Top 10 Quarterbacks of All-Time

1. Joe Montana
2. Peyton Manning
3. Johnny Unitas
4. Tom Brady
5. Brett Favre
6. John Elway
7. Dan Marino
8. Steve Young
9. Roger Staubach
10. Troy Aikman

*AP-Associated Press, PFW-Pro Football Weekly, UPI-United Press International

1. Joe Montana- 16 NFL Seasons
Completions: 3,409
Attempts: 5,391
Percentage: 63.2%
Passing Yards: 40,551
Touchdowns: 273
Interceptions: 139
QB Rating: 92.3
Super Bowl Champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV)
Super Bowl MVP (XVI, XIX, XXIV)
4x NFC Champion (1981, 1984, 1988, 1989)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 8 (1981, '83-'85, '87-'90, '93)
3x AP First-Team All-Pro ('87, '89-'90)
2x AP Second-Team All-Pro ('81, '84)
NFL AP MVP (1989-'90)
NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year (1989)
2x AP Sportsman of the Year (1989, '90)
Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (1989)
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (1990)
NFL 1980's All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (2000)

2. Peyton Manning- 17 NFL Seasons
Completions: 5,927
Attempts: 9,049
Percentage: 65.5%
Passing Yards: 69,691
Touchdowns: 530
Interceptions: 234
QB Rating: 97.5
Super Bowl Champion: (XLI)
Super Bowl MVP (XLI)
3x AFC Champion (2006, 2009, 2013)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 14 ('99-2000, 2002-2010, 2012-2014)
7x First-Team All-Pro (2003-2005, 2008-2009, 2012-2013)
3x Second-Team All-Pro ('99, 2000, 2006)
NFL AP MVP (2003-2004, 2008-2009, 2013)
2x NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year (2004, 2013)
NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year (2012)
4x NFL Passing TD Leader (2000, 2004, 2006, 2013)
Indianapolis Colts Career Leader: Career Wins, Completions, Attempts, Passing Yards, TD's
NFL All-Time Leader in Touchdown Passes
Tied for Most Pro-Bowl Appearances by any player
Pro-Bowl MVP (2005)
NFL 2000's All-Decade Team
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2013)

3. Johnny Unitas- 18 NFL Seasons
Completions: 2,830
Attempts: 5,186
Percentage: 54.6%
Passing Yards: 40,239
Touchdowns: 290
Interceptions: 253
QB Rating: 78.2
Super Bowl Chamion (V)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 10 (1957-'64, '66-'67)
5x AP First-Team All-Pro ('58-'59, '64-'65, '67)
2x AP Second-Team All-Pro ('57, '63)
NFL AP MVP (1959, '64, '67)
3x Pro-Bowl MVP ('59, '60, '63)
NFL Man of the Year (1970)
NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL 1960's All-Decade Team
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (1979)

4. Tom Brady- 15 NFL Seasons
Completions: 4,551
Attempts: 7,168
Percentage: 63.5%
Passing Yards: 53,258
Touchdowns: 392
Interceptions: 143
QB Rating: 95.9
Super Bowl Champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX)
Super Bowl MVP (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX)
6x AFC Champion (2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 10 (2001, '04-'05, 2007, 2009-2014)
2x First-Team All-Pro (2007, 2010)
1x Second-Team All-Pro (2005)
NFL AP MVP (2007, 2010)
3x NFL Passing TD Leader (2002, 2007, 2010)
2x NFL Passing Yards Leader (2005, 2007)
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2005)
Sporting News Sportsman of the Year (2004, 2007)
AP Male Athlete of the Year (2007)
2x NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2010)
3x AFC Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2010, 2011)
AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2009)
New England Patriots Career Leader: Career Wins, Completions, Attempts, Passing Yards, TD's,
NFL 2000's All-Decade Team
29 career playoff starts for quarterback
29 career playoff games for quarterback
9 career NFL conference championship appearances for quarterback
6 career NFL conference championship wins for quarterback
Most career Super Bowl touchdown passes
Most career Super Bowl passing yards
Most first half pass completions in single Super Bowl
Most career Superbowl pass completions
Most career Superbowl pass attempts
Most pass completions in single Super Bowl
12 career division titles for quarterback
21 career playoff wins for quarterback
Most career postseason passing yards

