WATCH: Rashee Rice had a special message for Fort Worth after Chiefs won the Super Bowl
Super Bowl champion Rashee Rice has a message for everyone in Fort Worth:
“Shout out to Funkytown, man. I’ll be home soon. We’re Super Bowl champs, baby!” Rice said minutes after joining his Kansas City teammates in the locker room and just before he started dancing and celebrating the Chiefs’ dramatic 25-22 overtime win on Sunday at Allegiant Staidum to capture their second straight Super Bowl title.
As soon as he finished his shout out to Fort Worth, tight end Travis Kelce walked over and gave the former Richland High and SMU standout a big bear hug, shouting again “We’re Super Bowl champs, baby!”
Unwrapping a big cigar, holding a bottle of champagne, he then joined his teammates dancing to the loud music.
While Kelce is one of the Chiefs’ and the NFL’s established stars, the always wide-smiling Rice just completed his rookie season in a way he couldn’t have ever predicted when he was playing for Ged Kates and the Royals five years ago.
He caught six passes for 39 yards in the Super Bowl win, his lowest output of any of Kansas City’s four postseason victories. Yet, that doesn’t matter.
“We’re Super Bowl champs,” he proclaimed. That’s all that matters to the 23-year old who had a Chiefs’ rookie record with 79 receptions for 938 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season. All were also team-highs on the Chiefs’ wide receiving corps this season.
He then caught 26 passes for 266 yards in the postseason wins over the Dolphins, Bills, Ravens and 49ers.
The 2023 second-round draft pick quickly emerged in his rookie season as one of quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets.
He had a minor injury scare a few days prior to the Super Bowl when a teammate stepped on his ankle in practice on Thursday. He left practice early for treatment, but was back on the practice field on Friday and in the starting lineup on Saturday.
And although teammate caught the game-winning catch, Mahomes gave credit to Rice for helping set up the winning score.
A few plays earlier, Mahomes had a big run on fourth down from their own 34-yard line. The Chiefs called a timeout to set up the play. If they failed the execute, the game would’ve been over and the 49ers would be the champs.
Mahomes turned the fourth-and-one into a first down with an 8-yard run.
“That was the play (called Tom & Jerry),” Mahomes said. “Calling the time out, I thought it was important for us to go over there and discuss what we wanted in that moment. And we all agreed on that play. I knew before the play that it’s more of a man designed play where [Travis] Kelce kind of comes from behind the line of scrimmage.
“And I told Rashee, ‘Maybe if you can’t set the little rub, if you can kind of set up open’. And with them being so focused on that, it opened right open for me to run, and I knew I had to get a yard so I actually got down on that one and we were able to get that first down and keep the drive going.”
Rice said days before the Super Bowl he’d do whatever it takes to win, so it was not a big surprise that he was successfully a decoy in the play.
“I look at myself as a winner, and I’ll do anything it takes to win,’ Rice said. “So I feel like me being able to add a piece to this team, it just only made us a lot better.”
It’s a trait he learned from coach Kates. Rice honors Kates and his high school by wearing his Royals’ No. 4 in the NFL.
Rice rose to stardom as a wide receiver at Richland High School in Birdville school district. He tallied over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns, leading the Fort Worth-area school with 105 receiving yards per game in his senior season.
“I got vets around me that have been in the league for years, and I’m just — I’m still learning from those guys,” he said. “And I continue — I look forward to continuing to learn from those guys and be able to, you know, win together on Sunday.”
And that’s what he did.
He’ll be home to Fort Worth soon to celebrate with his friends and family.
This story was originally published February 12, 2024 at 1:07 AM.