Chargers WR Brenden Rice Falling in Draft Was 'Blessing in Disguise'

Despite being viewed by many people as a late day two, early day three pick, Brenden Rice fell to the seventh round and is using that as motivation.

Mar 1, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California wide receiver Brenden Rice (WO25) talks to / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Draft is a dream come true for prospects. It's the realization that they made a lifelong dream come true in becoming a professional football player.

For some, the actual event is a wonderful experience. They hear their name called and it's an incredible feeling. For others, they have to wait longer than what they expected and it can turn what should be a great moment into that of frustration.

That is what happened to Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Brenden Rice. He was viewed as a late day two, early day three player. He ended up being selected in the seventh round at pick 225 by the Chargers. Rice spoke to the media about falling in the draft and he views it as a blessing in disguise.

"My dad (Hall of Fame WR Jerry Rice) was hot. Yeah, my dad was hot. First words he said was 'It's time to go to work.' And he said 'I'll be with you every step of the way. I'm going to be involved with all your workouts from now on. We've got a lot of people to prove wrong, a lot of teams to go ahead and just...man it's going to be one hell of a story that's all I'm going to say.'

"You gotta look at everything as a blessing in disguise. I prayed to go to a team that really wanted me and God felt as though that the Los Angeles Chargers wanted me and it doesn't matter how long it takes. I just wanted to get my foot in the door, I wanted to be around a good group of people, I wanted to be in the room that I could go ahead and prove myself in. The same thing I've been doing all my life since Colorado to USC until now. I've been chasing competition and I've always wanted to prove myself time and time again. So, you can go head and be frustrated, but you have to look at it as a blessing."

- Chargers WR Brenden Rice

Rice doesn't just have the proper attitude for a player coming into the National Football League, he has a father who isn't just invested in his son, but hte best to ever do it. If anyone is primed to succeed given these circumstances, it's Brenden Rice.