5. Brett Favre- 20 NFL Seasons
Completions: 6,300 (1st)
Attempts: 10,169 (1st)
Percentage: 62%
Passing Yards: 71,838 (1st)
Touchdowns: 508
Interceptions: 336
QB Rating: 86.0
Super Bowl Champion (XXXI)
2x NFC Champion (1996-'97)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 11 ('92-'93, '95-'97, '01-'03, '07-'09)
3x First-Team All-Pro ('95-'97)
3x Second-Team All-Pro ('01-'02, '07)
3x NFL AP MVP ('95-'97)
5x NFC Player of the Year ('95-'97, 2002, 2007)
4x NFL Passing TD Leader ('95-'97, 2003)
NFL 1990's All-Decade Team
Most Career NFL Starts: 298
Most Career Wins by a QB: 186
Career Leader in Completions
Career Leader in Pass Attempts
Career Leader in Passing Yards

6. John Elway- 16 NFL Seasons
Completions: 4,123
Attempts: 7,250
Percentage: 56.9% (57)
Passing Yards: 51,475
Touchdowns: 300
Interceptions: 226
QB Rating: 79.9
2x Super Bowl Champion (XXXII, XXXIII)
Super Bowl MVP (XXXIII)
5x AFC Champion (1986-'87, '89, '97-'98)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 9 ('86-'87, '89, '91, '93-'94, '96, '97-'98)
3x AP Second-Team All-Pro ('87, '93, '96)
4x PFW First-Team All-AFC ('87, '93, '96, '97)
NFL AP MVP (1987)
2x UPI AFC Offensive Player of the Year ('87, '93)
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award (1992)
Walter Camp Man of the Year (2009)
NFL 1990's All-Decade Team
Denver Broncos Ring of Fame
Member of Pro-Football Hall of Fame (2004)
Denver Broncos Career Leader: (Wins, Completions, Attempts, Passing Yards, TD's, INT's)

7. Dan Marino- 17 NFL Seasons
Completions: 4,967
Attempts: 8,358
Percentage: 59.4%
Passing Yards: 61,361
Touchdowns: 420
Interceptions: 252
QB Rating: 86.4
NFL Rookie of the Year (1983)
NFL AP MVP (1984)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1984)
AFC Champion (1984)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 9 ('83-'87, '91-'92, '94-'95)
3x First-Team All-Pro ('84-'86)
3x Second-Team All-Pro ('83, '94-'95)
2x UPI AFC Player of the Year ('84, '94)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1994)
Walter Payton Man of the Year (1998)
12x Miami Dolphins MVP (1983-'92, '94-'95)
1st Player to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season (1984)
1st Player to throw 40 TD's in a single season (1984, 1986)
Holds 31 Miami Dolphins Records
Holds Numerous NFL Records
Pro Football Hall of Fame (2005)

8. Steve Young- 15 NFL Seasons
Completions: 2,667
Attempts: 4,149
Percentage: 64.3%
Passing Yards: 33,124
Touchdowns: 232
Interceptions: 107
QB Rating: 96.8
3x Super Bowl Champion (XXIII, XXIV, XXIX)
Super Bowl MVP (XXIX)
3x NFC Champion (1988-'89, '94)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 7 ('92-'98)
3x AP First-Team All-Pro ('92-'94)
3x AP Second-Team All-Pro ('95, '97-'98)
UPI Second-Team All-NFC (1996)
2x NFL AP MVP (1992, '94)
AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1992)
2x UPI NFC Player of the Year ('92, '94)
Most TD Passes in a Single Super Bowl: 6 (SB XXIX)
Most Consecutive Passing Titles: 4 (1991-'94)
Most Career Rushing TDs by a QB: 43
Most Career Passing Titles: 6 (Tied w/Sammy Baugh)
Most Seasons with a Passer Rating Over 100, Career: 6 ('91-'94, '97-'98)

9. Roger Staubach- 11 NFL Seasons
Completions: 1,685
Attempts: 2,958
Percentage: 57%
Passing Yards: 22,700
Touchdowns: 153
Interceptions: 109
QB Rating: 83.4
2x Super Bowl Champion (VI, XII)
Super Bowl MVP (VI)
5x NFC Champion ('70, '71, '75, '77, '78)
Pro-Bowl Selections: 6 ('71, '75-'79)
2x AP All-NFC (1971, 1976)
NFC Player of the Year (1971)
1971 Bert Bell MVP Award
NFL 1970's All-Decade Team
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Inductee (1983)
Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame (1985)
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team

