Jerry Rice’s Son Brenden Talks Comparison to His Father Ahead of Draft

For most children, following in their parent’s footsteps is a special kind of challenge. But following in the footsteps of your NFL Hall of Fame father? No pressure.

Jerry Rice’s son, Brenden Rice, is one of several second-generation football stars getting ready to take the leap to the professional level when the NFL Draft kicks off next Friday, April 25.

Rice, a 22-year-old wide receiver from the University of Southern California, opened up to the Associated Press this week about what it’s like to try and make a name for himself in the NFL — despite being so often compared to his father, who is widely regarded as one of the most talented wide receivers of all time.

“The standard is ridiculous so you can see what you’re expecting from me,” Rice told the AP.

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Brenden is Jerry’s only son from his marriage to Djakarta Edwards. Born in 2002, Brenden has two half-siblings — Jerry Jr., Jacqui Bonet Rice and Jada Symone Rice — through his father’s marriage to Jacqueline Bernice Mitchell. He also has one brother, Qualen, through his mom’s marriage to football coach Rick Cunningham.

The 6-foot-3, 210-lb. wide receiver racked up 12 touchdown catches and 791 yards receiving in his final year at USC, before declaring for the NFL Draft this off-season.

Reports have indicated several teams have interest in drafting Brenden, including the San Francisco 49ers, where his father played most of his career. There, he won three Super Bowls with the team over the course of 15 years, from 1985 to 2000.

Throughout his decorated career, Jerry caught 197 touchdowns and had 22,895 receiving yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Back in October 2023, Brenden told that he’s excited at the prospect of carrying on the family name as a successful NFL wide receiver.

“I’m truly fortunate and blessed to actually be able to come out here and get this father-son tradition going,” Brenden told PEOPLE on the set of a photo shoot, where he was recreating his dad’s original ad campaign shots for Breathe Right nasal strips.

He added, “You see the first generation, you see the second generation. So, now that his time has passed within the league, it’s like passing the torch.”

It’s a torch that might be heavy, but one Brenden told PEOPLE he’s looking forward to carrying given his father’s reputation as a player on and off the field.

“There’s a lot that goes into leadership and being that role model and I feel as though he presented himself as a perfect role model all his career and all his life,” he said.

The NFL Draft begins Friday, April 25 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.