On induction to College Football Hall of Fame
Jerry Rice wishes he could do it all over again SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) – Jerry Rice was happy Saturday to be at the College Football Hall of Fame, where he is recognized for his footwork on the football field rather than the dance floor.
Rice said wherever he goes these days, he hears people talk about the fact that he reached the finals of “Dancing with the Stars.”
“You hear whispers: ‘He’s the dancer.’ All those touchdowns, and they remember the dancing,” he said to the laughter of the crowd.
Rice also took some ribbing because he had just two catches in the flag football game Saturday afternoon.
“They were trying to shut me down,” he said.
Keith Dorney, an offensive tackle at Penn State, was the game’s MVP with two TD catches and three catches overall for 40 yards.
Dorney said that he arrived at Penn State as a tight end but coach Joe Paterno gave him the nickname “Hammer Hands” and moved him to tackle.
“If he could have only seen me out there today,” he said.
Rice said his college days seem like a blur.
“It went by so fast. You’re so focused,” Rice said. “I wish I could go back and do it all over again.”
That was a common feeling among the 20 men being enshrined Saturday. Former Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett, former Pittsburgh offensive tackle Mark May and Oklahoma running back Joe Washington all said they would love to live those days again.
Even fullback Roosevelt Leaks, who faced some obstacles in becoming the first black All-America football player at Texas, said he would gladly do it again, even if it might have been a little more difficult for him.
“We all travel different roads. Whether it was a tougher road or not, there are always obstacles on the road. You keep moving forward,” he said. “The things that deter you, they usually make you better.”
May, now a college football analyst for ESPN, said the thing he remembers best from college is the friendships.
“The camaraderie you built with your teammates was special. The relationships you build then stick with you the rest of your life,” he said.
Others being inducted into the hall Saturday included Southern California tailback Anthony Davis, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback John Huarte of Notre Dame, Stanford defensive tackle Paul Wiggin and Michigan defensive back Tom Curtis, along with former Auburn coach Pat Dye and former West Virginia coach Don Nehlen.
Much of the talk Saturday centered on how special college was. Player after player talked about how much fun it was compared to the businesslike NFL.
“You don’t have all the rigmarole that goes along with it,” Bennett said. “At college you had no bills, just a cavalier lifestyle.”
But Rice said not everything in college was fun and games. Going to a small school like Mississippi Valley State forced him to work harder to reach his goals.
“It molded me into the player I became,” he said.
Rice, generally regarded as the greatest receiver of all time, retired from the NFL with 38 records and three Super Bowl titles. He said he’s happy his induction into the hall is bringing some attention to Mississippi Valley State.
“It’s the icing on the cake,” he said.