Go Long!: My Journey Beyond the Game and the Fame

My takeaway for" Go Long" is that I learned a little what motivated Jerry Rice. The fear of failure, the insecurity and the need to please his father and later his coach Welsh. Some superstars rely only on their talents, Lawrence Taylor and others but Jerry Rice have it in their DNA to overachieve, the work ethics is amazing. He worked out like no one, he knew he might not be the most talented(which I think he was, the records speaks for themselves) but no one will out practice him, or work harder then, Jerry Rice. That was his mindset for his own career. And yet, he regrets not spending more time with his family. He never took a vacation, he was always working out and practicing. I learned a few other things, his trauma of almost losing his wife and behind the scenes of Dancing with the Stars.Another takeaway is that he was not afraid to take risk, he took risk going to a small college, leaving the San Francisco and doing a reality show of professional vs. regular Joes. I admire that in him. Actually I admire his awesome work ethic and his willingness to go beyond his comfort zone What I didn't admire is that like so many superstars, he waited too long to retire. Supposedly, his agent fax Jerry interest in playing football to all the teams. He was and is too classy for that. I admire those that retire winning, a la Tony La Russa. And they were some instances of his ill feelings for the 49ers when they let him go and to the winners of the Dancing with the Stars because some of the contestants had prior dancing experiences- again Jerry is a classy guy, I wish he would have taken the high road in both instances. There were a few more but nobody is perfect.I love Jerry Rice and I do recommend the book.

I am a collector of 49ers books and I thought I would point out some factual errors in this book by Jerry. I'm not claiming any of that is a big deal mind you, nor will it keep you or I up at night but I thought I would point it out rather than rehash what everyone else says, which it is in fact a cool book by the best NFL player ever.He's not the first to have factual errors in these sports biographies; I have seen virtually every other 49ers book have them too whether it was by Roger Craig or sports writer Glen Dickey. Anyhow....He mentions that he and John Taylor were making some catches to get a drive going during Super Bowl 23. Actually, the only catch Taylor made during this game was the winning touchdown with only 34 seconds left. There were no other receptions for the great John Taylor.He mentioned that the Bucs beat the 49ers in the NFC championship game to advance to the Super Bowl. The Bucs beat the Niners in the divisional playoff round; they would beat the Eagles in the championship game.Being that I loathe the Raiders, the next mistake made me cringe because he gave them too much credit (haha)....claiming that when he signed with them, Al Davis was hoping he could help them reach a Super Bowl again, where they hadn't been since "1994." Actually, he was off by a decade; the Raiders hadn't been to the Super Bowl since 1984, not 1994. This mistake kind of surprised me, so maybe it was just a typo on the part of the editor.So there you have it! (And for the record, I even found two mistakes in the 2002 NFL fact book.)

Jerry Rice has routinely been called the all time greatest reciever for the last 20 years. This title does not do him justice. In football, the goal of the offense is to move the ball and score points...preferably touchdowns. The goal of the defense is to prevent this from happening. Jerry Rice could not be stopped by the Giants, the Bears, the Cowboys, the Steelers, the Broncos nor any one else at any time in his career. He not only is the all time leader in catches, yards and touchdowns, no one else is even close. This man is quite simply the greatest football player of all time. Jerry touches on his life and career from high school, college and the NFL. He speaks of his legendary work ethic, the fact, that in his opinion Joe Montana was superior to Steve Young, and, as a devoted family man and husband, the ordeal he went through when his wife faced life-threatening complications after giving birth. This a an interestng,quick read about a classy individual as well as a superb player and would reccomend it to any football or sports fan.

This is very readable account of the life of the great Jerry Rice. It was as if he were talking as I read it. Though a big Jerry Rice fan, I learned a great deal more about all stages of his life.

I've never been a 49er fan, but I've always admired Jerry Rice for his skill and work ethic. There has never been a better wide receiver. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Jerry doesn't shy away from controversial opinions about team mates and other players and he addresses his own mistakes and shortcomings in an up front way. I also appreciated the way that the book went beyond the usual sports bio in terms of teaching good life lessons based upon what the athlete actually learned through experiences, good and bad. Having rooted for Jerry in Dancing With the Stars, I was also intrigued by his motivation for doing the show and enjoyed the behind-the-scenes information and analysis of his experience there.

Another book my son used for a book report. It was a great read for him. He is in the 3rd grade and it was easily read. He really liked the fact that Jerry started his journey as a kid cutting school and running away from the VP of the school.

Excellent book, easy read. Very frank and honest dialogue produces a very refreshing look at the character andmakeup of NFL great Jerry Rice. He possesses "old school" values, rare for todays athletes and his humbleapproach and its origins are clearly defined in his upbringing. Would highly recommend it for parents and playersof any sport as well as non-players as it explores more than the world of athletics and promotes a greatwork ethic.K.F.

Husband loves this

great book