Simeon Rice

Lore & Background

Rice was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Mount Carmel High School. He began his college career at the University of Illinois, where he set a school record for sacks as a freshman and finished as the Big Ten's all-time sack leader. In the NFL, he played for the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, and New York Sentinels. He earned three Pro Bowl selections and won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed over TCF Bank Stadium as Rice lined up against the left tackle. The snap echoed through the cold air; he exploded off the line, shedding the blocker with practiced ease. With seconds on the clock and the quarterback scrambling, Rice closed in, forcing a hurried throw that hung in the icy wind before dropping incomplete.

Reader's Guide

Rice recorded 122 sacks, forced 25 fumbles, recovered 8, and intercepted 5 passes in his 12-year NFL career. He had at least 10 sacks in eight of his first ten seasons, including three seasons with at least 15 sacks. He was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1996. After football, he started a record label named Lucid Dream Entertainment.

Did You Know?

• Rice was selected third overall in the 1996 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
• He recorded 12.5 sacks as a rookie, tying a rookie record.
• Rice had 2 sacks in Super Bowl XXXVII as the Buccaneers defeated the Raiders.
• He is the all-time sack leader in the Big Ten Conference.