In the spring of 1985, during the first round of the NFL
Draft, and with the 16th pick, the 49ers drafted a fantasy player
legend. Bill Walsh tried to reassure the skeptical San Francisco
press that the selection was the real deal. Walsh had full faith
in the recent graduate from Mississippi Valley State, a Division
II school. The detractors questioned whether he could play in the
NFL with the true elite of the profession. He was not physically
imposing at six feet tall and 200 pounds, but is was rumored that
he could really run and, after all, he did win the MVP of the Blue-Gray
Game. The first season showed real promise as he gained 927 yards
and three touchdowns, but his second season of 1,570 yards and 15TD's
was the beginning of a truly mythic player in fantasy history, Jerry
Rice.
After 1986 Jerry Rice was one of the top three receivers on almost
everyone's draft sheet and that streak lasted for at least 11 years,
depending whether or not you include the year after the 1997 knee
injury season. Last year he may have slipped as one of the leagues
most valuable fantasy assets, but he was still a strong and reliable
receiver and a real grab for any fantasy team. Still, the other
night in our eight-team performance draft, Jerry Rice was not selected.
Not even picked up as a free agent by some sly team owner. For the
first time in the eleven-year history of the league, Jerry Rice
was not even considered as a part of anyone's franchise.
In the past there had been other icons felled in the draft, only
to be selected by a franchise that did not do their homework, but
they truly were no longer in the game. No one drafted Dan Marino
or Steve Young this year and it has been years since Keith Jackson
was taken twice in the same draft the year he retired. Jerry Rice
is still a real part of the game and still a threat to score on
any given play. During the beginning of the sixteenth round it was
noted that this was to be the first draft where this premier receiver
was not going to be taken and there was almost a moment of silence
as the words sank in and their significance was noted. There was
some mumbling about Jeff Garcia and the lack of faith in him and,
to be noted, Terrell Owens was not in the top ten of anybody's wide
receivers list. This may have happened in other leagues in the past,
but never at ours. It was a milestone that deserves some retrospection.
Jerry Rice owns every major wide receiver record in the NFL, both
season and career. 180 TD's, 1,195 career receptions, eleven straight
1,000 yard seasons are beyond awesome for a career still in process,
but the season of 1995 was a dream season. 122 receptions, 1,848
yards receiving and 17 receiving TD's. It should not be forgotten
that he scored four more touchdowns, two of which were by fumble
recovery and pass. He was the mainstay for an offense that was lead
by one hall of famer and one future hall of famer in Joe Montana
and Steve Young. If you heap on three Super Bowl rings, one Super
Bowl MVP, 11 straight Pro Bowl appearances and being part of the
75 years anniversary team while still active, you have a football
career that may never be surpassed. Still, this is only one aspect
to the persona of Jerry Rice; he may even be a stronger force off
of the field.
Jerry Rice is a husband, father and a giver to the community who
does not forget about his past. He gives to, and supports the March
of Dimes, AIDS Research, Packard's Children's Hospital, and both
of his former alma mattes. He has been a pillar in the San Francisco
community since his arrival and has always given of himself and
his time. Despite a minor flap over some comments he made after
a super bowl and about wanting the ball more, amidst editorial saber
rattling in the Examiner and Chronicle, he never swayed from his
commitment to his adopted home in the Bay Area. Soon the waters
calmed and real life resumed, meaning the beginning of his off-season
workout schedule that brought many of his teammates to their knees.
There is a series of hills and valleys in the Bay Area that bare
thousands of miles of footprints made during a run that made most
of his fellow players vomit at the thought of sharing a Jerry Rice
stroll through the woods. He pioneered methods of isometric training
being used around the league today. His regimes of stretching, lifting
and distance training are copied by other star players and allowed
him to complete nine straight years of starting all 16 games in
a season or 144 straight games. It was his commitment to conditioning
that lead to an aborted return in the 97 season after a devastating
knee injury in the first game of the year. During the season of
1997 he had two knee operations and returned to form in 1998 when
he had 1,157 yards, 82 receptions and nine touchdowns. Not close
to 1995, but not bad for a guy whose ability to return to the league
was questioned in many circles. 1999 was a tough season, but it
could hardly be blamed on his lack of commitment to play at the
highest levels. Steve Young was gone, the offense line was, at best,
patchwork and the running game was sporadic. He had not caught so
few TD's since his rookie year, but he decided to come back for
another season.
This past summer there were rumors of Rice leaving for another team
or the 49ers letting him go, in the end all of the rumors were mute.
To the credit of the 49er organization, they paved the way for Jerry
to finish his career with the team he started out with. This is
a rare feat now days when players may perform with three or more
teams over the course of a career. The Forty Niners repaid the loyalty
and dedication of their all time receiver by retaining his services
for the millennium season. It will probably be his swan song. He
may have lost a step, or even more, and he may no longer be the
team's "go to" guy, but he is what remains of a proud dynasty and
his presence with the new crop of 49ers can do nothing but put a
positive stamp on the future of the organization. His work ethic,
his integrity and his heart will remain with the franchise long
after he has cleaned out his locker for the last time.
There are few words to describe the heart of a man who has dedicated
himself to the level of excellence no one has achieved, and can
yet give of himself unselfishly to the community, and more importantly,
kids. Jerry Rice has been nothing short of one of the classiest
players ever to grace the mud, pain and blood filled fields of the
National Football League. It is early, but I hope the man has one
of the strongest seasons out of this year's wide receiver corps.
In three games he has caught 11 passes for 125 yards and run the
ball once for a minus two. While there are no passes for a touchdown
yet, they will come and only add to record numbers already obtained.
After fourteen years in the league he deserves better then being
at the bottom of someone's draft list, but no one would probably
understand the slight better than him.
One day, a few summers ago, I met Jerry Rice and Steve Young in
the Salt Lake City airport. They were there waiting for Jerry's
golf clubs and I was there waiting for my fly rods from a recent
trip to Minnesota. I pretended I did not know who they were and
they sought the privacy of waiting away from the crowd at the luggage
carousel. After we had waited for ten minutes trying to ignore each
other, Steve walked up and asked me what I was waiting for. I explained,
and he commented that it was better to take fishing poles to Minnesota
rather than golf clubs if you had to make a choice. Clubs and fishing
rods arrived at virtually the same time. I bade them good luck for
the season and then I drafted them both in my first draft of the
year. It was the year Jerry went down with knee injury and Steve
was knocked out of the game with a concussion in the first game.
It seemed that both injuries were the beginning of the end of two
brilliant careers and I have never forgiven myself from wishing
them luck, and I can't forgive myself for not picking up Jerry Rice
this year. I think I could use a free agent with the credentials
and the heart of a player who has the class of Number 80.
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