As is tradition, the day before the big Super Bowl game, a new class of football greatness is elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This year was no different. February 6, 2010 — The day before the big game against the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts, word became official. Jerry Rice became one of the newest members elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio later in August of this year. Rice has been widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers and greatest football players in the history of the National Football League. Retired in 2006, Rice was mostly known for his time with the San Francisco 49ers. Players are required to be retired for several years before having the privilege of even being nominated for such an honor. This was the first year Rice was eligible to be nominated as a Hall of Fame member. But his amazing stats that put him at the top of the leader board for every major category made him an easy pick. In total, he made 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, and 208 touchdowns. These records were set in part due to his work ethic and dedication. In the 20 seasons he played in professional football, he only missed 10 regular season games. Former San Francisco 49ers teammates all agreed Jerry Rice was a perfectionist and quite possibly one of the best players to ever play the game. A modest and grateful man, Rice said he was “.. honored… to stand up there with greatness.”

Emmitt Smith, a former Dallas Cowboy and Arizona Cardinal known as the NFL’s all-time rushing leader was right there alongside Jerry Rice as they both led five other football giants including Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, and into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.