10. Troy Aikman- 12 NFL Seasons
Completions: 2,898
Attempts: 4,715
Percentage: 61.5%
Passing Yards: 32,942
Touchdowns: 165
Interceptions: 141
QB Rating: 81.6
3x Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
Super Bowl MVP (XXVII)
3x NFC Champion (1992-'93, '95)
Pro Bowl Selections: 6 ('91-'96)
Sporting News First-Team All-Pro (1993)
All-NFC Second Team (1994, 1995)
Walter Payton Man of the Year (1996)
Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor Inductee (2005)
Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame (2006)
Dallas Cowboys All-Time Leader (Wins, Pass Completions, Attempts, Interceptions)
Most Wins for any QB in NFL History of any Decade (90 wins in 1990's)

Stone Cold/Triple H Podcast Review

I just wanted to take time to review the recent Podcast interview that Stone Cold had featuring Triple H. I had to take some time to listen and really gather ideas. I must say that it was certainly less controversial than the first interview with Vince McMahon. Overall, Austin and Trips had a mutual understanding of each other, because they were peers and have more of an understanding of what goes on from an in-ring standpoint. At first, they started off by reminisicing about their time together coming through the ranks and battling one another. Then, they talk about the development of NXT, and how Triple H is building it to become its own machine. For all of his flaws, I will give Triple H credit for the success of NXT, as it is breaking even more ground. Although it is naturally a developmental territory, it is establishing its own identity as a brand of itself. Triple H has an incredible mind for the business. Austin and Hunter both agree that kayfabe is dead, because fans have become smarter about what is happening both in the ring and backstage thanks to the Internet. With that being said, the days of true faces and heels are gone.

Hunter also says that the core business model has not changed. He talks about how fans say things like "they would have done that if we hadn't done this". He brings up the example about how if Hulk Hogan was getting wildly cheered in Minnesota for the AWA, he would not have gone to New York for WWE to become wildly popular as the champion of the promotion. WWE calls audibles whenever they need to.

Stone Cold asks him about the Reality Era, and how it is harder to be a genuine babyface, because fans will cheer and boo who they want. As Triple H mentions sites such as "Grantland" that cover the insides of the business, he basically says that "the reality is the business". As a result, everyone has a voice and fans are even more critical and analytical of the product. The IWC unleases their venom every week on Social Media. He also mentions the backlash about the Royal Rumble, where fans booed Roman out of the building as they insisted that Daniel Bryan win. (I covered that in detail already)

Triple H even admitted that he doesn't believe that anyone is truly ready for the top spot, no matter how ready the fans think they are, or how ready they think they are in their own mind. I can understand that, because the WWE System causes you to polish yourself and understand structure. (At least he didn't use the lame "Brass Ring" line)

Trips also addresses the idea that he only got to the top, because of his marriage into the McMahon family. He says that Undertaker helped him get past that dictating opinion, which I am sure really frustrated him. Triple H admits that he would still be in the top spot even without marrying Stephanie. I absolutely agree, because Triple H paid his dues. He was already rising to the top BEFORE Steph arrived on the scene. He may have more leverage backstage, but he would still make it to the top of the roster on his own.


