By Art Spander
For RealClearSports.comHe was the bricklayer's son with the hands of a craftsman and the heart of a poet. He was driven by the fear of failure, motivated by the joy of success, figuratively always looking behind him to stay in front of those who literally never could catch him.
From the line of scrimmage to the goal line there may never have been a more productive offensive player than Jerry Rice, who came to the San Francisco 49ers from the dirt roads and self-doubt of rural Mississippi and for years never missed a game and rarely missed a pass.
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