Jerry Rice looks back at Mississippi Valley-Jackson State football rivalry, talks Deion Sanders
One of the main goals Jerry Rice set for himself throughout the course of his 20-year NFL career was to put Mississippi Valley State on the map.
Every day the Pro Football Hall of Famer, best known for his 16 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, worked to prove that players from small schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities can be just as talented as players from Power 5 programs. Rice’s career is immortalized at MVSU. Even the Delta Devils’ stadium (Rice-Totten Stadium) is being named after him and his quarterback at the time, Willie Totten.
This week, his alma mater goes up against in-state rival Jackson State coached by Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who is also trying to prove that NFL players can come from an HBCU.
"I told Deion this, 'Man, you are going to open the door for so many players to want to come to an HBCU school,' because of what he did in the NFL," Rice told the Clarion Ledger.
In the NFL, Rice and Sanders went from rivals to teammates, even.
"Jerry and I don't talk trash, but he did say if it weren't for Jackson State, he wouldn't have gone pro," Sanders said before laughing.
The game Sanders is referring to is Rice's favorite memory in his days of playing in the JSU-MVSU rivalry. It was during his senior season in 1984.
"I think we had over 60,000 people in the stands," Rice said. "We hadn't beat Jackson State in over 20 years. We were talking about it going into that ball game about how we needed to play our best football."
Rice ended up catching 15 passes for 285 yards in the 49-32 win. It was the first time MVSU beat JSU since 1954. Watching the game was former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh.
"I think the 49ers might have been in New Orleans to play the New Orleans Saints," Rice said. "(Walsh) saw me running across the television catching the ball, making plays and scoring touchdowns. He went back to the scouting department for the San Francisco 49ers and said, 'Hey. We need to look at his guy from Mississippi Valley State University, Jerry Rice.' So, I think that really put me on the map."
The 49ers selected Rice 16th in the 1985 draft. At the time of his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2010, he held the NFL all-time career records for receptions, receiving yards, most 1,000-yard receiving seasons, total touchdowns and combined net yards.
Rice played with Sanders in San Francisco in 1994, where the two won a Super Bowl together. On the field in their playing days, the Sanders-Rice matchup was a rivalry with Sanders being widely regarded as the best cornerback in the league and Rice being regarded as the best receiver.
But before Rice made it to the NFL, he almost followed his brother's footsteps to a different HBCU.
Rice, who was born in Crawford, had an older brother, Tom, who was JSU's center from 1977-80. Jackson State inducted Tom into its athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. Jerry thought about following in Tom's footsteps and playing for the Tigers, but since the team ran the wishbone, he chose Mississippi Valley State instead.
"I thought about going to Jackson State," Rice said. "It was not the ideal place for my position as a wide receiver. Mississippi Valley State University came to my house. I had a chance to interact with the coach and shake his hand. I decided to go to Valley. It was an opportunity of a lifetime that I will never forget. We had (coach) Archie 'The Gunslinger' Cooley, we had (quarterback) Willie 'The Satellite' Totten, and we put up numbers that were just amazing."
Over three decades after Rice's days at MVSU concluded, Sanders is now the coach at the Delta Devils' rival at Jackson State.
"I want Deion to do well, and I think it brings a lot of recognition to HBCUs," Rice told the Clarion Ledger. "I think a lot of players who have been going to those major schools are going to see that they can go to an HBCU and be successful."
Between the two schools, there have been six Pro Football Hall of Famers. Four from Jackson State (Walter Payton, Lem Barney, Jackie Slater and Robert Brazile) and two for Mississippi Valley State (Jerry Rice and Deacon Jones).
"When I look back at the rivalry, it was unbelievable," Rice said. "It's just something about the SWAC, man. The battle of the bands, all of that. All of that positive energy, the fans coming out supporting. It's something I will never forget. I'm very fortunate I got the opportunity to go to Mississippi Valley State University, an HBCU."
The two joked often when Rice made an appearance on Sanders' "21st and Prime" podcast in December. Rice showed his support right after Sanders officially became the official coach of the Tigers on Dec. 1.
"I want Deion to do well, and I think it brings a lot of recognition to HBCUs," Rice told the Clarion Ledger. "I think a lot of players who have been going to those major schools are going to see that they can go to an HBCU and be successful."
Showing HBCUs produced quality players was something Rice, who finished ninth in Heisman trophy voting in 1984, has always wanted to accomplish, too.
"I think I really opened the door for a lot of players," Rice said. "They know they might be that diamond in the rough. You don't have to go to one of these major schools or anything like that. I got letters from all of those schools, but because of the coach who came out to talk to me and shake my hand, I decided to go to Mississippi Valley State University."
Rice will be able to watch his alma mater take on Sanders on national television. The game, which is slated to kickoff at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, has been moved to ESPN2.
"This is wonderful for both parties," Sanders said in a social media post. "You know why, because there are some players on Mississippi Valley who can flat out play. The exposure helps everyone in the HBCU (family)."
Contact Rashad Milligan at 601-862-6198 or Jmilligan@gannett.com. Follow @RashadMilligan on Twitter.