Jerry Rice

He tied the nuptial knot with Jacqueline Bernice Mitchell on September 8, 1987. The couple has been blessed with three children.

Two decades after their marriage, they filed for divorce. The marriage was finally annulled in December 2009.

In 2011, The Sports Network initiated the annual Jerry Rice Award to be given to the most outstanding freshman Football Championship Subdivision player

Jerry Rice was born on October 13, 1962 in Starkville, Mississippi, to a brick mason. He was one of the eight children born to the couple.

Since an early age, Young Rice and his siblings assisted their father during the scorching summers. Working as assistant brick layer helped him gain strong hands as a child.

It is speculated that his first stint at football was a chance offering to survive punishment from his high school principal for cutting class. His excellent running speed caught the attention of the principal who gave him two options, either to join school’s football team or be punished.

While at school, he became a star football player for his team and a belligerent threat for other opposition teams. very soon his speed and refined playing tactics caught the attention of the college scouts who offered him to enroll at the Mississippi Valley State University.

From 1981 to 1984, he played football for the university. His aggressive playing technique and impressive numbers caught the attention of the pro-scouts as well. Though the exact details of his college career is not known, it is said that in his sophomore year, he caught 66 passes for 1,133 yards and 7 touchdowns

His outstanding talent, light-footed play and amazing skills contributed to give him a great professional star to his career. Post his massive display of talent at the game, he became the overall #2 pick for the 1985 draft for the league.

He was finally roped in by San Francisco 49ers with the 16th overall pick. Though he started on a slow note, he soon gained momentum and finished the season with a record of 49 catches for 927 yards, averaging at 18.9 yards per catch.

The following season brought forth a legacy that lasted for the next six seasons. He caught 86 passes for a league-leading 1,570 yards and 15 touchdowns, thus achieving the breakthrough that he deserved.

For the 1987 season, he only bettered his record thus earning the Player of the Year award. Despite playing 12 games, he gained 1,078 receiving yards and an NFL-record 22 touchdown reception.

The 1988 season was a time of superlative success for this talented football player who averaged 20.4 yards per catch, with 64 passes for 1306 yards and 9 touchdowns. The same year, he helped the 49ers beat Chicago Bears in the NFC game title by a whooping margin of 28-3.

In 1999, he was ranked number two on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players

He was selected for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2010. He was finally inducted in Canton Ohio on August 7, 2010.

In 2010, he was ranked number one on The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players. The position made him the greatest football player at the highest level of the sport.

His jersey number 80 was retired on September 20, 2010 during halftime at the San Francisco 49ers-Saints game.