Brenden Rice flashed his potential with the Colorado Buffaloes, but he came into his own as an NFL Draft prospect in the last two years with the USC Trojans. Unfortunately, no matter how good Rice ends up being, the comparisons to his father will be unavoidable. That’s right. Rice’s dad is the GOAT himself, Jerry Rice.
Jerry Rice’s Rise to GOAT Status
The elder Rice grew up in Crawford, Miss., which, at the time, held a population of roughly 600. He went to the now-defunct B.L. Moor High School. Amazingly, Rice didn’t play organized football until his sophomore year.
The team went 17-2 in his final two seasons, and according to head coach Charles Davis, Rice caught “about” 50 passes and 30 touchdowns as a senior, earning all-state recognition. Unfortunately, we don’t exactly have specifics on high school football stats from smaller schools in the 1970s.
With scouting far more difficult in the past, a guy like Rice playing at a small-town school against weak competition garnered zero interest from major college programs. He did not receive a single offer from a Division I program.
Rice wound up playing for Mississippi Valley State, a historically Black college and university (HBCU). There, he set multiple school records that still stand:
- Most catches in single game (23)
- Most receptions in season (103)
- Most career receiving yards (4,851)
- Most points in a career (310)
- Most TDs in a game (five), season (27), and career (50)
With three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and All-SWAC selections, Rice was a top prospect in the 1985 NFL Draft. The San Francisco 49ers selected him with the No. 16 pick. The rest, as they say, is history (literally).
There will never be a receiver like Rice again. In an era where pretty much every receiver is done by the age of 32-33, Rice not only played until age 42 but posted a 1,200-yard season at the age of 40.
Here’s a quick snapshot at what he was able to accomplish in his 20-year career:
- 1,549 career receptions (NFL record)
- 22,895 career receiving yards (NFL record)
- 197 career touchdown receptions (NFL record)
- Three-time Super Bowl champion (1988, 1989, 1995)
- Two-time Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993)
- 10-time first-team All-Pro (1986-1990, 1992-1996)
- 13-time Pro Bowler (1986-1996, 1998, 2002)
- Two-time receptions leader (1990, 1996)
- Six-time receiving touchdowns leader (1986, 1987, 1989-1991, 1993)
- NFL scoring leader (1987)
- NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
- NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Brenden Rice Blazing Own Path to NFL
Being the son of a first-ballot Hall of Famer comes with immense pressure, regardless of what role you play in the NFL. But Brenden is playing the same position as his father. While the younger Rice has certainly learned from his father, he has followed his own path to the NFL.
As a four-star recruit from Chandler, Ariz., Rice opted to attend Colorado to begin his college career. But after hauling in 21 passes for 299 yards and three TDs as a sophomore, Rice followed Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams to USC in 2022.
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In two seasons with the Trojans, Rice recorded 84 receptions, 1,402 yards, and 16 scores (12 in 2023). He checks in as the No. 148 overall prospect on PFN’s Big Board.
It goes without saying that Brenden isn’t Jerry. But nobody is. There is no chance Brenden will have a career even close to as good as his dad’s. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t be a very productive NFL player in his own right, and right now, he’s blazing his own path toward the NFL.
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