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Jerry Rice was one-of-one. Even in an era of football where the passing game often took a back seat to strong rushing attacks, he was putting up pass catching numbers we may never see again. Despite the fact he might’ve put up even larger numbers in the modern game, Rice said he’s happy he got to play when he did.
In an interview with the Candlestick Chronicles podcast, Rice explained why the new rules angled at helping offenses wouldn’t be preferable for him as a player.
“I like the old school of it,” Rice said. “I like the physicality of it. I like that gladiator back in the day, because you had to establish yourself on the football field.” And if you were going across the middle you were going to get hit by linebackers, they were going to try to take your head off, and you had defensive backs tugging on you all the way down field.
“So I really like the era that I played in, but I still appreciate the era that’s happening now too because you have to think about how players are more protected. When I played back in the day it was a free-for-all, man. Even on the back side. If I was on the back side and the ball was not coming my way I was still getting hit. Something was happening, and it was not good on the back side.”
There were great receivers before Rice, but what he was doing in the 80s and early 90s was groundbreaking. Between 1986 and 1995 Rice averaged 89 catches, 1,420 yards and 14 touchdowns per year. In those 10 years he led the league in receptions once, receiving yards six times and receiving touchdowns six times.
Now in retirement Rice is looking to stay on the forefront of something off the field as he wades into the digital art market. The Hall of Famer is one of several former NFL stars that’s part of the “Legends of the Gridiron” NFT collection launched by Sports Illustrated. Rice, Emmitt Smith and Dick Butkus will all be part of an animated collection that portrays the players as action figures and draws inspiration from the SI covers that defined their hall-of-fame careers.
While it’s been nearly two decades since Rice hung up his pads and called it quits on his remarkable career, he’s still basking in the fact he just got to play the sport at its highest level.
“We had such a great time,” Rice said while reflecting on his playing days. “And it’s something that I still have to pinch myself because I can’t believe I got a chance to play professional football for so many years.”