Rice's insistence that Sanders remain is interesting, since he acknowledges that the two got into an argument the night before the Super Bowl. He said the dispute stemmed from the players' different personalities: Rice is the blue-collar hard worker who wanted the team to think about nothing but football the week of the Super Bowl and follow the curfew rules. Sanders thought the team was too uptight and actually broke curfew several times while hitting the Miami club scene.

"We did have an argument," Rice recalled. "But of course there were no punches thrown. This organization has always been about the business at hand and he felt we were too uptight. I thought we were fine. I thought he was trying to change things that had worked for the San Francisco 49ers for years. That was what the argument was about. But I want to make it clear that I hope he comes back. I'm going to push for it."

It is easy to see how the two could clash. Few professional athletes prepare themselves for their job as well as Rice. It is the kind of dedication that has become almost legendary. "There is a glow around him that makes everyone within 50 feet of him push themselves as hard as they can," said Watters. "It happened to me. It's like a virus. I caught it."

And it appears even picky advertisers are beginning to catch Rice fever. What always perplexed Rice and others was how advertisers simply weren't knocking at his door despite such incredible on-field success. In the days following Super Bowl XXIII, in which the 49ers rallied to beat Cincinnati in the final minute and Rice was named the most valuable player, his phone was still not ringing, Rice wondered aloud if he was being ignored because he was black. It's easy to understand why he was concerned: Just about everyone on the team, it seemed, was getting rich off the field except him.

Now, however, the phone won't stop ringing. Rice now has over a dozen endorsements, with six coming since the Super Bowl victory over the Chargers. Some of the credit goes to his agent, Jim Steiner, whose company, Sports Management Group, began to push for Rice. This year alone, Rice has made over $2 million from endorsement revenues, a figure that puts him in the marketing Pro Bowl.

"His plate has never been so full," said Steiner.

Rice says he has no explanation for the sudden turnaround. As unbelievable as it may seem, some marketing analysts feel the original slight had more to do with companies being unaware of his dual reputation as a great player and hard worker. "Sometimes endorsements come to players towards the end of their careers," said Brian Murphy, publisher of the Sports Marketing Letter, based in Westport, Conn. "People now look at Jerry Rice and say, 'He is quality all the way.' Some advertisers will wait a long time to make sure a player isn't a flash in the pan."

Rice may have also been hurt by simply being such a nice guy. He has always been a pleasant person and at times can be very quiet. You won't hear about him getting arrested or talking about his exploits on a rap album. For a long time, advertisers may not have heard much about him because Jerry Rice rarely talks about Jerry Rice.