Now, this is where the Interview REALLY heats up. Stone Cold brings up the name that is a Smoking Gun to the McMahon Family: Chyna. Up to this point, Triple H pretty much deviated from being the Kayfabe Corporate Authority Figure. This time, he did a song and dance because this was clearly the lightning rod of Stone Cold's podcast. When Austin addressed Vince about Macho Man going into the HOF, Vince responded by saying "Yes, he will go in.". Within the blink of an eye, Savage is announced. However, once Chyna is mentioned, Triple H hesitates and gives a PR answer. First, he gives Chyna credit for being a trailblazer, and a pioneer for Women in Wrestling. However, he gives doubts about her being inducted, because he gives the watered down excuse of not wanting his 8 year-old daughter looking for Chyna on Google to discover her porn career. I understand that WWE is doing their best to clean up the product, but that is not the real reason why Chyna is not in. Everyone knows that the REAL reason why she is not in, is because he does not want his children to know that their Dad was involved in a Love Triangle Affair, where he had a relationship with their Mom, while living with Chyna. They must not be ready for that conversation, I guess. He also did not want to mention the fact that Stephanie and Chyna want no part of each other, especially with the distasteful things that Chyna has said about her on YouTube. Chyna is the thorn for Triple H that Warrior, Bret and Savage were to Vince. Trips wants to hide the fact that Once Upon A Time, WWE was notorious for negative stereotypes and the degradation of women (Sable, Sunny, Godfather's Ho Train, even Katie Vick. That's enough for now). You also want to conceal Chyna's obvious porno past with your Kliq golden boy X-Pac, who is in high favor with WWE because of his numerous appearances at Live Events. Your kids don't know, but people like myself and older fans know what is behind closed doors. I am not justifying Chyna's decisions, but she was an integral part of one of the most successfully mainstream Eras in company history, The Attitude Era. Chyna broke barriers for females, as she was one of the founding members of D-Generation-X, a group that is widely considered to be the greatest of all-time (especially by WWE). Chyna was with the first incarnation when it was a trio, with HBK and HHH himself. She was also part of the expansion, when Shawn retired and X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws were added. As an individual, she is the ONLY Woman to win the Intercontinental Title. This is not a Chris Benoit situation, where she murdered someone else along with herself. Now, I understand that parents do not want their daughters influenced by her. I have a niece and I would not want her to stumble across this on the web, and in the future I wouldn't want my child to see that. From that standpoint I get it, but the Hall of Fame is not filled with people with Wings on their back and Halos on their head. Do I need to bring up Sunny? Look at where she is even AFTER her Induction. I won't even get into the recent Twitter scandal with Seth Rollins. As long as Chyna cleans herself up and shows how serious she is, they would have no other choice. Both sides will have to mature and humble themselves before this happens.

When discussing Roman Reigns, Austin felt that it was being made obvious that Roman was given the keys without having to really work for it. HHH responds by saying "everyone works hard", including Roman. The obvious flaws are his mic skills and his ring work. John Cena has faced criticism about his ring work, but nobody can deny his work ethic.

A Twitter question shows up where someone asks: Do you see anyone on the roster becoming the next Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin or John Cena? Triple H responds by saying that everyone has potential, but it is what they do with it that counts. He says that the business is different, where you have to be much more well rounded. You can't just be good in the ring, but lack mic skills. You can't just have good mic skills. You just can't be a big guy or a high flyer with nothing else to offer. He is absolutely right, and I feel that is what is seriously lacking in the landscape of wrestling especially today.

Trips also brings up the Undertaker, and how he was Vince McMahon's greatest creation. Mark Calloway was perfect to play that role, and anyone else would have died with that persona. Mark took that gimmick, and made it Iconic and Transcendant. Truly Phenomenal (no pun intended).


Stone Cold starts to dive even deeper into the discussion as he brings up how Triple H managed to mend the fences with Legends like Bruno Sammartino and The Ultimate Warrior so that they could finally be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I give the Game the utmost respect for how he was able to engineer those inductions, because if it was up to Vince, they would still be on the outside looking in. Levesque basically said that Bruno was unwilling to do business with McMahon, because he was unsatisfied with the direction that the promotion had gone into during the Attitude Era. For years, Sammartino was unwilling to do business, and had bad blood with Vince because of his ideas. Bruno is the definition of the term "Old School". Vince himself was not jumping to his phone to call Bruno to make amends. However, it wasn't until WWE decided to clean up the product and Triple H stretched out his arm to Bruno to make peace. Trips was able to sympathize with him from a pure wrestler's mindset, because they were able to come to a common ground. Triple H is a man that respects the history of the business, and he made it crystal clear during this interview more than once. As a result, he was able to get Bruno to change his mind and accept the induction. The rest is history. Same with Warrior, but it was a bit harder considering that they worked together. However, as time is known to heal wounds, The Game was able to reach Warrior because there wasn't as much bad blood as with Warrior's main peers (Hogan, etc.)


Stone Cold would also ask The Ultimate Question: DX or NWO? Triple H gives NWO their respect, by saying that they were massively impactful and influential when they started when they opened the curtain to show the reality aspect. However, their impact was diluted when they overloaded the group with too many people. On the other hand, DX had more staying power for a longer period of time. I would say the same thing, not just because WWE promotes it, but because collectively DX has had a greater stream of success in the long run. They did not water themselves down by adding everybody on the roster and their family.

