Win or lose, the Faithful can count on one thing at 49ers home games: Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice will be there, and he might just fan out more than them.
That much was true in January as San Francisco faced the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at Levi's Stadium, and the 49ers' big win featured a moment Rice likely never will forget.
"This guy [49ers running back Christian] McCaffrey, I think he scored a touchdown," Rice recalled during the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event May 10. "He spiked the ball, then George Kittle ran over and picked the ball up and brought it to me and gave it to me, and it's like my entire career just flashed right in front of me."
Rice's face lit up with joy as he relived the moment with the event crowd, and he smiled as he told McCaffrey, who was with him on stage, that he still has the running back's touchdown ball. McCaffrey subsequently revealed when the 49ers watched film from the game in the following days, they had just as much fun watching the celebration -- and Rice's reaction -- back.
"... We watched that one on film, and we didn't know it was Jerry at first, and everyone's like, 'Who'd you give the ball to?' " McCaffrey recalled. "[Kittle's] like, 'Just look.' "
McCaffrey perfectly impersonated Rice's reaction to receiving the ball as the crowd erupted with laughter, and the moment was symbolic of the energy Rice brings to each and every game at Levi's Stadium.
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"I was like the biggest fan, I'm serious," Rice said of the moment. "I was like, 'Wow, I can't believe this is happening right now!' "
And former 49ers receiver John Taylor, who won three Super Bowls alongside Rice, explained his teammate's excitement.
"Honestly, he wants to play again," Taylor said. "That's why he's out there."
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Rice's presence always has been appreciated by the 49ers Faithful, whether he's sprinting down the field in his suit before a game at Levi's Stadium or back when he was catching touchdown passes at Candlestick Park.
And while Rice has plenty of trophies and accolades from his time as a player, it's clear McCaffrey's touchdown ball is something he'll treasure for years to come, too.