Jerry Rice, who was named by the NFL Network as the greatest player in league history, has been hired by ESPN as an analyst, with the formal announcement to be made later this week. The Hall of Famer – the NFL’s greatest receiver with 208 touchdowns, 1,549 receptions, and 22,895 receiving yards – will be appearing on the network’s NFL Live, SportsCenter, and Audibles, the last of which will see Rice reuniting with his former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young.

Rice is no stranger to the media, though. Besides his season on Dancing With the Stars, he co-hosted Sports Sunday on NBC Bay Area last season, has served as an analyst for BBC Television’s coverage of the NFL, and has co-hosted a Sirius NFL Radio show.

His being hired by ESPN is, however, his most prestigious media gig by far. He will be joined by other ex-players Hugh Douglas and Damien Woody, as well as former Cleveland Browns and New York Jets coach Eric Mangini.

Rice is set to begin appearing on ESPN starting September 15 and will be based on the West Coast.

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