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I became a Cowboys fan back in the 90’s. The days of Troy, Michael, and Emmitt. Some of the games I always dreaded the most were their west coast counterparts: Joe, Roger, and Jerry. Some classic battles.

Jerry wasn’t the biggest. Or the fastest. But when he took off, he became Superman.

He had hands made of velcro. And ooooh those pesky yards after the catch. He’d kill you. Literally.

His uniform always had to be perfect, his shoes new. He changed his shirt at halftime. He wore goofy looking nasal strips in the 90s for more oxygen.

But oh when he put that uniform on and took the field.

What is Greatness? You just know it when you see it.

Rice was also known for his work ethic. He only missed ten regular season games in 20 years of football. Dennis Green called him the best route runner he had ever seen.

My favorite Jerry Rice Game: 1996 against the Steelers. He set a record that day being the first receiver to have a hundred or more catches three seasons in a row.

Then there was this catch…I believe it was a short pass to Rice…who was charged by Willie Williams with nowhere to go. It was a horrifying collision, with Rice popping back and Williams being escorted off the field by the Steeler medical team. I read somewhere where Jerry said he learned how to brace himself when he sensed a hit coming at him so the defender would feel like he bounced off a brick wall.

And now the customary SJ Enshrinee Quotes.

I have two favorite Jerry Rice quotes.

The first one is simply this…

Quote:
“To me it was never about what I accomplished on the football field, … it was about the way I played the game.”
That pretty much sums it up. 14 Pro Bowl Selections. Three Superbowl rings.

1,549 catches, 208 touchdowns and 22,895 receiving yards

And yet nowhere in there does it tell you, he mastered his game.

The other quote..

Quote:
“When you begin to lose the fire a little bit and if you’re not giving 100 percent out there, then it’s time for you to leave because you’ll end up getting hurt, … I want to be able to walk away on top.”
And that he did.

Some fun Jerry Rice Facts:

-His nickname in college was “World” because he could catch anything

- He wore the number 88 in college

-He finished 9th in the Heisman voting in 1984.

-His father was a brick mason and he credits that for his hands.

-College scouts thought he was too slow to make it in the NFL

-He went to the Superbowl with three different quarterbacks and three different coaches.

And there ya have it. My second version cuz I completely lost the first more better one LOL

Oh and the SJ customary You Tube Video.

Jerry. Simply the Best.

By Deb: Owner/Admin, Sports Jabber

http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=60670