Preceden

Jerry Rice Timeline

(1962 - Present)

Jerry Rice is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. This timeline covers his rise from a small Mississippi college to superstardom with the San Francisco 49ers, his record-breaking career achievements, three Super Bowl victories, and his lasting legacy on professional football. Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Early Life & College

Born in Starkville, Mississippi

Oct 13, 1962

Jerry Lee Rice was born on October 13, 1962, in Starkville, Mississippi, and grew up in Crawford, Mississippi, the sixth of eight children. He would go on to become one of the greatest wide receivers in football history.

Image source: Jerry Rice

Born in Starkville, Mississippi

Attends Mississippi Valley State University

1981 - 1984

Rice attended Mississippi Valley State University from 1981 to 1984, where he played for the Delta Devils and began building a legendary college career.

Image source: Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football

Attends Mississippi Valley State University

Freshman season at Mississippi Valley State

1981

In his freshman season of 1981, Rice caught 30 passes for 428 yards and two touchdowns, giving an early glimpse of his remarkable talent.

First season with quarterback Willie Totten

1982

In 1982, his sophomore year, Rice played his first season with freshman quarterback Willie Totten. The duo would form one of the most prolific passing combinations in college football history.

Record-setting 1983 campaign

1983

Rice had a record-setting 1983 campaign, including NCAA marks for receptions (102) and receiving yards (1,450), establishing himself as a dominant force in Division I-AA.

Record-breaking senior season in 1984

1984

As a senior in 1984, Rice surpassed his own Division I-AA records with 1,845 receiving yards and 112 receptions, and his 27 touchdown receptions set the NCAA record for every division. The 1984 Delta Devils averaged more than 60 points per game.

All-American honors and Heisman voting

1984

Rice was named to the Division I-AA All-American team and finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting in 1984, capping off an extraordinary collegiate career.

College career totals

1984

Rice finished his career with 301 catches for 4,693 yards and 50 touchdowns. His NCAA record for total career touchdown receptions stood until 2006, when David Ball recorded his 51st, and his all-division receptions record stood until 1999.

NFL Career

Drafted 16th overall by the San Francisco 49ers

1985

Rice joined the 49ers after being selected with the 16th overall pick of the 1985 NFL draft. In July 1985 he was among 21 rookie players who had not yet signed a contract.

Image source: 1985 NFL draft

Drafted 16th overall by the San Francisco 49ers

First Pro Bowl selection

1986

Rice was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times over his career (1986–1996, 1998, 2002) and named All-Pro twelve times, including ten First-team All-Pros, tied for the most by any player.

Record 22 receiving touchdowns in 1987

1987

In 1987, Rice set the record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 22, in a twelve-game strike-shortened season. The touchdown runner-up was Mike Quick with 11, and the record stood until Randy Moss scored 23 in 2007.

Signs five-year contract extension

Jun 1988

Before the 1988 season, Rice signed a five-year, $5.05 million contract that kept him with the 49ers through 1992, securing his place as the centerpiece of the offense.

Wins Super Bowl XXIII and MVP

Jan 1989

Rice won back-to-back championships in 1988 and 1989 and was the MVP of the former championship game. Overall in those postseasons he caught 21 passes for 409 yards and six touchdowns, postseason records until Larry Fitzgerald broke them in 2008.

Image source: Super Bowl XXIII

Wins Super Bowl XXIII and MVP

Leads NFL in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 1990

1990

Rice started all 16 games in 1990, leading the NFL in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,502), and receiving touchdowns (13), becoming the first player to lead the league in all three categories in the Super Bowl era.

Image source: 1990 NFL season

Leads NFL in receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 1990

Steve Young becomes starting quarterback

1991

In 1991, Joe Montana was ruled out for the season with an injury, making Steve Young the starting quarterback. Rice responded with 80 receptions for 1,206 yards and led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns.

Image source: Steve Young

Steve Young becomes starting quarterback

Dominant 1993 season

1993

Rice caught 98 receptions for 1,503 yards and 15 touchdowns in 1993, leading the league in both yards and touchdowns. The 49ers beat the Giants but again lost the NFC Championship to Dallas; Rice had nine catches for 126 yards in the postseason.

Montana traded to Kansas City Chiefs

Apr 1993

After the 1992 season, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. Rice wasn't able to properly say goodbye and believed San Francisco should have 'treated Joe with more class.'

Image source: Joe Montana

Montana traded to Kansas City Chiefs

Third Super Bowl victory in 1994 season

1994

Going into the 1990s, Rice won a third Super Bowl in 1994 along with a second Offensive Player of the Year Award, recording 112 receptions for 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns during the season.

Image source: 1994 San Francisco 49ers season

Third Super Bowl victory in 1994 season

Record-setting 1995 season

1995

During the 1995 season, Rice had a record-setting campaign with 184 total points and 1,848 receiving yards. His single-season receiving yards record was not broken until Calvin Johnson broke it in 2012.

