Ken Rice (American football)

Ken Rice

refer to caption

Rice in 1961
No. 75
Position: Tackle / guard
Personal information
Date of birth: (1939-09-14) September 14, 1939
Place of birth: Bainbridge, Georgia
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school: Bainbridge (GA)
College: Auburn
NFL Draft: 1961 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
AFL draft: 1961 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • AFL All-Star (1961)
  • All-American (1959-1960)
  • All-SEC (1958-1960)
  • SEC Most Valuable Offensive Lineman (1959-1960)
  • SEC Most Valuable Defensive Lineman (1960)
  • Freshman All-SEC (1957)
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 79
Games started: 4
Player stats at NFL.com

Kenneth Earl Rice (born September 14, 1939) is a former an American football offensive tackle in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, and the Miami Dolphins. Rice played college football at Auburn, where he was named a two-time All-American.

Early years

Ken Rice was born in Attapulgus, Georgia on September 14, 1939 and moved to Bainbridge before high school. At Bainbridge High School, Rice played football, basketball, baseball and track field.[1][2] In track and field, Rice was a three-time state champion in shot put, a state champion in the discus throw and participated in relay races.[1]

Rice was received offers from FSU, Tennessee and Georgia Tech. Eventually, Rice chose to attend Auburn.[1]

College career

Rice attended Auburn University from 1957 to 1960, playing football on both the offensive and defensive lines. As a sophomore in 1958, Rice was named to the SEC's All-Sophomore Team as the Tigers posted a 9-0-1 record. Rice was named an All-American in 1959 and was voted the best offensive linemen in the SEC.[3][4] In his senior season, Rice was once again named an All-American and was once again voted the best offensive lineman in the SEC.[4][3] Rice was also voted the best defensive linesman in the conference that year.[3]

In 1992, Rice was elected into Auburn's Team of the Century by fans.[4] Rice also lends his name to the Ken Rice Award, an annual award given to the best offensive lineman at Auburn.[5]

Professional career

Rice was drafted in the first round in both the 1961 NFL Draft and the 1961 AFL draft.[6] Rice played for seven years for the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, and the Miami Dolphins, playing in 79 games total.[2] In 1961 during his rookie season, he was selected to the 1961 AFL All-Star game. He was also named a second team All-AFL lineman that season.[2]

In 1964, Rice was traded to the Oakland Raiders.[7] In 1966, the Miami Dolphins drafted Rice from the Raiders during the 1966 AFL Expansion Draft.[8][9] Rice retired from football after the 1967 season due to a back injury.[3] He was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1989.[5]

Personal life

Rice resides in Big Canoe, Georgia, where he has been involved in real estate development since the early 1970s.[3][10][11] Rice met Billie Ann Perrin while attending Auburn and the two married on June 20, 1959.[12] The couple purchased the summit of Mount Oglethorpe, the original southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, in 1995, and opened the summit to the public in 2014.[11][13] Billie Ann Rice died on June 7, 2014 at age 77.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Murphy, Mark. Game of My Life Auburn Tigers: Memorable Stories of Tigers Football. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. 2011. ISBN 1613215657. Chapter 19.
  2. 1 2 3 Ken Rice. pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Former Auburn Player Ken Rice Named Walter Gilbert Award Recipient. auburntigers.com. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Auburn Football 2015 Media Almanac. auburntigers.com. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 Ken Rice. Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Boyles, Bob. Guido, Paul. The USA Today College Football Encyclopedia. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. 2009. pp. 135.
  7. ↑ Shmelter, Richard. The Raiders Encyclopedia: All Players, Coaches, Games and More through 2009-2010. McFarland, Incorporated Publishers. 2011. pp. 222.
  8. ↑ "Dolphins Get 8 More in Draft." Associated Press. 19 January 1966.
  9. ↑ Nogle, Kevin. Miami Dolphins Historical Perspective Part 1 - 1965 and 1966. 18 May 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  10. ↑ Accolades not new to Rice. bigcanoenews.com. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  11. 1 2 Ken and Billie Ann Rice of Waterford Mountain Properties Announces the Designation of Eagle’s Rest as a Public Park in Pickens County, Georgia. prweb.com. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  12. 1 2 In Memoriam - Billie Ann Perrin Rice. bigcanoenews.com. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  13. ↑ Tidwell, Wayne. Eagle’s Rest Park atop Mt. Oglethorpe marks its second year. Big Canoe News. 30 November 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
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