. back to the line tonight, mississippi state, number 80 jerry rice... >> when jerry rice first came in, we remembered him and you saw what he developed into and he kept getting better and better and going on and on and on. he just did everything. he could catch the short ball, carry in the long one, he will get behind you and to this day

he knew he was going to the post. no matter what you would think how could you let him get behind you. jerry rice is the greatest ball player ever to play the game. >> when the money is on the line, when the money is on the line jerry rice will come through. welcome to a second look. by the end of his career, it was commonplace to simply refer to him as the greatest football player ever but there were a lot of inn bee between -- in betweens. we look at the road to canton and nobody ever traveled it with a better hic than -- ethic than jerry rice. here are the bullet points from the career of jerry lee rice.

>> he was considered too slow for the nfl but in 1985, the 49ers made a deal to move up in the draft and selected jerry rice as the 16th player overall. >> they had just come off the super bowl and i was like oh, my g-d. when i first came in i was dropping balls. a lot of criticism and people were saying why does bill walsh make this guy their number one choice. >> reporter: but jerry proved he belonged setting several records including 207 touchdowns. >> there is no coincidence. >> joe and i had a chemistry that was just amazing. he was like magic. >> when he was out running, you knew he would let the ball go

early because you knew where he was going. >> reporter: jerry insists, records are not that important. >> i wanted to be the best player i could possibly be. my father was a tough man and if i didn't get dis-- that helped me right there. >> most human beings rest on supreme talent and he took that and didn't rest a day. >> looking for that perfect game, man, i never got to that perfect game though. >> he may be the best football player i have ever seen. to me it wraps up who he is. >> he made 189 straight games before a major injury in 1987. >> he played in the super bowl with an injury.

he was accustomed to being able to perform with pain. >> you can arc by call him -- arguably call him the greatest player. >> and fortunately i was able to go across the bay to the oakland raiders and had a few good seasons there. >> reporter: he ended his nfl career, some felt he stayed too long. >> i think it was only right to decide it was time to walk away. >> you know, i don't want to drop left. i admired that. many times that was my own philosophy but he won in every drop out. i loved that about him. >> then he found a new audience

viewers of dancing with the stars. >> i remember the media sailing this guy is gash saying this guy -- saying this guy is going to ruin his career. is he doing it to stay in the spotlight? >> reporter: since then he wrote his biography, he now has a new reality show coming out on the learning show, but he is first and foremost a football player. he signed a one day contract to officially retire as 49ers. >> i remember looking up and you know tears just start rolling down my face because i am like, man, i am here. this is what i dreamed about as a kid. >> he learned it was being how

good can i ever get. >> will there ever be -- he made it to the camp and second look continues.

. he is open, touchdown...

[applauds] [crowd noise] >> bill walsh who coached jerry rice for much of his lengthy career was the first to recognize what a true talent he was. out of mississippi state, the shrewd eye of bill walsh arranged a draft day trade that would change the history of the san francisco team when they made the deal i was there when they made him a 49er. >> they played it up and got a very busy wide receiver, he reports the whole thing. >>reporter: they select jerry rice, they are comparing him to john jefferson. he timed 4-5 in the 40, catching 214 passes in the last

couple of years and he held 1 touchdowns. >> i think we will use him as we can and we will be in the public part of the year. >> first day he comes to camp. i have to guard him. george was the defence coordinator and he says, hey, i want you to cover this kid and i said okay. not only did they run a route and i said okay i got that and right at the last minute he decided to do a double move and when he did that double move it turns out he is gone. i don't have that.

>> he is going to be a pretty good player and this guy is a great player. this guy is the best receiver on the 49ers. he was the best receive in the league. they never changed. every time he touched the ball typically it turns up the field around 10 or 15 and he turns around and comes back. first we were laughing at him saying the rookie was trying to impress the coach and then you rallies, no that is what he does. >> jerry rice would lead him on to a football field and he took that god given talent and he added his legendary work to it. let's take a look at the

grueling work out that helped jerry rice become all universe on a football field. >> i am a heavyweight. it has been so hard. .. are we having fun now? >> only someone who likes to hurt himself would consider this fun and if you keep up with jerry rice, you are on the right track. >> as good as he is, he is still working to get better. he always bring me there saying watch my foot work, does it looks like i am go thing off the bar. you can't do that it makes you want it work twice as hard. >> if you could stay with that

you could stay with any defense event in the world. i am lightheaded. >> rickey has replaced him in the san francisco back field. the work ethic has been passed down from one football generation to the next. >> what a run by rocky, we'll see. >> you know it is funny, one off season we were training so hard we had to separate ourselves. >> i still enjoy it. >> i can remember we were running some 200 works outs and for some reason he kept running 22-23, so i am not going to all right them slow down.

when it came to conditions, jake la lane could not keep up. these guys worked at it and they made all of us better because that is who they are. >> i mean you would go and run it all the way to the end zone and scored. pretty soon roger was there and so i think it really hundreded the whole team. >> because he never rests ever, i mean the day after the super bowl. heel get up do his work out and make sure he has done his sprint and that is in the hotel in miami after the super bowl. take a day off, right? every other how man being would take a day off. >> you think it was also a challenge and it may me the best player i could possibly

be. >> still ahead, montana, the try sector elect freeze the bay area. hear their story as a second look continues.