Knee injury ends 1997 season

1997

Before the 1997 season, Rice signed a seven-year, $32 million contract but suffered a serious knee injury that caused him to miss 14 games. He made a full recovery and returned for the 1998 regular season opener.

Final seasons with the 49ers

1999 - 2000

Rice finished the 1999 season with 67 receptions for 830 yards and five touchdowns. In 2000, his final year in San Francisco, he had 75 receptions for 805 yards and seven touchdowns, marking his first season without a 100-yard receiving game.

Image source: San Francisco 49ers

Final seasons with the 49ers

Released by 49ers, signs with Raiders

Jun 2001

After recovering from a knee injury and with Terrell Owens emerging in San Francisco, Rice was released in June 2001 and signed with the Oakland Raiders on a four-year, $7.8 million contract.

Rebounds with strong 2002 season

2002

In 2002, Rice caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards and seven touchdowns, earned his 13th Pro Bowl nod and Second-team All-Pro honors, while teammate Rich Gannon won NFL MVP.

Image source: 2002 Oakland Raiders season

Rebounds with strong 2002 season

Traded to Seattle Seahawks mid-season

Oct 2004

Six games into the 2004 season, after struggling with only five receptions for 64 yards, Rice was traded to Seattle for a seventh-round pick, reuniting with head coach Mike Holmgren. He spent his final playing season there.

Image source: Seattle Seahawks

Traded to Seattle Seahawks mid-season

Brief stint with Broncos and retirement

May 25, 2005 - Sep 5, 2005

On May 25, 2005, Rice signed a one-year, $790,000 contract with Denver — his lowest offer in 20 years — but retired on September 5, 2005, shortly before the regular season began, ending his 20-season career.

Image source: Denver Broncos

Brief stint with Broncos and retirement

Post-Retirement & Personal Life

Marries Jacqueline Mitchell

Sep 8, 1987

Rice married Jacqueline 'Jackie' Bernice Mitchell on September 8, 1987. They would have three children together before divorcing years later.

Publishes autobiography 'Rice'

1996

Rice co-authored two books about his life: 'Rice' (with Michael Silver, published 1996) and later 'Go Long: My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame' (with Brian Curtis, published 2007).

Competes on Dancing with the Stars

2006

During the 2005–2006 broadcasting season, Rice competed in the second season of the reality competition show Dancing with the Stars, showcasing a different side of himself to a national audience.

Image source: Dancing with the Stars (American TV series)

Competes on Dancing with the Stars

Serves as Pro Bowl team captain

2014 - 2016

Rice served as an alumnus team captain for 'Team Rice' during the 2014 and 2016 Pro Bowls, remaining closely connected to the league long after his retirement.

Image source: Pro Bowl

Serves as Pro Bowl team captain

Honors & Records

Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame

2006

Rice was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, recognizing his legendary career at Mississippi Valley State University.

Image source: College Football Hall of Fame

Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame

Retires as a 49er

Aug 2006 - Nov 19, 2006

In August 2006, the 49ers announced Rice would sign a ceremonial contract allowing him to retire as a member of the team where his career began. A halftime ceremony honored him during the November 19, 2006 game against Seattle.

Inducted into state and Bay Area halls of fame

2007

Rice was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and, in the same year, into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

Image source: Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

Inducted into state and Bay Area halls of fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame induction

Aug 7, 2010

Rice was selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2010 in his first year of eligibility and inducted in Canton, Ohio, alongside Emmitt Smith and others. That same year, he was in the inaugural class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame.

Image source: Pro Football Hall of Fame

Pro Football Hall of Fame induction

49ers retire No. 80

Sep 20, 2010

On September 20, 2010, during halftime of a game against the New Orleans Saints, the 49ers retired Rice's No. 80 jersey in a tribute to his legendary career.

Named greatest player in NFL history

Nov 4, 2010

On November 4, 2010, Rice was chosen by NFL Network's NFL Films production The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players as the greatest player in NFL history. Earlier, in 1999, The Sporting News ranked him second behind Jim Brown.

Jerry Rice Award established

2011

In 2011, The Sports Network awarded the inaugural Jerry Rice Award, given each year to the most outstanding freshman Football Championship Subdivision player, honoring his legacy at that level.

Key Facts

  1. Jerry Rice was born on October 5, 1962, in Crawford, Mississippi, and played college football at Mississippi Valley State University, where he set numerous NCAA receiving records.
  2. He was drafted 16th overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1985 NFL Draft after a trade with the New England Patriots.
  3. Rice holds virtually every major NFL receiving record, including career receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895), and touchdown catches (197).
  4. He won three Super Bowl championships with the 49ers (XXIII, XXIV, and XXIX) and was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXIII.
  5. Rice was selected to 13 Pro Bowls, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and is often considered the greatest player in NFL history regardless of position.

Source

This Jerry Rice timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free