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JE RRYRICE

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OBAMA!

JE RRYRICE

volume 6, issue 1febRuARy 2009

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46 tgmlink.com | February 2009 The Green Magazine | 47

JERRY RICE

TALKS ABOUT

HIS ASPIRATIONS

BEYOND THE

FIELD OF

PLAYwritten by laurence bass

photographed by jar concengco

production manager: tricia rubino

48 tgmlink.com | February 2009 The Green Magazine | 49

The 1985 nfl Draft class

looked to be a composite of

all the usual juggernauts of

college football. Ohio State,

Wisconsin, usc, Miami (FL),

Virginia Tech and Florida

were all represented in the

first 15 selections. There was

very little to suggest that

this draft would venture

into the extraordinary. As

the New England Patriots

deliberated on the 16th overall

pick, the San Francisco 49ers

frantically made a trade with

the Patriots to acquire that

selection. The reason for

all of the commotion was

simple. Bill Walsh, 49ers

Head Coach, saw highlights

of Jerry Rice.

The Crawford, Mississippi

native made a name for

himself at Southwestern

Athletic Conference (swac)

powerhouse Mississippi

Valley State University. Jerry

Rice flourished as a key

component in Archie Cooley’s

pass happy, run-and-shoot

offense. In 1983, he shattered

ncaa records in receptions

(102) and yards (1,450) as one

half of the Satellite Express. Rice’s 1984 campaign

at mvsu featured him eclipsing his own records in

receptions (112), yards (1,845) and touchdowns (27).

Eye-opening statistics such as these would merit

accolades, but sports critics had their say on Rice’s

potential. They questioned his speed and doubted

his overall talent. Many critics even pointed out that

the competition he faced, Division i-aa, was not up

to par with the Division i-a schools. As critical as

some journalists were of Rice’s skill set, they could

not overlook his work ethic.

Mississippi’s delta is no place for rest. It is one

of the nation’s most impoverished areas and no

generation is excused. Hard work is the pastime.

Rice learned how vital it was to work with his hands

from an early age. His father was a bricklayer. He

would often assist his father on construction sites.

Occasionally, he would have to catch the bricks his

father tossed his way. To visualize, catch and secure

each brick eventually became second nature for

Rice. This seemingly insignificant chore would

catapult him to greatness. Rice’s dazzling array

of skills and attributes were a

godsend for Walsh’s precisely

designed West Coast Offense.

Walsh’s new offense looked

as if it were painted on canvas

rather than scribbled on a

chalkboard. The West Coast

Offense used sophisticated

blocking schemes to open

running lanes and quick

passing routes to create

defensive mismatches.

Timing was everything in

Walsh’s science. In a decade

that featured the Chicago

Bears’ “46” Defense and

defensive stalwarts like

Reggie White, Lawrence

Taylor, Darrell Green, and

later Deion Sanders—Rice

proved to be the x-factor.

Jerry Rice was fearless.

He made routine kamikaze

missions into the teeth of

the defense. Rice mastered

the ability to catch any ball

and protect it from the

swiping hands of defenders.

Quarterbacks Joe Montana

and Steve Young made good

use of Rice’s 6’2” frame and

larger than life wingspan

to pick apart the best of

defenses. Rice was an integral part of the 49ers’

aerial assault that won Super Bowls xxiii, xxiv

and xxix. En route to becoming a three-time

Super Bowl champion, Rice managed to stand

atop countless NFL records including receptions

(1,549), receiving yards (22,895), and total

touchdowns (208). His football legacy is that

of legend. Rice’s 20 seasons of dominance were

fueled by an unrelenting quest for perfection. Off-

seasons were peak seasons for Rice. Constantly

viewing the previous year’s game tape, strict

The National Football League knows brute force. Visions of Paul Horning galloping

on the heels of his pulling guards in the Packer Sweep personified the league’s image.

It was Jim Brown’s herculean physique running through and past defenders to gain

that extra yard. Minnesota’s Purple People Eaters, Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain, Los

Angeles’ Fearsome Foursome and Dallas’ vaunted Doomsday Defense made offenses

everywhere cringe in terror. This was the NFL. Show no weakness, give no inch. It

was a cavalcade of teams fighting for supremacy in the pouring rain, blanketing snow

and under the evening lights for all to see on televisions across America. Physically

annihilating the opposition as a means to determine the victor was commonplace in

the NFL. However, one player’s deceptive speed, intrepid approach to each play and

unparalleled work ethic would redefine the game.

The Green Magazine | 51

conditioning and competitive drive propelled

his game to its zenith. Though his days of going

toe-to-toe with the league’s best cornerbacks are

done, Rice carried his drive for excellence to the

links. The Green Magazine had a chance to play

a round with Jerry Rice at the stunning Bridges

Golf Course to discuss his days on the gridiron,

affinity for golf and life beyond football.

How did you first play golf? I started

playing golf back in 1985 when I was

working out with my trainer, Raymond Ferris.

He brought some golf clubs and golf balls out

one day. And being the athlete I am, I thought to

myself, “Well, maybe, I should be able to hit this

stationary white golf ball.” And I couldn’t hit it.

That’s when it became competitive for me.

Was it from that point that you tried to beat the

game of golf? I don’t think you can beat the game

of golf. I compare it to football. It’s the same

thing. You have to go out there and put the time

in—repetition wise. Catching footballs is the

same as hitting golf balls. Golf, to me, is all about

muscle memory. If you don’t practice this game

everyday, it’s going to feel weird when you step

to the tee and try to place that ball exactly where

you want it to go.

