Jerry Rice

I'm a 49ers fan. Have been ever since I've been watching football.

I cursed Steve Young when he took over for Joe Montana. And then of course, I also cheered for Steve Young when he took the team to another Superbowl. I even cheered (through clinched teeth) for Terrell Owens while he was a niner. Not nearly as hard as I cheered when he left.

But my favorite football player of all time is without question: Jerry Rice.

There are a million stats to choose from, but here is a list of all the NFL records he held when he retired:

Touchdowns (208)
Receiving TDs (197)
Receiving TDs in a season (22)
Consecutive games with a TD reception (13)
TDs in Super Bowls (8)
Receiving TDs in a single Super Bowl (3)
Postseason TDs (22).
Receptions (1,549)
Consecutive games with a reception (274)
Receptions in Super Bowls (33)
Postseason receptions (151).
Receiving yards (22,895)
Receiving yards in a season (1,848)
Receiving yards in Super Bowls (589)
Receiving yards in a single Super Bowl (215)
Postseason receiving yards (2,245)
Seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving (14)

The term 'Greatest Receiver of All time' is not an exaggeration. Greatest football player of all time might be debatable, but he is certainly worthy of consideration for that category as well. He wins on my list, but I'll admit to a bias.

Now, there are folks that have said "Well, sure he is great and all, but he had the advantage of playing with TWO Hall of Fame quarterbacks over his career, plus an absolutely dominant offensive line and the great coaching mind of Bill Walsh".

While true, I'd argue that those elements were as successful as they were BECAUSE of Jerry Rice being on the field. That was the caliber of player he was. He made the people around him better.

Want evidence? When Rice went to the Raiders late in his career he put up big numbers for two seasons (83 catches/1,139 yards/9 TDs and 92 catches/1,211 yards/7 TDs) and propelled Rich Gannon to became league MVP. Coincidence?

And the greatest thing about him is that he didn't do it through pure talent. Oh, he was certainly talented, there is no question about that. But he was the BEST because he worked harder than anyone else in order to become the best. His routes were the precise work of a perfectionist. His offseason workouts were the stuff of legend, and absolutely changed how players prepare for a season today.

There is a lesson there. Talent will take you far. The NFL is filled with promising talent. But the guys who work harder than anybody else... The guys that PUSH harder than anybody else. Those are the Hall of Famers. Jerry Rice embodied that.

What's more, he did it without the showboating antics of some of today's NFL 'stars'. He did it with professionalism and class.

He is up for the Hall of Fame this coming weekend, and there really isn't any controversy there. He will get in his first year of eligibility because he is without question, the greatest wide receiver who has ever played the game.

He is also the greatest football player I've ever had the pleasure to watch, and even though there was never a doubt he'd get in, I'm still extremely happy to see it happen. I'm a football fan. I'm a 49ers fan. I'm a Rice fan.