Gold Jacket Spotlight: No reason for ‘Mr. Clean’ Jerry Rice to fear failure

JERRY RICE(Opens in a new window) did not start with a passion for football, but all of his life experiences groomed him for the career of his dreams.

Growing up in Crawford, Miss., Jerry spent his summers working for his father, who was a bricklayer. Standing on top of roofs, snatching bricks midair 20 feet from the ground, not only taught Jerry the importance of hard work and dedication, but it also prepared him to become the receiver who would break the record for career touchdown receptions, surpassing Hall of Famer STEVE LARGENT.(Opens in a new window)

Catching bricks wasn’t the only part of Jerry’s life that led him to become one of the best receivers in the league; playing hooky had a massive role in launching a football career that this week is featured in the Gold Jacket Spotlight.

In high school, Jerry’s principal caught him skipping class. After being tracked down and disciplined, the principal recognized how well Jerry ran and asked him to try out for the football team. From there, nothing but greatness sprouted.

After playing in high school, Mississippi Valley State University recruited Jerry, and from there he went on to play for the San Francisco 49ers under coach BILL WALSH.(Opens in a new window)

Throughout high school, college and his professional career, Jerry carried a strong belief: He had to look good in order to play well.

“I’m a neat guy … It’s not the way I look; it’s the way I dress,” Jerry said. “My uniform has to be perfect. … Everything has really got to be in place in order for me to feel comfortable on the field.”

After gaining this reputation, those close to Jerry gave him the nickname “Mr. Clean,” complimenting the manner and standard by which he held himself on and off the field.

With a neatly tucked “80” jersey and a towel hanging from the back of his uniform, Jerry felt confident and knew that if he looked the part, he felt the part. And if he felt the part, there was no doubt he could get the job done.

“So many guys are faster, but when I put that uniform on, I feel like I can break into Superman and I believe I can’t be caught,” he said. “Once I put the step on you, I feel like I can go the distance.”

Although the belief in himself and his success gave him massive amounts of confidence on the field, this confidence only took him halfway to being one of the best to play professional football.

The other half involved being driven by the fear of failure. Growing up in Mississippi, Jerry did not enjoy a plush life. One of eight children and raised by parents who instilled in him the value of hard work and never quitting, Jerry said he developed a fear of failure.

“I wasn’t the physical or fastest receiver in the NFL, but they never clocked me on the way to the end zone,” Jerry said. “The reason no one caught me from behind is because I ran scared. That old fear of failure again.”

This fear caused him to dedicate himself and completely indulge in whatever was necessary to reach a goal. After he reached that goal, he made another one, and the process pressed onward. Jerry’s sprint from failure caused a nonstop motivation to constantly reinvent himself into a better player and overall person.

“I built an obsession with being the most conditioned athlete to play the game,” he said. “(Fear) was the thing that really pushed me because I didn’t want to let anyone down. Bill Walsh took a chance on me, I had my parents back home, Mississippi State Valley University …”

Although this fear caused Jerry some stress, especially in his first season with the 49ers, he constantly heard the little voice in the back of his mind telling him, “Never quit.”

In this, he spent countless hours in the gym, on the field, running dirt roads and thinking about what his next goal was going to be after conquering the one prior. In knowing that he was working as hard as possible, he was able to make big plays on the field and be an example of versatility with the 49ers and later the Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks.

The results left him atop the list for all significant receiving records, a three-time Super Bowl champion, two-time NFL All-Decade player (1980s and 1990s) and a member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team.

Hard work, dedication and the willingness to make big plays proved one thing: Mr. Clean was not afraid of getting dirty to ensure “fear” did not catch him.