Jerry Lee Rice Sr. (born October 13, 1962) is a retired American football wide receiver who played with the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. He was named to the Pro Bowl after each of his first nine seasons and was considered one of the best receivers of all time before being surpassed by Tim Dwight and Andre Johnson. He finished his career with 1,542 receptions for 21,438 yards and 153 touchdowns. He also returned kicks and served as the team's punt returner on occasion. In addition to his work with Bay Area News Group, Rice has been active in social issues including efforts to combat poverty and violence against women. He is also involved in charitable projects in his home state of Louisiana. Rice was born in New Orleans and raised there by his mother after his father died when he was young. He began playing college football at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he was a four-year letterman and two-time All-American. The San Francisco 49ers selected him with the eleventh overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft. He earned several awards during his career, including three straight Pro Bowl selections from 1989 to 1991 and ten consecutive years with at least one touchdown reception.