Jerry Rice: 'Darnold and JSN Remind Me of Montana and Me'

Alright, I'm here with NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and NetApp CEO Gaby Boco.

Uh, so nice to meet you guys.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

I know that you have teamed up with NetApp and, uh, obviously you guys are working together.

Tell me about it.

Well, you know, it's really amazing because when you think of the NFL.

Experience and the technology and all of that and the connection behind that .

And also, Levi's Stadium is going to be a giant data center.

And that's because of uh NetApp and uh what they bring to the table.

So they make, they're making life a little bit more easier for everyone.

I don't care.

Uh, if you're in Silicon Valley or if you're in any other type of continent or whatever, you're gonna be able to get that service.

We take Jerry Global.

Oh yeah, of course.

I mean, he said it right.

Levi's Stadium is going to be Super Bowl 60 is the most data intensive thing you can do.

So NetApp is there to, with the NFL and the 49ers to be the invisible infrastructure layer that makes data accessible for coaches, for players, for fans, ultimately.

What's it like working with Jerry Rice, Hall of Famer?

I mean, the fact that I am half his size says quite a lot, but I think we , we, he said something to me that I love, and he said that I can be his coach for the day.

So I am leaning into it.

Yeah, she's really bossing me around today, and we're having a great time and all of that.

I love a woman in charge.

Absolutely good on you.

All right, well, I have to ask you, uh, about something that happened yesterday.

I had another Hall of Famer, TO, here, OK.

He told me that he thinks the Hall of Fame is tainted after the whole Belichick situation and that Brady should not get in on his first try.

What are your thoughts on that?

I'm here just to, uh, represent NetApps and, uh, talk about Super Bowl 60.

I'm not gonna, I'm gonna leave that, uh, to the professionals, but, uh, you know, this Super Bowl is gonna be awesome.

You got, you know, you got the Seahawks, you have the Patriots, uh, you got some young guys, you got some old guys.

Sam Dunnell, I feel like is gonna get it done, uh, NFC.

So, uh, it should be a great football game.

Rooting for the Seahawks.

OK.

Would you rather catch passes from Drake May or Sam Darnold?

right now.

I'll take both of those guys and I feel like I could make them great.

That's it.

All they had to do is throw me the football and I would make that catch for them.

So yeah, it's all about teamwork and it's all about building relationships and and that's exactly what I have done with NetApp also, you know, we have built this relationship.

And I'm honored to have the opportunity to really stand here and and and partner with them.

You played with some amazing quarterbacks back in the day, Joe Montana, Steve Young.

Is there one quarterback wide receiver duo that comes close to what you guys had going back in the day?

Oh my God, that's a good one.

That's a good one.

because you hit me hard, let me see, in today's football.

Yeah, in today's NFL.

I would say probably Uh, Sam Dunne and, uh, I would say probably JSN JSN, they're real special, they're they're real special and, and, uh, you can see that chemistry, uh, you can see that timing.

And, and, and, and it's like they know each other so well.

And I, I had that with Joe Montana, I had that with Steve Young, and, and you have to build that, you have to earn it.

Who's one NFL wide receiver that comes close to your level of talent?

Is it JSN?

Uh, I got to go with JJ Justin Jefferson.

He is, he is the man.

He can do it all.

He can stretch the field, he can, he's not afraid to go across the middle.

Uh, he's not afraid to outjump you, and he's just got that, that, uh, playmaker, uh, mentality.

Of course I got to ask you about the Forty-Niners and Brock Purdy because he is a winner in my book, and I feel like people still look at him as an underdog.

What more does he have to do?

I think basically what uh what Steve Young had to do, win a Super Bowl.

You think that'll silence the haters?

Oh yes, yes, that's the way you do it.

So, uh, it's all about the results and it's not good just to get there.

You got to win the whole thing.

And back in the day, we were able to kick that door in when we got that opportunity.

They gotta be healthy.

Yeah.

Well , well, well, well, well, I, no, no, I, I don't want to use this health thing as an excuse.

You got to put the work in.

I know it plays a factor, but we can't keep talking about the health, the health, and why we're not winning Super Bowls.

You got to do what you got to do during the offseason, during the season, and, uh, and you got to win football games.

Do you think the Super Bowl window for the Niners is still open ?

Uh, do I think it's still open?

Of course, but it's up to the players.

Isn't that more of a believe?

Do you believe?

Yeah, it's up to the players.

It's up to the players to get themselves ready.

Yeah, you know, in the draft, we need to draft certain players and do all of that, but it, it boils down to those guys, uh, putting the work in.

All right, well, thank you so much for stopping by.

I really appreciate it, and you guys have fun this week at the Super Bowl.

Yeah, boy, you ask some tough questions, Jerry.

I'm just doing my job.

She's great.