I could barely speak after I was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. I was going to play for the defending Super Bowl champions.... I immediately thought of all the great players on the team. I was in awe, as I had watched these soon-to-be legends play on television. They epitomized for me what football was all about: the love of the game, the professional approach, and the desire to win.
Jerry RiceAs a fan, you want to be able to go to a football game, you want to feel secure, you want to be able to just watch the game, root for your team, and that's the way it should be.
Jerry RiceComing from the South, I just felt you had to work just a little bit harder. It was not going to be handed to you. Iโd get the letters from all the major schools but no one came out to talk to me face to face until this small, dominant black school, Mississippi State Valley University sent a coach out to me. I had a chance to talk to him and he said, โHey Jerry, weโre going to be doing some great things at Mississippi Valley State University and we would love to have you there.โ
Jerry RiceOnce you get your education it's going to open up so many doors for you. And the sky's the limit. So that's what I want to deliver to students.
Jerry Rice