Brenden Rice Was Drafted By The Los Angeles Chargers The Same Day he Was The Paul-bearer for his Best Friends Funeral

Brenden Rice received the greatest news on one of the worst days of his life. Over the weekend in Dallas, he served as a pallbearer for his former teammate at Colorado, Keith Miller, who passed away two weeks ago. Amidst this sorrow, Jerry Rice’s son got a call from the Los Angeles Chargers in the sixth round, for which he was grateful.

The General Manager of the Chargers, Joe Hortiz, called Rice, hoping to uplift his spirits with the news he shared on Saturday.

“We’re on the clock,” Hortiz told Rice over the phone. “Oh thank God!” Rice exclaimed, excited, as Los Angeles was one of his top choices. “You guys don’t know how much I love Jim Harbaugh. I can’t wait to come play for y’all.”

Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, now coaching the Chargers, was on the line, and Rice was thrilled. “It’s good to hear from you, big dog,” Rice told the new coach. Harbaugh responded, “As Tom Brady said, it doesn’t matter if you’re drafted in the first round, sixth round, or seventh round, nobody can measure anybody’s heart.”

Rice, who was quarterback Caleb Williams’s second leading target last year, finished his career with 111 receptions for 1,821 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns. Check out the video of Rice finding out he was being drafted.

this is just the beginning for Brenden Rice. pic.twitter.com/xHigNGfTog

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) April 30, 2024