which made him the deep threat the 49ers wanted. But he also made the important third-down receptions, often turning short routes into big gains. Jerry Rice is considered a prime example of on-the ...

Gaudy statistics drew pro scouts to Jerry Rice ... ran up the score. Rice's competition was suspect, the thinking went, as was his college coaching. The San Francisco 49ers thought differently.

The San Francisco 49ers drafted Jerry Rice, often considered the best wide receiver of all time, with the 16th overall draft pick in 1985. He played for the Niners for 16 years, developing a ...