Isaac Bruce Isaac Isidore Bruce ( born November 10 , 1972 ) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League . He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft . He played college football at the University of Memphis . An All - Pro and four - time Pro Bowl selection , Bruce amassed 15 , 208 receiving yards in his career ( third all - time ) . He played the first 14 years with the Rams and won a Super Bowl ring with the team in Super Bowl XXXIV . He also played for the San Francisco 49ers . During his time with the Rams , he was the leading receiver of The Greatest Show on Turf . Early years . Bruce was born in Fort Lauderdale , Florida . He graduated from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale in 1990 . As a senior , he caught 39 passes for 644 yards ( 16 . 5 yards per rec . avg . ) , was an All - County selection , and led his team to the 1989 Florida State 4 - A Championship . College career . Bruce went to West Los Angeles College , then to Santa Monica College before transferring to the University of Memphis in 1992 , where he finished his college football career with 113 receptions for 1 , 586 yards ( 14 . 0 yards per rec . avg . ) and 15 touchdowns . He earned a degree in physical education . Professional career . Los Angeles / St . Louis Rams . Bruce was drafted in the 2nd round ( 33rd overall ) by the Los Angeles Rams . He signed a 3 - year $ 1 . 75 million contract with the Rams on July 14 , 1994 . He earned the 1994 Carroll Rosenbloom Award , given to the team rookie of the year . He was also voted Rams Rookie of the Year by Orange County Sports Association and the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association . His first NFL reception was a 34 - yard touchdown throw from Chris Miller at Atlanta on September 11 , 1994 . After that touchdown , when Bruce made a catch , the Rams fans yelled " Bruuuuuuce " . He moved with the team to St . Louis in 1995 . In 1995 Bruce was named the NFC ' s week 1 Special Teams player of the Week after blocking a punt that contributed to a Rams win . He was also the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for week 6 following a 10 - catch , 191 yard , 2 TD performance . His total receiving yards for 1995 ( 119 catches for 1 , 781 yards ) was second only to Jerry Rice ' s then record of 1 , 848 yards for one season , and third overall after Rice ' s 1995 season and the current record - holder Calvin Johnson ' s 2012 season . In accomplishing this feat Isaac Bruce surpassed former Houston Oilers WR Charley Hennigan ’ s 34 - year - old record of 1 , 746 set in 1961 . Bruce ' s 119 catches also ranks ninth on the NFL ’ s all - time single - season reception list . Bruce further broke four Rams ’ records , including most receiving yards , most receptions , most consecutive 100 - yard receiving games ( 6 ) and most 100 - yard games ( 9 ) . Bruce made USA Today ’ s All - Joe team , All - Madden , and All - Pro by Sports Illustrated and he was voted a first alternate to the Pro Bowl . He was also awarded the Rams MVP . In 1996 Bruce led his team with 84 receptions and led the NFL with 1 , 338 yards . He became the first Rams receiver since Henry Ellard in 1990 and 1991 to post back - to - back 1 , 000 - yard seasons . Against the Baltimore Ravens on October 27 , 1996 , he caught 11 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown . On November 30 , 1996 , Bruce was re - signed by the Rams to a 4 - year $ 12 . 1 million contract extension . In 1996 Bruce was also voted to his first Pro Bowl , after having been an alternate the season before . The following seasons Bruce was hampered by hamstring injuries . In 1997 he missed the first six games due to injury and in 1998 he missed the final nine games ( he also missed two other games earlier in the season ) . In Atlanta on November 2 , 1997 , Bruce had another 200 - yard game , totaling 10 catches , 233 yards and recording 2 touchdowns . Prior to his injury in 1998 in a home game against the Minnesota Vikings , Bruce had 11 catches for 192 yards and an 80 - yard touchdown . In 1999 Bruce was a First - team All - Pro and was voted to his second Pro Bowl . He caught 77 passes for 1 , 165 yards and 12 touchdowns as Rams had a 13 - 3 record and advanced to the Super Bowl . He also led Rams in receiving yards in the playoffs , with 317 yards on 13 catches with a team - high two touchdowns . Bruce caught Kurt Warner ' s 73 yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XXXIV to give the Rams a 23 - 16 lead , which turned out to be the game winner . Prior to the 2000 season Bruce was re - signed by the Rams to a 7 - year , $ 42 million contract extension . In 2000 Bruce was again a Pro Bowler and caught 87 passes for 1 , 471 yards and 9 touchdowns . He became the first Rams receiver to earn back - to - back Pro Bowl invitations since Henry Ellard accomplished the feat for the 1988 - 1989 seasons . Bruce either led or was tied for the most receptions six times in 2000 , led the team in receiving yards six times , and posted