National Football League - Americas Game: the NFL at 100

JERRY RICE is a Hall of Fame wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion. He is regarded as the best wide receiver ever to play in the National Football League. During a fifteen-year career with the San Francisco 49ers, Rice teamed up with Hall of Fame quarterbacks Steve Young and Joe Montana to win three Super Bowl championships (88, 89, and 94) and a Super Bowl MVP award. Rice also played for three seasons with the Oakland Raiders and one season with the Seattle Seahawks before retiring from football in 2005. Rice was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010. He is now a television personalityin both sports and entertainmentand continues to grow his celebrity beyond the football field. He resides in the San Francisco Bay area.

RANDY O. WILLIAMS has written extensively on sports and entertainment for major publications such as Sports Illustrated , the Los Angeles Times , the Washington Post , NFL.com and ESPN.com. He previously teamed up with Jerry Rice for the New York Times bestseller 50 Years , 50 Moments . He resides in Southern California.

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AMERICAS GAME . Copyright 2019 by Jerry Rice and Randy Williams. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

FIRST EDITION

Cover design by Joe Montgomery
Cover photograph: Brocreative/Shutterstock

Digital Edition OCTOBER 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-269292-4

Version 09132019

Print ISBN: 978-0-06-269290-0

Contents

A ugust 7, 2010. It is one of the proudest days of my life, and I remember it as if it just happened yesterday.

I am walking up to the podium wearing my new gold jacket, issued only to members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio, and as I get ready to deliver my induction speech, I stop to look around and reflect on the magnitude of the moment. I think to myself, I am surrounded by legends. This is living history, and I am part of a team that will live forever: the Pro Football Hall of Fame team.

That day reminded me of the tremendous history professional football has experienced and that I am only a small chapter in the history book. And although I thought I knew a lot of that history (and played a part in a lot of it), the reality is that it was just the tip of the iceberg.

After all the hard work and great success we had producing a best-selling book celebrating 50 years of the Super Bowl, Randy Williams called me one evening with an idea and a challenge. (He knew my weakness.)

Evening, Jerry. Remember when everyone said the 49ers would not even reach the playoffs after your Super Bowl XXIII win, and yet you guys made it all the way to achieve back-to-back titles?

Well, how about this? he continued. Are you up for the challenge of a literary equivalent?

Randy, what are you talking about?

First, a book celebrating fifty years of the Super Bowl; now how about chronicling one hundred years of the National Football League? Thats football symmetry, my friend.

Just like during my playing days, whenever I had a good season, I always challenged myself to work harder in the off-season and come back to have even a better season. So, of course, I accepted Randys challenge. Not because I wanted merely to secure another best seller but because I love the sport and wanted to learn even more about the history of the NFL from all those who have touched the game: the coaches, players, and media.

We could explore the great names of the past, such as Red Grange, Sammy Baugh, and Don Hutson, but also dig deeper into many different subjects, such as how the league survived both the Great Depression and the manpower shortage caused by athletes serving in World War II. We could look more closely at and understand how rules and equipment changes impacted the game through the decades. We could share the stories of the African American pioneers who fought to integrate the league, including Fritz Pollard and Paul Robeson, and, later, Kenny Washington and Woody Strode.

We could examine the vital role television played in building the games popularity. We could also reflect on some of the greatest offensive and defensive units that dominated different periods.

With so many important topics, one of the biggest challengeswhile still being respectful to the game, players, and coacheswas limiting it to a single volume. So, Randy and I asked players and fans wed come across what theyd like to see, and much of that is found in this book.

From my own personal experiences and observations of teammates and opponents, along with players and coaches from long before and after my playing days, this unique book will help fans live through the one hundred years of the National Football League from the inside. What makes this book different from others is that we spoke to people who were involved in some way, whether as a player, coach, executive, or member of the media. They shared their stories, feelings, and even some of their personal photos, which weve included. Like I said earlier, even as a knowledgeable fan, I learned so much more about the game I love by working on this project. The best part was that it did not feel like work!

And Im sure of one thing: I will be getting another call from Randy with another challenge. Maybe a book about comebacks? (Would I have to return the gold jacket?)

I hope this book inspires you to learn more about the game we all love. I know the work I put in to it made me want to suit up again! The more I spoke with players, I was constantly reminded about how much the NFL means to so many people.

Jerry Rice

T his book, like the subject it celebrates, has been a team effort and on the roster are a varied group of talented individuals who brought distinct skills and unstinting support to make the creation of this project possible.

In gratitude to:

Marty Zager, Al Ruddy, John Alexenko, Hugh Dodson, Dan and Yvonne Pane, Jim Glen, Travis Cranley, Dan Finklea, Mark Turner, Al Petersen, Dan Aranguren, Geoff Nathanson, Alex Rice, Craig Cacek, John Grogan, Bob Sharka, Eben Ham, Maureen Triple L Dunn, Ciao Jianjie, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, Jim and Mari Davis, Sabrina Elizondo, Walt Dobrowolski, John and Karen Loesing, Jim Vincent, Gianluca Gasparini, Casey Cawelti, Rob Miller, Lisa Lapeyre-Davis, Mariam Jansyan, Paul Fantazia, and especially Monica Herdoiza.

Anthony Mattero and Jackie Raskin for their sharp, intuitive business skills.

Sasha Marin Taylor for being the bridge of support to everything.

To the talented team at HarperCollins/Dey Street led by Lynn Grady and Carrie Thornton including editor Matthew Daddona whose zeal for shaping sports stories helped make this tome well-rounded. Among the other skilled specialists coming into play here include: Ben Steinberg, Kell Wilson, Imani Gary, Erin Reback, Andrea Molitor, Kyran Cassidy, Robert Smigielski, Nyamekye Waliyaya, Michelle Grove, Ted Kutt, and Jeanne Reina.

Dad, Mom, Susan, Rick, Mark, and Rogera football-friendly family.

Gary Cypres of the Sports Museum of Los Angeles.

Wayne Wilson, Shirley Ito, and Michael Salmon of the LA84 Sports Library.

The media managers for the individual NFL teams as well as the league office and the assistants who handle the affairs of those now retired from the game.