. in the days before the salary cap, guys were able to stock pile talent like never before and the 49ers were absolutely loaded with big names on both sides of the ball with the likes of jerry rice, joe montana and steve young just to name a few who despite very different personalities always seemed to make it work for the betterment of the team.

[crowd noise]. >> i think chemistry takes a little bit of time and in other cases like with jerry, it is a good things to find a way to get behind people and so you find a way to make it work quick. >> joe knew my body this way or that way. if i broke down he knew i was ready to come out of my route and there are receivers that are easy to tell they are going to do things and he was one of them. when he was running rounds he knew where the ball was going. >> it was a perfect match, bill walsh as a coach, joe montana as a quarterback and jerry rice as the receiver, that is pretty strong. >> rice hooked up with the

quarterback steve young. he was brought to the team to replace montana several years earlier and everyone to the players themselves, waited with baited breath as to how the decision to the 49ers golden boy would all play out. [crowd noise] [applauds] >> young cut back, touchdown. >> after many times with the situation with joe and i went as well as it could. you know it couldn't go any better. as hard and as tough as it was i don't know how he did any better. that was amazing after developing a new relationship back to back there were light years in between with joe on the sidelines with a hurdle bow and i am on -- with a hurt

elbow and i am on the field. >> every time i got into my route what i was doing as defender, i would hear the crowds just go crazy and i was thinking steve is ready to throw me a football but steve had to get used it a whole different style in many ways. he had the ball spinning funny saying i can't catch it. >> i got comfortable with it and all of a sudden it seemed so weird, when i look back i know it puts you in a place where you are successful. >> those are growing pains from all angles i think he handled well. >> he sits down and tells us

what to expect next on second look.

. receivers out to the left, touchdown of jerry rice, off side against cincinnati, a flag down... >> once the selection process is complete and the toasts have been made to the new induct east into -- inductors into the hall of fame, a permanent bust will stand forever inside the actual hall of fame facility in canton ohio. we caught up with jerry rice on the day his image was forged for all eternity. >> for the first time in his life, jerry rice was beside himself. >> it is odd, it is weird seeing myself. >> reporter: it all came about

with copt to your who is -- with a sculpturer who is after some careful truth any like what happened he saw -- careful scrutiny liked what he saw. >> that is from 8:00 to about 4:00 and watching that unfold is amazing. i think he did a fantastic job and i can't wait for him to unveil that. >> rice is in good hands with boss well whose -- boss well who's connection guess back to 1982. he will be the 7th 49er. >> i am trying to capture the eyes and nose and everything

else likewise. >> i am trying to capture that expression that says it is not always easy and i think i am getting close with jerry here. >> all that is left is to hear directly from the man himself. we have seen him go from a football hall of fame career, what will he do now? we caught up with jerry and asked him that very question. >> after the time out, jerry rice, touchdown... >> when you score at least one touchdown in four different super bowls you are used to performed under pressure but his speech could be a real test of nerves just like when he was headed to canton. >> it will be worse than ever because you never know what

your emotions will be to be part of a very elite group like that. but whatever happens, it will be sincere and it will be a lot of fun. >> but two important people in jerry's life will not be, the late bill walsh and his father who is also -- deceased. >> you know he taught me how to be a man and with bill walsh, i don't think i would have gotten drafted without bill and to take a chance like that, to make this player your first round draft choice, the 16th player chosen, it takes a lot of guts. >> it takes a lot of guts to play golf in front of people too, jerry. >> yeah it does. i think the misconception is i want the spotlight and of course you are going to have

some growing pains. i first came and had to work through that adversity and i was able to do that but if i am going to take hawthorn seriously, i have to do it every day. >> nfl hall of fame, there is not much left, my friend. >> you know i have been very fortunate, but the people that you have around you, because i know those guys really, they helped me score so many touchdowns. 200 touchdowns, the 20,000 yards, 1,500 catches, all of that, the rest is after catch. >> we all love to be loved, where is the love coming from now? >> i get it from the fans because i did it is right away.

when they come to the game or if they watched it on television, they knew i was always giving 100%, so anywhere i go now, people know me from football, they know me from dancing with the stars, they know me from golf, so you know it is funny because i i have to hesitate because i don't know if they know me from football or daning with the -- "dancing with the stars." small town coming from san francisco, i have been successful. it is great. >> the 49ers will retire jerry's number later this fall about the same time he turns 48, yet jerry seems to have a good perspective about this next phase of his life. >> take risks and put yourself out there. >> wow, i didn't expect an answer.

i got one. >> jerry rice is not the greatest football player of all times, he is certainly in top ten and definitely a hall of famer. that's it, thanks for watching.