After a solid college career that concluded with a 12-touchdown year this past season at USC, Brenden Rice, the son of Jerry Rice, declared for the 2024 NFL draft as he hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps as a star receiver.
The 6’3” Rice ran the 40-yard-dash at the NFL combine on Saturday with his Hall of Fame father watching, and put up an impressive time of 4.51 seconds.
After running the 40, Rice ran routes and showed off his hands with a tough shoestring catch on the sideline. While his dad was impressed, he was quick to critique his son on the play.
“He’s gotta drag that back foot,” Rice said, alluding to the fact that his son didn’t get both his feet down. The comment drew laughs from the NFL Network crew that featured Michael Irvin, Kurt Warner and Steve Smith.
Dad is a tough critic 😂 @JerryRice @BrendenRice
— NFL (@NFL) March 2, 2024
Players Only at #NFLCombine
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Rice spent the first two seasons of his career at Colorado, and his final two campaigns at USC. In total, the son of the Hall of Famer caught 111 passes for 1,821 yards and 21 touchdowns.
While it is unclear where Rice will ultimately be drafted, most analysts give him a mid-round grade. However, if Rice’s lineage is any indicator, he could certainly surprise as a potential draft sleeper.
Regardless of what happens, Jerry Rice is sure to be there every step of the way for his son, supporting him just as he did throughout his college football career.
