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 __Jerry Rice__ By: John Rolfe Written By: Hampton Thomas

The author of the book __Jerry Rice__ is John Rolfe. Jerry Rice is known as the best wide receiver in the NFL. He holds most of the NFL catching records. He was born on October 13, 1962 and lived in Starkville, Mississippi. He was the sixth of eight kids. He has two sisters named Eddie and Loistine. His five brothers that are named Joe, Tom, James, Jimmy, and Zebedee.

Everyone thought that Jerry Rice was too slow to play in the NFL. In his first year he showed them. In 1985, he was named Rookie of the Year in the NFC (National Football Conference). In 1987, he was named the MVP (most valuable player). 1990 was a great year for Jerry because not only did his team win the Super Bowl, but he had his first son named Jerry Junior. Later, Jerry Jr. was joined with a sister Jaqui. During his preseason practice he had sprained his ankle and thought he wouldn't be able play the first game of the season. That year he earned the Jim Thorpe Memorial Trophy from the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

What made this person a great player and person is that he could cut hard while making a run and he could jump high and bring the ball down. He had a great personality that would show competiveness as well as he could relate to the fans. He also in his first year had to hire a pathologist which is a a physician who interprets and diagnoses the changes caused by disease in tissues and body fluids. Everyone thought that he was the best wide receiver in the game plus he so loved the fans of the San Francisco.

He contributed to his success to many experiences that turned into lessons. First he work with his father during the summer as a bricklayer when he was young. While working he would throw up the bricks and would catch two at a time with temperatures around 100 degrees. This built strong hands and able to play any sport in hot weather. Another events was the day during high school Jerry was cutting class and Vice Principal caught him. The Vice Principal gave Jerry an altimtium. He had a decision to make which was to try out for football team or go to detention. He obviously chose tryouts and made it. All the great quailities and morals he learned through he younger years made him an amazing and respected athlete in the National Football League which is shown by all his awards.

The part of Jerry Rice's life I admire the most is in Super Bowl. During the second quarter he sprained his ankle and everyone thought he was out of the game. After halftime he comes out and plays with determination and pain. He had eleven catches, three touchdowns and two hundred fifteen yards which is a Super Bowl record. I admire this the most because he never gave up or quit on his teammates. It was never about just him, he always thinks about the team as a whole instead of himself. I hope I will in whatever I do will always think about others first before myself.

I think this book gives an honest account of his life while in his prime. The book was written in 1993 and he retired in 2004, so there are eleven years of his football career not included in it. The book kept me interested in his life because I love football, and the stories were written to keep me wondering about the ending. I was not even born when the book was written so it was fun to read about his younger days and football career. I learned more about him by reading the book than any films or television programs.