A former 49ers player explains why Jerry Rice became the greatest wide receiver: he practiced with game intensity every single drill, every week, while teammates like Terrell Owens took a different approach. Natural talent mattered less than relentless consistency.
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When I was with, when I was with the 49ers in 1999, Jerry Rice was on the team. He's best wide receiver of all time. And I can tell you that there is zero doubt in my mind why he's the best of all time. Wasn't the most talented, he wasn't the fastest, he didn't have the best hands. But what I remember most about my time which I got hurt early on but I am so blessed to be even had been on the field with him. Yeah but and, and here's, here's the contrasting views. Terrell Owens was also on the team right to and so you have Jerry Rice best of all time to probably the biggest attitude of all time. And you watch the difference in pre practice Jerry Rice it doesn't matter if he's on the one yard line going out and he runs a two yard slant. He would catch the ball, he would tuck it and he would run 99 yards and score. Every time he caught the ball in practice, pre practice, whenever he scored he sprinted to the end zone. Every time to catches it, you know, he, he tosses it around, runs back. He doesn't give that burst. It was just a difference of of he had all the talent in the world. Biggest guy first fast, all that stuff. Jerry Rice Success leaves clues I guess is my point. And that was one of the, the things that I that I got out of that experience that I'll never forget. There is a reason he is the best of all time. And it showed up on Sunday and you saw it and we all saw it on Sundays. But he did it throughout the week and he did it throughout the year and he practiced like it was a game and he did it better than anybody and that's why he was the best of all time.
