BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Jerry Rice

Football Player

Born: 13 October 1962

Birthplace: Starkville, Mississippi

Best known as: Wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, 1985-2000

Wide receiver Jerry Rice is the National Football League's all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Rice played college ball at Mississippi Valley State, where he caught 310 passes for 4,856 yards and 51 touchdowns in 42 games. He began his professional career in 1985 when he was picked 16th in the first round of the draft by the San Francisco 49ers. With the 49ers he became one of the NFL's biggest stars, catching pass after pass from quarterback Joe Montana and then from Montana's successor, Steve Young. Rice played for the 49ers from 1985-2000, winning Super Bowls in 1989, 1990 and 1995. He later played for the Oakland Raiders (2001-2004) and the Seattle Seahawks (2004). In 2005, at the age of 42, Rice signed a one-year contract to play for the Denver Broncos, but retired before the season began. At his retirement, the NFL Record and Fact Book listed Rice with 38 different NFL records, including career totals of 1,549 receptions, 22,895 yards and 197 touchdowns. Rice went on to become a commentator for NFL games, and he placed second on the TV show Dancing With the Stars in 2006. He was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2010.

Extra credit: Rice wore jersey number 80 throughout his pro career, but with Denver he had to change his jersey number. He picked 19, the same number chosen by his former 49ers teammate Joe Montana when Montana moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993... Rice caught at least one pass in 274 consecutive games from 1985 through 2004 -- another NFL record.