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| Sidney Rice | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sidney Rice |
| Birth date | 1 November 1986 |
| Birth place | Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in |
| Weight | 208 lb |
| College | University of Minnesota |
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Nfl draft | 2007, 2, 44 |
| Pastteams | Minnesota Vikings (2007–2010), Seattle Seahawks (2011–2013) |
Sidney Rice (born November 1, 1986) is a former American professional National Football League wide receiver who played for the Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks. A second-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, he was a key target for quarterbacks such as Brett Favre and Russell Wilson and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2009. Rice won a Super Bowl XLVIII ring as a member of the Seahawks' roster.
Rice was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raised in the region surrounding Lake Harriet and South Minneapolis. He attended South High School, where he played on varsity teams coached by local staff and competed in Minnesota high school athletics. As a standout at wide receiver and defensive back, he drew attention from programs including the University of Minnesota, Florida State University, University of Kansas and recruits tracked by Rivals.com and Scout.com. In his senior year he earned all-state honors in the Minnesota Associated Press, participated in regional combines, and posted statistics that made him one of the top prospects in the Big Ten Conference recruiting footprint.
Rice played college football at the University of Minnesota for the Golden Gophers under head coach Glen Mason. As part of Minnesota’s offense, he lined up opposite a rotation that included Donavan McCulley and contributed in games against Ohio State University, Penn State University, Wisconsin Badgers and others in the Big Ten. Over his collegiate tenure he developed route-running and contested-catch skills, producing performances that put him on the radar of NFL Scouting Combine evaluators. His production and measurables led to invitations to pre-draft meetings with scouts from franchises such as the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
Selected in the second round (44th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, Rice joined an offense featuring veteran receivers and quarterback Brett Favre later in his Vikings tenure. He recorded his first NFL touchdown in his rookie campaign and emerged as a vertical threat by 2008. In 2009 he posted career highs and was named to the Pro Bowl roster, finishing the season among the league leaders in yards per reception.
In 2011 Rice signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, joining a roster built by general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll. Paired with emerging talents such as Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and the Seahawks' defensive core featuring Richard Sherman, Rice contributed as a possession and red-zone target. He was on the Seahawks' roster during their run to Super Bowl XLVIII and earned a championship ring after the victory over the Denver Broncos. Persistent injuries, including concussions and lower-body ailments, limited his availability; he missed significant time in 2012 and 2013, and briefly retired before attempting a comeback that did not return him to his earlier production.
Rice was known as a tall, contested-catch specialist with body control and high-pointing ability, traits compared by analysts to other size receivers like Plaxico Burress and Anquan Boldin. He excelled on deep routes, seam patterns, and contested targets in the red zone, often used on play designs drawn up by offensive coordinators such as Brian Schottenheimer and Darrell Bevell. Over his NFL career he accumulated over 4,000 receiving yards and scored multiple receiving touchdowns, ranking among notable receivers of his draft class alongside players like Calvin Johnson and Donovan McNabb’s contemporaries. His performance metrics included yards per reception and catch rate in targeted contested-catch situations evaluated by scouting services and analytics groups such as Pro Football Focus.
Rice has family roots in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area and has been involved with community initiatives and youth football programs in the Twin Cities, collaborating with local organizations and charities. He has connections with teammates and contemporaries including Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and former coaches from both college and professional levels. Off the field, Rice has engaged in business ventures and media appearances related to National Football League alumni activities and participates in events hosted by franchises and former-player associations.
Rice’s legacy includes a Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl championship as part of the Seahawks’ 2013–2014 season. He is remembered in the Minnesota Vikings community for his early-career impact and in the Seattle Seahawks community for his role in the franchise’s first Super Bowl title. His career is often cited in discussions about the physical toll of professional football and the management of player health by organizations like the NFL Players Association. He remains a figure in retrospective analyses of receivers from the 2007 NFL Draft class and in Minnesota sports history.
Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers football players Category:Minnesota Vikings players Category:Seattle Seahawks players Category:American football wide receivers