Triple H also says that his Ultimate Fantasy Match would be with Buddy Rogers, because of his style and showmanship.

When CM Punk is mentioned, Trips simply says "I never had a beef with him". He pretty much says there was a miscommunication, even though Punk threw fireballs at him and Vince in his interview with Cabana.

Now, time for one of my favorite games. Word Association Time:

Shawn Michaels: Greatest in ring performer ever.
Ric Flair: Greatest all around performer ever.
Kevin Nash: Great mind for the business but a personality that hides it.
Scott Hall: The guy he learned more from than anyone and really underrated in ring.
Eddie Guerrero: Awesome. Miss him and he was really fun.
Goldberg: Intense and explosive, enough so that it changed the business.
Brock Lesnar: FREAK. (That's a positive.)
Paul Heyman: He toes the line between genius and crazy.
Owen Hart: One of the nicest, funniest guys.
Bret Hart: Unbelievable technician who maybe sometimes takes himself too seriously.
Undertaker: Respect.
Kane: Underrated. "If I had to say one word, he's the constant."
Pat Patterson: A genius for the business.
Michael Hayes: Underrated for his contributions to the business.

They conclude by talking about the differences between a pro wrestler and a sports entertainer. They also address Brock Lesnar's future with the company. Triple H also talks about The Streak, and says it is a two-sided situation. On one side, you want the streak to live forever, like a home run record. However, Taker is a guy that likes to give back to the business, especially to benefit someone else. Lesnar has benefited in a huge way.

When asked if he could change anything about Monday Night Raw, Triple H says that he would change it from three hours back to two. He says that the three hour show was a Vince call and a financial issue.

Overall, the Interview was entertaining in many ways, and controversial in others. I did not expect any less. 4/5 Stars.

In wrestling terminology, I would give it 4 WWE Undisputed Championships out of 5.

 

