Jerry Rice broke off the line of scrimmage, planted, turned, made a chest-high grab of Matt Hasselbeck’s hitch pass and immediately was taken to the ground.
The 5-yard play 4 1/2 minutes before halftime Sunday was an insignificant detail in the Seattle Seahawks’ 42-27 drubbing of the increasingly hapless San Francisco 49ers. But the Candlestick … er, 3Com … er, Monster Park crowd buzzed anyway.
It was a “thanks for the memories” salute to Rice, who gave 49ers fans 16 years of moments to savor. If he’s not the best player in NFL history, he’s in the team picture with Jim Brown, Walter Payton, John Unitas … a picture exclusive enough to require a very small frame.
And it’s either a tribute to or an indictment of his competitive nature that what’s likely to be his final catch on this field came on behalf of the Seahawks.
They took him off Oakland’s hands for a seventh-round draft pick after Rice gave the Raiders a use-me-or-lose-me ultimatum.
“I caught that little hitch and tried to put a move on, but the defense was too fast for me,” said Rice, 42. “It’s not that I’m any slower. It’s that the defense is a lot faster.”
While running back Shaun Alexander was shredding the 49ers for 160 yards and two touchdowns, Rice spent much of his day counseling receivers young enough to be his sons. Darrell Jackson, 25, caught five balls for 114 yards and two spectacular touchdowns. Rookie Jerheme Urban caught two, including a tough 33-yard grab over the middle that started the Seahawks on their decisive touchdown drive.
“I told him that was a big play, it got us some momentum, so enjoy it and go back out and make another one,” Rice said.
Urban, 22, was activated from the practice squad before the game because of uncertainty over Jackson’s injured ankle.
“It was tough,” Rice said. “Every time the coach called a certain formation, I started for the field. I wanted to be out there. But I knew what I was getting into when I came here. I’m here to support these young guys.”
Seattle coach Mike Holmgren was with the 49ers as an assistant through some of Rice’s greatest days, and he’s glad to have Rice around.
“In some ways he’s doing me a favor,” Holmgren said. “His work ethic, his preparation–having him here is going to make us a better football team. I don’t think you can put a price tag on what he means to the development of our young people.”
At game’s end Rice embraced longtime 49ers teammate Bryant Young.
“We went through a lot together, and I just wanted him to know that he’s a special guy to me,” Rice said.
There’s a shortage of those on the 49ers, whose 1-7 record is being exacerbated by nasty infighting. Brandon Lloyd, criticized by elder teammates for his nonchalance toward winning, was involved enough Sunday to make four catches for 79 yards and a touchdown.
“They played hard, but they just don’t have enough players,” Rice said. “Some of those young guys are going to have to step up if they’re ever going to get back to 49er football.”
Rice stopped short of taking a Cal Ripken victory lap as he left the field but did swing by the stands to slap hands with the remnants of the crowd on his way to the locker room. It was a nice moment.
“It hit me when the bus pulled up [Sunday] that I was coming home,” Rice said. “I heard the cheers when I caught that ball, I looked up in the stands and I saw all those No. 80 jerseys. I guess I did something right with the way I played the game.
“I have to pinch myself. I’m still living a dream.”
