Rice arrived at the stadium early in the morning to receive his camera. The former wide receiver learned what shutter speed, ISO, and aperture meant, and made a mental checklist of players and people he wanted to see and capture. Throughout the day, Rice moved around the field and got used to the fast-paced nature of photography.
“There’s so many things you’ve got to move around,” he said, adjusting his camera as players streamed past him in warmups.
Rice noted the duality of being so close to the game he knows so well without being in it. Watching players warm up, he reflected on the muscle memory that never leaves.
“The weirdest thing is I actually could be out here running, catching footballs right now,” he said. “That’s crazy. That’s just crazy.”
Still, Rice embraced the unfamiliar role with the same seriousness that defined his Hall of Fame career.
“I’m a photographer today. I have a different job today,” he said. “I’m trying to learn this and take pride in it. So if I’m gonna do something, I’m going all out, 100 percent.”
He worked alongside the 49ers media team, carefully framing shots and following players in their pregame routines.