Jerry Rice: Football Royalty

I have been waiting for the longest time to do this project. The Model of Consistency. One of the true Ironmen of Sports, especially in a Sport like Pro Football. The Gold Standard that other Wide Receivers are measured by. Jerry Rice is the embodiment of commitment, discipline and greatness. Although he was not the fastest or the most physical wideout, Jerry's work ethic and technique brought him a countless number of accolades. Rice was a standout wide receiver ever since his days at Mississippi Valley State, an HBCU (Historically Black College University). Jerry attended MVS from 1981-1984. While there, he received the nickname "World", because there wasn't a ball in the world that he couldn't catch. In 1982, Jerry caught 66 passes for 1,133 yards and 7 touchdowns. 1983 was his standout campaign, as he set numerous records. That season, Jerry had 102 receptions, with 1,450 yards while being named First Team Division I-AA, All-America. The next season, he broke those records with 112 receptions and 1,845 yards, with 27 touchdowns. Jerry finished his historic College Career with 301 receptions, 4,693 yards, and 50 touchdowns. In spite of his record-setting career at MVS, the one weakness that scouts discovered was his speed. During the combine, Rice clocked in a 4.7 speed, which is not very high for receiver standards for the draft. However, there were two key teams that kept a very close eye on him. Fittingly enough, the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. Niners coach Bill Walsh saw a huge investment in Jerry and drafted him with the 16th overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft. Walsh was impressed after watching highlights of Rice the Saturday before San Francisco played the Houston Oilers on October, 21, 1984. The investment would prove to pay off in great ways. San Francisco came off the heels of winning their second Super Bowl Trophy in late January, when they drilled Dan Marino's Miami Dolphins 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX. San Fran looked to add to their dominance, and Rice was the perfect new weapon for Joe Montana. In his rookie campaign, even though he struggled at times, Rice gave glimpses of his greatness, when he caught 49 passes for 927 yards (18.9 yards per catch) and 3 TDs. This performance earned Jerry the NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year. His standout game was a 10-catch, 241 yard game against Division rival Los Angeles Rams. 1986 proved to be Rice's first breakthrough season where he had his first of 11-straight 1,000 yard seasons. This was also the first season with double digit Touchdowns and 80 or more receptions. That season, Jerry recorded 86 receptions for 1,570 yards and 15 TD's. This campaign also marked the first of six seasons where he would lead the NFL in receiving yards and touchdowns. The rewards would include, his first of 13 Pro Bowl Selections, his first of 10 First-Team All-Pro Selections along with the NFC Offensive Player of the Year Award. This is where Jerry truly raised his game to become a transcendant player. The 1987 season was shortened by a strike, which typically became a roadblock for statistics. However, Jerry became the exception to the rule. Despite playing only 12 games, Rice lead the league with 1,078 yards and a then NFL-record 22 Touchdowns. For his brilliant season, Jerry was named NFL MVP by both the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). Rice also received his first of 2 NFL AP (Associated Press) Offensive Player of the Year Awards. Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Mike Quick was in second place with 11. This marked the first time in NFL history since the merger, where a player doubled the numbers of his nearest competitor. In 1988, Jerry caught 64 passes for 1,306 yards (career-high 20.4 YPC) and 9 Touchdowns. This was his first Super Bowl Campaign, as San Francisco won the NFC West with a 10-6 record. In the playoffs, Rice raised his level of dominance, as he helped lead the 49ers to a 28-3 thrashing over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in the NFC Championship. That game, he had 5 receptions for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jerry raised the bar even higher in his first Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XXIII, Jerry was unstoppable, as he set records for receptions (11) and receiving yards (215) with 1 Touchdown to help the San Francisco 49ers defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16. This was the third Super Bowl in team history, as Jerry won the Super Bowl MVP Award. Rice only became the third wide receiver in history to win the award. 1989 is considered by many to be the greatest season in 49er History. That season, they went 14-2, with Jerry's 82 receptions, 1,483 yards and 17 touchdowns. In the playoffs, he was still sensational, with 12 receptions, 169 yards and 2 touchdowns in their 2 playoff games before the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XXIV, Rice was once again a major weapon for the Niner Army with 7 receptions for 148 yards and a record 3 touchdowns as San Francisco dismantled the Denver Broncos 55-10 to win their 4th Lombardi Trophy. Rice continued his success in 1990, with a league-leading 100 receptions, 1,502 yards and 13 touchdowns. Unfortunately, San Francisco failed to three-peat as they lost in the NFC Championship game to the eventual champion New York Giants. For six seasons, the Jerry Rice-Joe Montana Connection was the most lethal QB-WR Combination in the NFL. Together, they scored for 55 Touchdowns, and won back-to-back Super Bowls. Even though Joe had been a champion twice, Jerry helped to extend his greatness. The 1989 Season was the perfect example of that. However, the party would soon end, when Montana went down with an injury that sidelined him for the entire 1991 season. Steve Young would take the torch as the new starting QB. Jerry admits that he had to make slight adjustments, because Young was not only a left-handed QB, but he was also mobile. However, Jerry continued business as usual (80 catches, 1,206 yards, 14 touchdowns). In 1992, Rice caught 84 passes, 1,201 yards and 10 touchdowns as he and Steve Young led the Niners back to the NFC Championship. San Fran would fall to the future champion Dallas Cowboys. In 1993, Rice caught 98 passes for 1,503 yards and 15 TD's to win his second AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award. In 