2007 NFL Draft:
Gamecock Sidney Rice Set To Become A Viking

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

It would be difficult for a receiver to string together a better high school career than Sidney Rice, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound wideout from South Carolina, who is entering the NFL early this year with 4.47 speed in the 40-yard dash.

Rice, who attended Gaffney High School in South Carolina, was Mr. Everything at the prep level. On the hardwood, he led his team to a perfect 28-0 record and a Class 4A state championship. Afterward, he was named South Carolina's Class 4A Player of the Year. That season, he averaged 18 points and seven rebounds per game.

Rice celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 29, 2006 in Memphis.

On the gridiron, Rice finished his career with 138 catches for 2,500 yards and 25 scores. He was routinely regarded as the best receiver in South Carolina and was named to the All-State team as well as garnering Offensive Player of the Year honors. As a junior, he tallied 38 receptions for 735 yards and 11 touchdowns. The next year, he caught 57 passes for 897 yards and seven scores.

The success carried over to the University of South Carolina, where Rice caught 142 passes for 2,213 yards and 23 TDs over two years. And now, as a second-round draft choice of the Minnesota Vikings, Rice heads into the National Football League.

"My freshman year was a little shaky getting off the line, but I worked on it a lot over the summer. I got stronger and that really helps," Rice recalls.

Though he'd be the frontrunner for many honors if he returned for his senior campaign, Rice says now is the time for him to enter the ranks of professional football.

"It was a pretty tough decision," he admits of his early declaration for the NFL. "I wanted to stay in school, but my family's financial situation really made the decision for me."

So, what kind of NFL receiver will he be?

"My ability to get open and catch the ball is my main strength. I get compared to Larry Fitzgerald a lot. He's a big receiver that can get open and can also block, and that's how I am," says Rice. "I have a 36-, 37-inch vertical leap and a lot of ability to make plays on the ball with my hands."

Rice has plenty of advice for high school football players, starting with character building.

"Be nice and down to earth. Don't get a big head. Just show up to work," he says. "Have a good character and respect everybody, especially your coaches. Go to the line ready to play every play and have a good attitude and work ethic."

That work ethic extends to the playing field, the classroom, and an athlete's personal life, too.

Rice says receivers should "work on blocking and route running. Get comfortable with every route, because if you can run them all well, that's a big asset to you. Besides that, just go out and do everything to the best of your abilities. That doesn't just mean playing hard, but practicing hard, too."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.