Brenden Rice knows better than most what it’s like to be in the constant presence of greatness.
The 22-year-old NFL Draft prospect out of USC does not shy away from the fact that his father is none other than Jerry Rice, the San Francisco 49ers legend considered by many to be the greatest wide receiver of all time. But Brenden, who is also a receiver, has spent the past two seasons forming a friendship with — and catching passes from — another legend in quarterback Caleb Williams, who is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
And Brenden Rice had nothing but good things to say about Williams during a recent appearance on Keyshawn Johnson’s “All Facts No Brakes” podcast.
“He’s a dynamic guy,” Rice said. “He’s gonna battle day in and day out. I have full trust in him because I’ve had to follow him, and he’s led us time and time again. He’s brought us back to earth. …[He’s] the type of guy you want to go play with and play for.”
It’s because of that leadership ability, Rice said, that he believes Williams will embrace the challenge of being the next hoped-for franchise quarterback of the Chicago Bears, who hold that first overall pick in next April’s draft.
“I don’t see him going ahead and pulling one of those Eli Mannings,” Rice said. “I think he’s gonna go stick out the situation and ball out in the beautiful city of Chicago because that’s who he is.”
Rice was referring to Manning’s infamous trade request ahead of the 2004 NFL Draft, when Manning and his camp made it known that the quarterback would refuse to play for the then-San Diego Chargers should they draft him No. 1 overall. The Chargers eventually did just that — but then traded him to the New York Giants, acquiescing to Manning’s demand.
Though Williams comes in with pre-draft hype rivaling that of Manning or future Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway, who made a similar demand that led to him ending up with the Denver Broncos instead of the then-Baltimore Colts,…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/caleb-williams-wont-pull-an-eli-manning-with-bears-usc-teammate-says
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Publish date : 2024-03-22 01:16:25
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