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Here's everything to know about the Rice family, including the sons who followed in his footsteps.

While GOAT debates across various sports may seem never-ending, there's no arguing Jerry Rice's place as one of the best to ever catch a football.

No player has amassed more receiving yards or scored more touchdowns than Rice, who last took the field during the 2004 season. Over 20 years after catching his last pass, however, Rice's legacy lives on through the receivers he inspired and those he taught the game to. Literally.

Rice passed the game down to football-playing sons, one of whom heard his name called during the 2024 NFL Draft. Here is everything to know about the Rice family, including the sons who followed in his footsteps.

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Jerry Rice son: Brenden Rice

Brenden is Jerry's only son with Djakarta Edwards.

Brenden was born in 2002 in Chandler, Ariz., and raised by his mother. In 2019, he admitted to Cronkite News that, “I did not have that father figure for a long period of time and she truly took over both roles," but in later years, he developed a strong relationship with his father.

“It truly has gone from, ‘Yeah we talk but nothing too close’ to actually being, ‘Hey, what’s up’ anytime throughout the day," Brenden said.

Brenden was a three-star football recruit in the class of 2020 and chose to play at Colorado over offers from Michigan, Arizona, and California, among other schools.

Rice spent two seasons at Colorado under head coach Karl Dorrell before transferring to USC, where he would have three years of eligibility because of the extra year granted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At USC, Rice started in 23 of the 25 games he appeared in, catching 76 passes for 1,255 yards and 15 touchdowns, 11 of which came in the 2023 season. He elected to forego his final season and was selected by the Chargers with the 225th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

MORE: How Brenden Rice's combine performance compares to his dad's

Jerry Rice son: Jerry Rice Jr.

Jerry Jr. is the son of Jerry Sr. and his ex-wife, Jackie Mitchell.

Jerry Jr. was born in 1991 and is the oldest of Jerry Sr.'s children. He was born and raised in the Bay Area while his dad starred for the 49ers and Raiders. He walked on at UCLA, where he caught nine passes for 69 yards in his career. After graduating from UCLA, he transferred to spend his final season of eligibility at UNLV.

He caught 11 passes for 86 yards with the Rebels over five games in his final year before going undrafted in 2014. He entered training camp with Washington but was placed on Injured Reserve after suffering a torn labrum and ultimately waived in 2015. Jerry Jr. spent one season on the practice roster of the CFL's Montreal Alouettes.

Jerry Jr. is now a real estate agent in the Bay.

2024 was an incredible year! 🎉 I’m honored to have helped 24 families achieve their real estate dreams🙌

Thank you to all my clients, friends, and family for trusting me with such an important milestone in your lives.

Here’s to helping even more families in 2025! 🏠✨ pic.twitter.com/u5kU0nBxYK
— Jerry Rice Jr (@Flash80jr) January 19, 2025

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Jerry Rice daughters

Rice has two daughters with his first wife, Jackie Mitchell.

Jaqui Rice Gold

Jaqui Rice Gold was born in 1987 and is Jerry's oldest child. She graduated from Georgetown University and founded the beverage company G.O.A.T. Fuel with her father, Jerry, and husband, Trevion Gold.

G.O.A.T. Fuel is described as "a premium sports energy beverage and lifestyle brand focused on bringing health-forward, innovative products and a G.O.A.T. mindset to consumers."

Jada Symone Rice

Jada was born in 1996 and is Jerry's youngest child with his ex-wife, Jackie. She attended the University of San Francisco and works in insurance in Texas, according to her LinkedIn.

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Jerry Rice wife: Latisha Pelayo

Latisha Pelayo is Rice's wife.

Rice proposed to Pelayo in March 2018, and the couple wed at a ceremony in Napa Valley in October 2019. Pelayo proudly represents her Mexican heritage and works in the beauty industry, calling skincare her passion, not just a job.

Pelayo is listed as the owner of the Sol Y Luna Salon in San Carlos, Calif.

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Jerry Rice previous wife: Jackie Mitchell

Jacqueline "Jackie" Mitchell is Rice's first wife.

The two wed in 1987 and together have three children: Jaqui, Jerry Jr., and Jada Symone. Jackie filed for divorce in June 2007, and it was finalized in 2009. Despite the marriage ending, the two continued to co-parent their youngest daughter, while their older two siblings had left home for college.

MORE:Complete list of Super Bowl MVP winners through the years

Jerry Rice dad: Joe Rice

Rice is the son of Joe Rice, a Mississippi native.

In his memoir, Jerry described his dad as "the provider for the family and the rule-maker." Joe Rice was a bricklayer who built homes in Mississippi, and "sometimes he'd work two or three different jobs to get money." Rice's father built the family home himself on a plot of seven acres of land.

Joe Rice died in 2004.

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Jerry Rice mom: Eddie B. Rice

Rice's mother is Eddie B. Rice.

A native of Starkville, Miss. Eddie B. was born in 1937 as the oldest of 17 children. She and Joe Rice were wed in 1954 and had eight children. She was active in her church communities, including a role as president of the gospel choir.

She died in 2015 at age 77.

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Jerry Rice siblings

Jerry is the sixth of eight children born to Joe and Eddie B. Rice.

His older siblings are Eddie Dean, Joe Jr., Tom, Jimmy and James. Jerry's younger siblings are Loistine and Zebedee.

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Jerry Rice cousin: Jordan Matthews

The NFL connections extend beyond the father-son link, as Rice is a cousin of longtime NFL pass-catcher Jordan Matthews. As for the connection, Matthews explained that his mother and Rice's mother were first cousins, making him and Rice second cousins.

"Back when he was with the Raiders, me and my family took a trip to Oakland, we watched him play. He gave us tickets — this is before I was a college player that he gave us tickets, so y'all can write that down," Jordan joked during his pre-draft process in 2014. "We got to see his house. A really cool guy."

Matthews was the 42nd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and caught 16 touchdown passes over his first two seasons as a wide receiver with the Eagles. Matthews' last NFL appearance came in 2024 with the Panthers, after switching to tight end in 2023.

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