EDITOR’S NOTE: On Monday night, our intern, Josiah Schlatter, came home to find his house had been ransacked. A student a Temple University, he lost just about everything not nailed down; laptop, TV, even a duffel bag full of clothes. But that didn’t stop him from his big assignment for Tuesday; interviewing Jerry Rice. Showing the fortitude and determination of the former 49er great, Josiah borrowed a pair of pants and an old laptop to transcribe the interview and send it in. That was a Hall of Fame effort right there. Topics included Brett Favre, Steve Young’s time in the 40 and Charles Barkley holding a golf club in a lightning storm. Here we go …
OUT OF BOUNDS: On Saturday it’s the Hall of Fame ceremony in Canton. What are your feelings leading up to that day? Nervous?
JERRY RICE: I’m nervous but I’m excited about the opportunity for thanking everybody with the guys I’m going in with. It’s going to be fun, and the people of Canton Ohio get to see so many great players coming in, you know, all the people who made football what it is today and also the new guys who are going in the Hall. It’s going to be fun.
Where does getting elected into the Hall stand in your list of accomplishments?
You know, I never looked down the road and said, ‘Hey look, one day, the Hall of Fame.’ It’s always about playing each and every game 100 percent and I thank my teammates for getting me into the Hall because football is a team sport, not an individual sport.
Do you ever think a professional golf career can be a reality?
If I focus and give it 100 percent, without a doubt. You have to put the work and time in so I’d have to put everything else on the back burner to focus on golf.
I heard about the lightning that hit at Tahoe during the celebrity golf tournament. Was that God’s way of telling Barkley he should quit the sport?
I think so, with the lightning and all that, and Charles Barkley and his swing; it can damage human life (laughs). But you know, I have to commend Charles because he goes out there and he has a great time. The people, they love him and they support him and I think he’ll continue to play golf.
Do you think the 49ers will ever get that stadium in Santa Clara?
Well the bill passed and now it’s all about getting the money to build the stadium in Santa Clara. We accomplished one thing which is the passing of the bill and now we need to generate the money. I think it’s going to happen.
What are your thoughts on Mike Singletary, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen him do?
With the way he played the game, he’s a great coach. He’s been in the line of fire, he knows exactly what it takes and he’s trying to pass that on to his players, and I think they’re willing to go out there and play for him to win football games.
What’s Jerry Junior up to now, I heard he’s pretty good at football himself.
Jerry Junior’s getting ready to play football at UCLA, where he got redshirted his first year so I’m looking forward to watching him get on the football field and help out the Bruins to get them back to where they can win some football games and win the Pac-10.
Speed was never your game. What was your secret to becoming the best receiver in NFL history without top flight wheels?
I think the thing about that was I was always willing to work; I was not the fastest or biggest player but I was determined to be the best football player I could be on the football field and I think I was able to accomplish that through hard work.
Now you’ve had some of the best quarterbacks in NFL history throw you the ball, who threw the prettiest one between Joe Montana, Steve Young, Rich Gannon and … Matt Hasselbeck?
I’d say probably Montana. The way he threw the ball, it was a beautiful spiral but c’mon, I’d have to put Steve Young right in there too. It’s great having two Hall of Fame quarterbacks toss me the ball.
It’s rumored that Steve Young could run a 4.6 forty time out of college. Were you ever threatened by the fact that Steve Young may have been faster then you on the football field?
No, no because I never had to race Steve Young. I had to deal with defensive backs and for some reason I was always able to run away from them.
Now your Wikipedia page for ‘list of NFL records held by Jerry Rice’ is one of the most impressive things out there on the internet. Have you seen it?
No. I don’t look at my records. I went out there to play my game for the fun of it and never based my career around records.
Now you helped DeSean Jackson before he became a Philadelphia Eagle. What do you see out of him?
I think with DeSean, he had a great year last year and I think he’ll come back this year and do the same thing with his route running, his toughness, and his hands. He’s not afraid to go across the middle of the field. I’m expecting big things from him.
Do you see a little of yourself in DeSean?
I think the confidence in his hands and also his route running. He’s much smaller and faster but it goes to show that if you’re determined and willing to work you can have success on the football field.
So your last two years as a 49er they were, by your standards, not the best. But then you became an Oakland Raider and you were a top receiver all over again. What happened? What changed?
I think I just went into a system that was willing to utilize me and gave me opportunities and I felt fortunate to be able to go to Oakland and put the silver and black on. I wanted to prove to everybody that I could still play. It’s very similar to what LaDanian Tomlinson is doing in New York. You’re in New York with the Jets trying to prove to San Diego that he can still play.
Now the big question right now, of course, is Brett Favre. Do you think this thing is really going to happen, is he really going to retire or is this just another smoke screen?
I don’t know, man, I don’t know! From everything we’re seeing right now it looks like he’s going to step away from the game. That could change. He could go to bed tonight and change his mind. He could say, hey I could still play, why not give it one more chance?
Now what do you think he’ll do?
Haha, I don’t know, it’s not for me to say.
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Jerry Rice is teaming up with Procter & Gamble, Gillette and Febreze to kick off the second year of the company’s Official NFL sponsorship. This year’s campaign, “Take it to the House,” will live on Facebook and includes fan contests and a charitable tie to the NFL PLAY 60 campaign.
