Brenden Rice: Ready to Make His Own Legacy with the Chargers

Brenden Rice, son of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, is determined to leave his own mark on the NFL after being drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the seventh round. Despite a surprising drop in the draft, Rice is confident in his abilities and aims to make a significant impact in the Chargers' offense.

Brenden Rice, the son of the legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice, has embarked on his own NFL journey after being drafted in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Chargers. The younger Rice, who finished his college career with 1,821 receiving yards, had been projected as a Day 2 or Day 3 draft pick, so his slide to the final round came as a surprise to many, including his father.

"My dad was hot," Rice said with a smile. "You guys get the flash like ... the humble dude, right? Me, he's like, 'Hell no, we're going to take this to a different level. These guys going to feel us.'"

Rice's draft day was filled with both joy and sorrow. The Chargers called him while he was attending his friend's funeral, and the news of his draft pick came as a blessing in the midst of mourning.

"It was just like a blessing from God because he allowed me to go ahead and just mourn the death of my friend," Rice said, "and then after that just go ahead and be happy, and it was a glorious day."

Despite his unexpected tumble in the draft, Rice found a silver lining. Being drafted by the Chargers gives him the opportunity to catch passes from one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, Justin Herbert.

"I'm in the best position possible to go ahead and make my mark and make my own legacy. I went from Caleb Williams to Justin Herbert, and I'm in a room that's going to allow me to compete, day-in and day-out," Rice said.

With the Chargers having traded away wide receiver Keenan Allen and allowing Mike Williams to leave in free agency, Rice has a chance to play a significant role in the team's offense.

"Everything's upon me. If you guys don't see me coming on this fall, that's on me. If you guys see me out there, then I put in the necessary work to put my best foot in the door and go out there and produce."

Rice spent the first two seasons of his college career at Colorado before transferring to USC in 2022. He is confident in his abilities and is motivated to surpass his father's NFL rookie production.

"I feel as though we're neck and neck. I'm faster, and I heard his rookie season in the NFL wasn't good," Rice said. "I gotta go top him."

As the Chargers prepare for the upcoming season, Brenden Rice is determined to make a name for himself and leave his own legacy in the NFL. With the opportunity to learn from his father and the support of his team, Rice is ready to embrace the challenge and rise to the occasion.