USC receiver Brenden Rice, on dad/critic Jerry: ‘You listen to the GOAT'

The Hall of Famer studying the slo-mo replay was impressed. He’d been watching a clip of USC receiver Brenden Rice running an out route. Problem was, when he turned for the pass, it was low.

Lower than knee-level low.

No matter. Rice still made the grab before momentum took him out of bounds.

“That’s an incredible grab,” Michael Irvin said.

Next to Irvin, however, came a dissenting voice from another Hall of Famer.

“He’s gotta drag that back foot,” the man said, referencing that in the NFL, both feet must be in bounds.

It’s a voice Rice has been hearing all his life. Jerry Rice is, after all, his dad. So when a clip of Jerry’s criticism was played for Brenden, it hardly surprised him.

“I told my dad, like, ‘Man, Pops, you a hater. Just so you know that,’ ” Brenden said, laughing.

More: UM lineman spent month in mental health rehab. Will NFL scouts penalize him for it? | Habib

Turning serious, Brenden added during his interview on NFL Network, “You listen to the GOAT here. So he’s always going to have some type of criticism, especially as a father and just being that figure in my life.

“So getting that criticism from him and saying I’ve got to go ahead and drag that back foot — even though I did get two feet in — man, you’ve got to take it with a grain of salt at all times.”

Brenden is a 6-foot-2, 208-pound receiver at USC, where he played his final two seasons after spending two seasons at Colorado. In 12 games last season, he caught 45 passes for 791 yards (a 17.6 average) and 12 touchdowns.

For his career, Rice scored 21 touchdowns on only 111 receptions, meaning he was in the end zone an average of once every 5.2 catches.

Still, Rice is rated by NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein as being a likely backup in the NFL “with potential to develop into a starter.” He’s seen as a likely mid-round pick, although it’s also possible a team might view him as a sleeper because of his pedigree. His genes include the greatest receiver in NFL history who was a draft steal himself, going to San Francisco only 16th overall in 1985 out of Mississippi Valley State.

“It's just a blessing to have that last name Rice and know that people expect so much from you,” Brenden said. “I was able to take the work ethic from him and each day-in and day-out I've got to put my best foot forward and know I'm grinding toward something different, which separates me in this class of receivers.”

But Brenden isn’t sweating where he’ll be drafted. He grew up a 49ers fan (big shock there) and points to San Francisco’s quarterback, Brock Purdy, the last pick in 2022, as evidence that draft status takes a back seat to production once you’re on the field.

“It doesn’t matter when your number’s called,” Brenden said. “He’s called Mr. Irrelevant, but he made the most of his opportunity. That’s all that matters.”

Brenden’s meetings at the NFL combine included a formal gathering with the 49ers.

“Man, it was ecstatic just going over some of the topics of how I can get better, how I can contribute to the 49ers team and just be a part of what my dad left a legacy at.”

Brenden ran the 40 in 4.5 at the combine. The scramble was on to compare that to his father’s combine performance, but it’s unanswerable because it’s not definitively known. Some say Jerry ran just a 4.7. The 49ers had him closer to 4.6. Brenden just knows Pops was fast enough — and he’s reminded of that all the time. Jerry reportedly punctuates his texts to his son not with a period but with a goat emoji.

“He always said, ‘You've got a last name, so you got a target on your back. Make sure you stay in the moment and don't make the moment too big. Don't overthink and you'll be just fine,’ ” Brenden said.

Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.

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Like father, like son

Sons of NFL players available in the 2024 draft.

RB Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss: Son of RB Frank Gore

WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State: WR Marvin Sr.

WR Luke McCaffrey, Rice: WR Ed McCaffrey

WR Brenden Rice, USC: WR Jerry Rice

WR Jordan Whittington, Texas: RB Arthur Whittington

OL Joe Alt, Notre Dame: OT John Alt

OL Javon Foster, Missouri: DL Jerome Foster

OL Drake Nugent, Michigan: QB Terry Nugent

DL Jonah Elliss, Utah: DL Luther Elliss

DL Jaylen Harrell, Michigan: LB James Harrell

DL Kris Jenkins, Michigan: DT Kris Jenkins

LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson: LB Jeremiah Trotter

89th NFL DRAFT

Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza, Detroit

Round 1, Thursday, April 25, 8 p.m.

Rounds 2-3, Friday, April 26, 7 p.m.

Rounds 4-7, Saturday, April 27, noon

To follow along: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio

First pick: Chicago Bears

Dolphins' picks: Round 1/21; Round 2/55; Round 5/158; Round 6/Pick 184 (from CHI); Round 6/198; Round 7/241

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: USC receiver Brenden Rice, on dad/critic Jerry: ‘You listen to the GOAT'