four 100 - yard receiving games . That same year , Bruce and teammate Torry Holt became only the second WR duo from the same team to each gain over 1400 yards in the same season ( see Herman Moore and Brett Perriman ) . In 2001 the Rams returned to the Super Bowl , losing to the New England Patriots , and Bruce made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time , becoming only the third receiver in team history to earn three consecutive Pro Bowl invitations ( Elroy Hirsch 1951 - 53 , Jim Phillips 1960 - 62 ) . Bruce was voted offensive captain and became the franchise career leader in 100 - yard receiving games ( 29 ) , 1 , 000 - yard seasons ( 5 ) , and receiving touchdowns ( 56 ) . He became just the second player in team history to post 500 career receptions vs . New York Giants on October 14 , 2001 . He caught five passes for 56 yards against New England in Super Bowl XXXVI . Bruce became the Rams ’ all - time leader in receptions in 2002 while posting his fourth consecutive 1 , 000 - yard receiving season . That year he led the team with seven touchdown receptions , and ended the season with 79 receptions for 1 , 075 yards . On his 30th birthday , Bruce had three fumbles in a game . Luckily for Bruce , he scored a game winning touchdown and the game is almost forgotten because of 34 - 34 tie between the Falcons and Steelers the same day . In 2003 Bruce missed the 1 , 000 mark for the first time since 1998 , finishing with 69 catches for 981 yards and 5 touchdowns , however , he became the Rams ’ all - time leader in receiving yards ( 10 , 461 ) , passing his position coach Henry Ellard ( 9 , 761 ) . That year Bruce made seven receptions for 116 yards in the NFC Divisional Playoff Game vs . Carolina on January 10 , 2004 , making him the only Rams player to have four career 100 - yard postseason performances , breaking a tie with Tom Fears . In 2004 , Bruce caught 89 passes ( fifth in the NFC , eighth in the NFL ) for 1 , 292 yards ( fifth in the NFL ) . He started the season with four consecutive 100 - yard receiving performances , the first player to accomplish this feat since Houston ’ s Charley Hennigan in 1963 . Bruce nabbed a team - high nine catches for 170 yards and one touchdown at Green Bay on November 29 , 2004 . A foot injury hampered Bruce in 2005 , causing him to miss 5 games . Still , he caught his 800th career pass at Minnesota on December 11 , 2005 , becoming the 14th player in NFL history with 800 career receptions . On March 7 , 2006 , the Rams released Bruce rather than pay him a $ 1 . 5 million bonus ; however , five days after releasing him , the Rams agreed to a three - year , $ 15 million deal with Bruce . The re - signing freed a reported $ 7 . 5 million in cap money for the Rams . That season Bruce started 15 of 16 games and notched his eighth career 1 , 000 - yard receiving season with 1 , 098 yards on 74 catches with three touchdowns . In 2007 Bruce caught 55 passes for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns , second on his team only to Torry Holt in all three categories . On February 28 , 2008 , Bruce was released by the Rams after refusing to take a pay cut , which the Rams promised they would not do in a previous contract renegotiation . San Francisco 49ers . On February 29 , 2008 , Isaac Bruce signed a two - year , $ 6 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers , to reunite with his former offensive coordinator Mike Martz . Jerry Rice gave Bruce permission to wear the number 80 although the team had already retired it , however Bruce decided against it and instead wore 88 . On December 21 , 2008 , in a game at St . Louis against his former team , the Rams , Isaac Bruce caught his 1 , 000th career reception - a 3 - yard touchdown catch , the St . Louis fans cheered on their former wide receiver , yelling " Bruuuuuuuuce " whenever he caught a pass , and cheered when he caught his 1 , 000th pass . After contemplating retirement in the offseason , he elected to return to the 49ers in 2009 for his sixteenth season , reasoning that he was there to " get in the playoffs again and win a Super Bowl " . On June 7 , 2010 Bruce was traded from the 49ers to the Rams so that he would be able to retire as a Ram . Bruce was the last member of the former Los Angeles Rams to retire . Personal . He is nicknamed " The Reverend " because he wishes to become one after he finishes his football career ; he also wants to become a substitute teacher . Bruce is the elder cousin of Canadian Football League wide receiver Arland Bruce . Member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity . Philanthropy . Since 1996 , he has provided tickets to home games to various schools and youth organizations , including partnering with Haz - Waste to provide jerseys and limousine rides for children . He was United Way spokesman in 1996 - 97 and United Way African American Leadership Giver from 1997 - 99 . In 2008 , he recorded a public service announcement and personal voice message for the RESPECT ! Campaign against domestic violence .