Jerry Rice knows what it takes to be a winner, and the San Francisco 49ers legend sees this year's team carrying a similar feeling to the ones he helped lead to three Super Bowl ***** les.
"I feel really good. … I think this is the year for the Niners," Rice told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco at the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. "I certainly hope so, and it's going to be up to those players to go out there and get it done. It starts real soon, and like a horse in the Kentucky Derby, I always knew when it was time. Those horses, they know when it's time to race. I think [with] the Niners, they probably feel the same way. So, this has to be a big year for them."
Rice, who 10-time All-Pro receiver before making the Pro Football Hall of Fame, pointed to the talent on both sides of the ball as a reason for optimism.
"I'm looking for a fun year,' he said. "I'm looking for the Niners to make a statement. They have a very good team now.
Part of that talent boost arrived in free agency, when San Francisco added veteran wide receiver Mike Evans. Rice, who met Evans before he signed, likes what the six-time Pro Bowler brings to the locker room.