TEMPE, Ariz. – The occasion doesn’t arrive very often when the NFL’s all-time leading rusher faces off against its all-time leading receiver.
That will be the case today, when Seattle’s Jerry Rice and Arizona’s Emmitt Smith bring career totals of 44,097 yards and 375 touchdowns into a matchup at Sun Devil Stadium.
To put those numbers in perspective, Rice and Smith have combined for 25 miles of offense. They’ve scored more points in their careers than the Seahawks’ entire franchise scored in the eight seasons between 1990 and 1997.
Rice and Smith have 508 games of experience, which adds up to 53 more than the 11 starters who will be on Seattle’s defense today.
That’s a lot of history for a couple of guys who are playing for two teams that have a grand total of four playoff victories in franchise history.
“They’re going to become Hall of Famers. You’re out there with greatness,” said Seahawks defensive end Chike Okeafor, who is Seattle’s oldest defensive starter at the age of 28. “It lets you know that it is attainable. There it is, right there in the flesh. It will help you strive to make that you.”
Rice, 42, and Smith, 35, have met many times before. A good chunk of those meetings have come in the postseason. In fact, the future Hall of Famers have gone head-to-head in almost as many playoff games (three) as the Seahawks and Cardinals have combined to win. And if they ever want to compare jewelry, Rice boasts four Super Bowl rings to “only” three for Smith.
“He’s one of the greatest, and just to see him on the field is going to be good,” Rice said. “He’s been good for the game throughout his career, and there’s a lot of respect there. Of course, I’ll say hello to him. And then after that, we’ll go at it.”
The matchup will mark the first time since Dec. 3, 1984, that the NFL’s all-time leading rusher and receiver will square off. That year, Chicago running back Walter Payton and San Diego wide receiver Charlie Joiner were on opposite sidelines.
Although Rice and Smith are a few yards away from their prime, both future Hall of Famers have kept themselves in remarkable shape.
“When I’m 42,” Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander said, “I’ll be up in the press box like, ‘Back when I played …’ “
What amazes Arizona coach Dennis Green about the pair is that they weren’t blessed with the imposing size or blazing speed that some of their counterparts brought to the NFL over the years.
“I don’t think you can look at them and say, ‘This guy, based on his physical stature, is going to be the best at his position,’ ” Green said. “What you don’t have is the ability to measure the heart that they have inside their chest. I think that Emmitt Smith has incredible heart, and Jerry Rice is legendary as far as his willingness to go out and compete for the ball every single down.”
Rice will be making his debut as a Seahawk today, while Smith is in his second season with the Cardinals. Smith ranks 10th in the NFC with 459 rushing yards this season.
Some of the Seahawks are looking forward to going against Smith, who broke the all-time rushing record in a game against Seattle two years ago. While they are awed by Smith’s numbers, they aren’t going to be asking for any autographs.
“He’s a record holder, and he’s a great player, but on Sunday he’s our opposition,” Okeafor said. “So I’m not really looking at him any way other than that.”
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