50 tgmlink.com | February 2009

52 tgmlink.com | February 2009

When did you start playing consistently? I’ve been

playing for 12 years and I love the game. I realized

a long, long time ago that you can’t master this

game. So I go out with the attitude that I’m going

to play well on some days: You’ll have an excellent

round, finish well and do all the right things. And

on other days you want to melt your clubs down.

You want to destroy them. But that’s the way this

game is. I love it and had a chance to play with a

lot of the pros. Payne Stewart, John Daly, Arnold

Palmer, Lee Trevino and the list goes on. It’s been

fantastic.

What is your favorite golf course? Pebble Beach. I

just like to look out onto the ocean. I think it’s nice

when you’re having a bad day on the course and still

have that beautiful scenery.

What was your best score at Pebble Beach? My

best score there was a 78 or 79. I’ve shot under par

probably five or six times. My handicap is down

to about 0.7.

How did it feel when you came to the decision

to retire? Crazy. Hard. When you’ve been playing

football for such a long time and it’s something

you’re accustomed to, it’s hard to walk away.

Life after football seems to be working out for you,

but whose idea was it to audition for Dancing with

the Stars? abc got in touch with my agent and

then my agent ran it by me. At first, being this

macho football player I said, “No. I am not going

to put on a pair of dancing shoes.” I didn’t know

anything about ballroom dancing, but I did know

a little about Latin Dance. So, I decided to do it

and I think it was a great move because you get

to tap into a whole new demographic of people.

I mean those people who aren’t into sports. It’s

funny, because when I walk through the airport I

start to see mothers shimmy when I walk past. It’s

amazing what that show has become. I think it’s

a great family show. They have one of my fellow

teammates competing this year—Warren Sapp. If

he can’t out dance them, I know he’ll be able to

out talk them.

How do you compare those two-a-days on Dancing

with the Stars with those two-a-days in the nfl?

The two-a-days for me with Dancing with the Stars

started with four hours in the morning and then

come back in the evening for another four hours. I

lost about 18 pounds. There is no real comparison

between the two. Football was brutal. You have all

of those pads on, it’s about 110 (degrees outside)

and you have to be able to endure. Even though

it’s hot outside, you have to be able to function and

make plays. Somehow, I was able block out all of

the elements and get the job done.

How did it feel to write your book Go Long! :

My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame? I

think it is great because people get a chance

to connect with me. Hopefully, I was able to

influence a lot of people in their lives. I wanted to

put something motivational out there as well as

something that was real. I think people want to

take chances, but they’re afraid to do so. You only

live life once and you have to live it to the fullest.

We always hear about Walter Payton and a list of other

Hall of Famers and their off-season conditioning.

What was your off-season regimen?

I didn’t take any time off. My first ten years I didn’t

take a vacation because I was so dedicated to the

game and I wanted to be the best player I could be.

A typical workout for me started around 7:00 a.m.

I’m at the track. I may do about eight 200s without

stopping. You do the 200s running first and then

jog until you reach back to the starting line where

you start running again. Then I do ten 100s, eight

60s and six 40s. After that, I then go down to the

football field. That’s where I do my route running

and cone drills. It’s all about getting your feet

up and down so you know where you are on the

football field and being able to explode. Football is

about stop and go. When I went to training camp, I

had to do more to stay in shape. Some guys like to

wait until they get to training camp and then there

is some kind of injury. I was in top shape when I

stepped on the field.

Do you still exercise? Indeed. It’s something that I

owe to myself. Just because I stop playing football

doesn’t mean that I’m going to be out of shape.

Who were your inspirations growing up? I would

say my father, John Stalworth, Lynn Swann,

Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon and Drew

Pearson.

Did any of the players you mentioned sit you down

and offer sound advice when you first came into the

league? Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon both

worked with me. I found myself sitting in the same

room with Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott. When I

came into the league, they had just won Super Bowl

xix over the Dolphins. I would sit back and watch

how they conducted themselves in practice. Plus,

Bill Walsh always wanted leaders. He wanted guys

who were going to set an example on the football

field and off the football field. That’s why we won so

many Super Bowls.

Was it intimidating walking into the locker room

for the first time? Yeah. It was intimidating.

Coming from a small, predominately black school

like Mississippi Valley State University and then

going the 49ers and being surrounded by all of

those Hall of Famers was amazing. I had to pinch

myself sometimes.

Out of the many great games you played throughout

your career, what is your favorite moment? The final

drive of Super Bowl xxiii. Everything was on

the line. One mistake and the game was over.

You had guys that loved to be in that position:

Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, Roger Craig and John

Taylor. We relished in that because we knew we

could win the football game right there. We were

willing to take that chance. It was like Michael

Jordan taking that last shot. All the playmakers

want the ball in their hands and we were able to

move the ball down field to win that Super Bowl.

Are any of your children into sports? My son is going

into his senior year of high school and he’s playing

football. He’s doing it all: wide receiver, free safety

and a little running back. When I go to the game,

I’m not there to coach. I go to be a parent.

Are you one of those wild parents that need to be

escorted out of the game? No. I sit there and I’m

nice and quiet. When I see him play, I see a kid

who is very good academic wise, which is very

important, and he is a complete team player. I

really didn’t want him to play football because of

the expectations that would be put on him. But he’s

doing a great job of it and I think he’s going to get

some great opportunities from it.

Are you carrying the passion you had for the game

into other avenues of your life? I’m always going to

give 100 percent. That same energy relates to all the

other endeavors that I’m doing now. It’s all about

believing in yourself. I’m having a great time. I have

a mixture of a lot of great things and ideas on the

horizon. I’m excited about the future.