1994, Jerry had his finest season at that point, with a career-high 112 receptions, 1,499 yards and 13 touchdowns. In the first game of the season against the Los Angeles Raiders, he broke Jim Brown's all-time record for Career Touchdowns. During the game, Jerry caught 7 passes for a season-high 169 yards and 2 touchdowns (rushed for one more), to move into first place with 127. Even though he only had 6 catches in the playoffs, Rice once again became unstoppable when it mattered most, in the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XXIX, Rice recorded 10 receptions for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns as the 49ers torched the San Diego Chargers 49-26 to become the first team to win 5 Super Bowls. In 1995, Rice superseded his previous season numbers with a career-high 122 receptions (tied with Cris Carter for 2nd place), a career-high 1,848 yards (1st place, a record now broken by Calvin Johnson) and 15 touchdowns, before the Niners would fall to Green Bay in the Divisional Playoffs. From '94-'96, Rice racked up a phenomenal 342 receptions, 4,601 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns. This has to be considered the best three year stretch by any receiver in history. However, his prime would soon come to a close. In 1997, Rice tore ligaments in his knee on a WR Reverse play. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Defensive Tackle Warren Sapp grabbed Jerry by the face-mask and pulled him to the ground, causing a 15-yard penalty. This ended Rice's streak of 189 consecutive games played. As a result, he was forced to miss the Pro-Bowl for the first time in 11 seasons. However, Rice would recover and return in 1998 with 82 catches, 1,157 yards and 9 touchdowns to make his 12th Pro Bowl appearance. By 1999, the Niners organization was moving in a new direction with the emergence of Terrell Owens. TO was considered the present and future, while Rice was officially considered the past. This was the first season where Rice failed to reach 1,000 yards in 16 games. He had the same results in 2000. San Fran was officially in rebuilding mode, and Jerry saw the writing on the wall as he left the 49ers to sign with Bay Area rival the Oakland Raiders in 2001. During his time with the Raiders, Rice showed flashes of brilliance as he and fellow Hall of Famer Tim Brown became the oldest receiver duo in NFL History. In his first season, Jerry caught 83 passes for 1,139 yards and 9 touchdowns. 2002 was his best season in Oakland, as Jerry made history by making the Pro-Bowl and All-Pro Teams as a 40-year old. That season, he caught 92 passes for 1,211 yards and 7 touchdowns to reach his 13th Pro-Bowl. In the process, he helped make Rich Gannon and MVP. This was a great way to show that he could still shine even without two Hall of Fame Quarterbacks. However, the fun would soon end as the Raiders were pummeled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII. In 2003, the Raiders never recovered as they went from 11-5 in 2002 to 4-12 in 2003. Jerry requested to be traded to the Seattle Seahawks, where he would spend the rest of his career. At the end of the 2004 season (his 20th), Jerry originally opted for a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos. However, during training camp, he decided it was best to retire than to finish his career at the bottom of the depth chart. On August 24, Rice signed a one-day deal to officially retire as a San Francisco 49er, just as Emmitt Smith did with the Dallas Cowboys. In 2010, Rice and Emmitt would appropriately be inducted together into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This has to be the first time that the All-Time Leaders in Receiving and Rushing were inducted in the same class. Jerry Rice holds virtually every significant receiving record that you can imagine. Rice was a true Ambassador of the game, both on and off the field. Unfortunately, Rice has had his fair share of critics (both fans and players) who say that he was only a star because of his two Hall of Fame QB's (Joe Montana and Steve Young). Most notably, Rice's former teammate and mentee, Terrell Owens made this ridiculous statement because of bitterness and jealousy. I have been waiting to address this for the longest. Jerry was great on his own. It takes two to tango. Rice was a playmaker when he caught those passes. Don't sell him short, because of his team. He made both of them look better. If it was just about his Quarterbacks, players like Dwight Clark, John Taylor, Brent Jones, etc would have had the careers that Jerry Rice had. Rice was a prototype receiver that came at a time where the NFL was introducing bigger, stronger more athletic wideouts. Jerry was a transcendant player who was naturally great anyway. It helped to have a nice supporting cast, but Jerry recorded those astronomical numbers because he was the best option on the team. He emphasized conditioning and endurance, which made him maintain a high level of play within the final 2:00 minutes of a game. He was a master of Yards After the Catch in a similar way that Michael Jordan was a Master of playing off the Dribble. Montana and Young loved to have Rice on their team to throw the ball to. He was a great teammate in the locker room and not a constant nightmare for his coaches. Players like TO and Randy Moss imploded the teams that they played on. Jerry's 22 Touchdowns in 1987 were more impressive than Randy's 23 in 2007, because Rice played in a strike shortened season. Meanwhile, Moss broke the record by only 1 TD in a full 16 GAME SEASON!! Owens burned three of the best bridges that he had (Niners, Eagles and the Cowboys). Along the way, both players had their strings of impressive QB's. Overall, Jerry Rice raised the standards for players who strive to one day make it to the Hall of Fame, especially on a 1st Ballot basis. Rice's name is all over the history books, as he is the all-time leader in receiving for both the regular season and post season. In 1999, Sporting News named Jerry Rice the 2nd Greatest Player of all-time behind Jim Brown on their 100 Greatest Players list. In 2010, NFL Network ranked Jerry Rice number 1 on their 100 Greatest Players list. Jerry was also named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1980's and 1990's. Rice's legacy is lightyears ahead of any other wideout in history, as he finished his spectacular career with 1,549 yards, 22, 895 receiving yards, (14-1,000 yard seasons) and 208 Touchdowns.