Watters reveals Rice's secret to longevity

OAKLAND — Head for the hills. That's what Jerry Rice used to say.

He never had been what one might call "social" during his early days with the San Francisco 49ers, but he had a Zen-like aura surrounding him and when he spoke, everyone listened.

"We all knew what that meant," said Seahawks running back Ricky Watters. "That meant Jerry was going to work out. Anyone bold enough or man enough to join was going, too."

Rice adopted his training regimen from Walter Payton and Herschel Walker. Maybe it's a Southern thing, but the Mississippi transplant had taken this grueling workout program to the northern hills of California, where he trained during the offseason.

This wasn't an invitation-only gathering. Anyone could participate. But Rice had just one rule: Finish.

"Was it tough?" Watters said while laughing. "Yeah, it was tough. Five hours tough. We'd start on the mountains, where you're running trails and jumping over rocks and rough terrain and stuff like that. Then we'd go to the track at Menlo (College), then to the fields and then to the gym. Five hours. From 7 in the morning to 12.

"That's how I learned how to not get out of shape, from Jerry. He taught me to stay in shape the whole year round and I started understanding the value in that. He would never get out of shape. So to see him now like he is, nah, I'm not surprised. Jerry can play for another 10 years if he wants to."

In two weeks, Rice will celebrate his 39th birthday.

To put his age into proper perspective, the Raiders receiver is 17 years older than Seahawks rookie cornerback Ken Lucas, the man who will be primarily responsible for defending the future Hall of Famer when Seattle (1-1) plays Oakland (1-1) this afternoon at Network Associates Coliseum.

Despite Rice's advanced age, he was one of the most sought-after free agents when he left San Francisco after the 2000 season.

Of course, the Seahawks pursued him and they beat out at least three teams, but still finished second behind Oakland. Too bad there's no consolation prize for being a runner-up.

Had Seattle landed him maybe its offense wouldn't be in its current sorry state. Rice's nine catches for 94 yards for the Raiders surpass any Seahawks receiver. Maybe he could have regained his status as go-to guy in Seattle rather than accept a backup role in Oakland behind Tim Brown.

"It's not something that he has done in his 16, 17 years or whatever it's been," Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon said. "It's kind of foreign to him. He's getting more and more comfortable each week. I think that you'll see his production gradually increase each week as he gets more comfortable with what we're doing."

Rice's longevity in a sport where the average career is less than four years almost defies belief. He said he wants to play at least two more seasons and then he'll reassess.

"It's not so far from the truth to say guys like that are freaks of nature," said Warren Moon, 44, who played 23 years of professional football in the NFL and CFL. "I used to make that comparison. You look at George Foreman in boxing or Kareem Abdul Jabbar at 42 and still hitting sky hooks. Or Nolan Ryan who pitched a no-hitter when he was 41.

"There's certain guys in certain sports that are able to play longer than other guys. In football, like boxing, it's probably toughest. The pounding and the physical beating your body takes is incredible. What helps is avoiding injury and being in the best shape you can possibly be in."

The Seahawks are not without their Jurassic generation. Punter Jeff Feagles has not missed a game since 1988 and has started 210 consecutive games, the most at his position. Watters holds the current consecutive-starts streak for NFL running backs at 115. Defensive tackle John Randle, linebacker Levon Kirkland, safety Marcus Robertson and defensive end Michael Sinclair have all played at least 10 seasons.

Rice has overcome two knee injuries and posted 1,000-yard years in 12 seasons.

"He leads by example," Watters said. "You have to watch the guy. When other people are eating chips, this guy is eating grapes and oranges. He's the most dedicated football player I know."

Watters' favorite Rice story describes how the receiver wanted to improve his quickness.

"One day I see him and he's just making these quick jabs with his feet. So I'm watching him for a second and ask, 'What are you doing?' He tells me he's trying to get to full speed by his second step.

"And when he said that I was just amazed. By his second step? He's pushing himself to a level that maybe human beings can't even do, but that's the thing. He's always doing something."

The two former 49ers haven't seen each other in over a year, and when they reunite today, it will be a little strange for Watters to see his former teammate wearing the silver-and-black Raiders jersey.

"It has to be a little weird for him because it's weird for me seeing him in any other uniform other than the 49ers," he said. "Jerry Rice and San Francisco, they go together. You can't think of one without thinking of the other.

"But I'm happy for him. If that's what he wants to do. It seems like he wants to keep on playing and like I said, he could play for another 10 years if he wanted to."

Percy Allen can be reached at 206-464-2278 or pallen@seattletimes.com.