a representative of the company.
I covered the NFL closely when Rice, now 45, was at his peak, and he was the best receiver I ever saw, an opinion shared by most observers who witnessed the graceful 6-foot-2, 200-pound Mississippi native dispense his heroics over seasons.
His work ethic, durability and reliability were matchless, and his name is inevitably at or near the top of every all-time NFL list. ...
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