No player in NFL history dominated his position like Jerry Rice. The Hall of Fame wide receiver was named All-Pro 12 times in his 20 seasons and holds over 100 individual records—most by a wide margin. He is the all-time leader in every major statistical category for wide receivers including receptions, touchdown catches and receiving yards. Although he finished his career with a stint in Oakland, Rice will always be remembered for his legacy in San Francisco where he won three Super Bowl rings while catching passes from Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Featured here is a game-used 49ers helmet, circa 1990-91, believed to be worn by Rice. It comes with outstanding provenance from the personal collection of Dave Rah, the team’s former Director of Operations who passed away in 2014. Rahn’s widow claims this is Jerry Rice's helmet given to her late husband during his tenure, although there are no specific markings or player identifiers to 100% confirm this. Based on early 1990’s game photos, we can verify that Rice used a triple-bar facemask similar to this one. In addition, this offered helmet is customized with "double-bladder" padding typical of Rice's preferred headwear, according to his previous helmet listings. Getty image 108934319 shows a near photo-match (certainly a style-match) of the top of his helmet from a Sept. 23, 1990, game vs. Atlanta when Rice had eight grabs for 171 yards and a touchdown. The ventilation holes appear to be in the exact same location.
The gold shell, with red and white decal stripes over the middle and SF logo decals on each side, exhibits light-to-moderate use, mostly in the form of minor surface scratches. The “49ERS” decal over the forehead covers the Bike Air helmet brand label. There are no No. 80 decals on the rear, only the warning label, which was typical of 49ers player helmets from that era. The aforementioned double-bladder padding remains in good shape, as do the ear pads and Bike Air chin strap. The facemask appears to be the original, with some wear and tear, and the "89" stamped mask clips help date the helmet since these were often carried over one or two seasons. It should be noted that Rice did switch to a double-bar mask in 1994 (similar to Young's QB style).
From the collection of the late Dave Rahn (pictured with Rice, all post-1994), the 49ers' former Director of Operations. Includes letter of provenance from his widow.
Provenance: From 1986-2002, Dave Rahn served an integral role within the San Francisco 49ers organization. Starting as a public relations and media coordinator, he soon took over as director of travel and team services where he was responsible for all football operations, including travel and accommodations, practice schedules, lodging and meal planning. He later managed the concert tours for Fleetwood Mac, Sheryl Crow and Lionel Richie. In 2014, Dave Rahn passed away after a courageous 2-year battle with cancer. "He was like a wheel, and all these spokes from those years came from him," said his close friend, former linebacker Gary Plummer. "He kept the 49ers family from those times together." His collection included dozens of 49ers game-worn and autographed items gifted by players and staff members.