Jerry Rice Jr receives praise from Ravens’ John Harbaugh
By Josh Sanchez
One of the most notable names in the Baltimore Ravens rookie minicamp is the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer. The player, Jerry Rice Jr., is a longshot to make the team’s roster, but he has been looking good in camp and he has even caught the eye of head coach John Harbaugh.
When speaking of the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Rice, Harbaugh stated that he has been very impressed with what he has seen on the field so far.
“Yeah, I’ll tell you, Jerry Rice, Jr. has done a nice job,” Harbaugh said. “First of all, he is a really good athlete. He doesn’t have his dad’s size, but he’s sure got his athleticism. When you watch him run, he runs in a real similar way. And the other thing is he’s got that West Coast offense down. He has probably had that playbook since he was in the cradle. He knows all the rules on the crossing routes and what to do, very good hands, very smooth athlete. He did a real nice job.”
It seems as though Rice Jr. knows that he will have a long, uphill battle to make the team’s roster, but he is ready to put in the work and has enjoyed the experience so far.
“I think it’s gone well,” Rice Jr. said. “Regardless of how everything goes, because I know it’s a business, I enjoyed it and I think I did well and I’m proud of myself. All I can do is be thankful for this opportunity.”
It would be great to see Jerry Rice Jr. crack through and make his way onto the NFL, but it will be up to him to prove to the Ravens that he is deserving of a spot for more reasons than his last name. So far, so good for the youngster, but there is still a long way to go in the offseason.